How Moms Saved Ford

As Mother's Day comes once again, we are reminded of the role they've played throughout history and in particular the role they've played in the history of the Ford Motor Company. The Joplin Globe has a great brief piece on this story:

Sunday is Mother’s Day, a time to honor those who raised us. For one auto family, the holiday symbolizes something even more profound: mothers who saved the family business. The company in question? Ford.

Henry Ford established Ford Motor Co. in 1903 at age 40. Five years later, he introduced the Model T, a car that changed America forever.

Ford retained an iron grip on the company despite his advancing years. Always unpredictable, Ford grew more so as he aged. No one knew this better than Henry’s only son, Edsel, who served as Ford Motor Co. president. The elder Ford often undermined his son in an effort to toughen him up.

On May 23, 1943, Edsel, then 49 years old, died of cancer and undulant fever. Incredibly, his father, age 80, appointed himself president of Ford.

The U.S. government became concerned as the company’s condition deteriorated. Ford was one of their largest wartime contractors. Edsel’s wife, Eleanor, and his mother pressured Henry to turn it over Ford Motor Co. to their grandson, Henry II. The old man was reluctant.

Only when young Henry’s mother, Eleanor, threatened to sell her stock did old Henry relent. The government released Henry II from military service and, on September 21, 1945, Eleanor’s son took the helm and soon returned Ford to health.

Two mothers — Henry’s and Edsel’s — had saved Ford Motor Co.

Ford Focus EV

Ford's forthcoming Focus EV is set to have a feature unique amongst EVs—wireless charging! Using a floor-placed disc which will wirelessly transfer power to the vehicle when in position, you won't even have to plug it in. The San Francisco Chronicle has a great article on the upcoming technology:

You’re likely to be hearing a lot about Ford’s 2012 Focus Electric this week. Ford is in town with its new electric car, and will be giving test drives to members of the media, “electric auto enthusiasts, stakeholders and curious members of the public for this event.”

The event is set for 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday, May 10, at Hermann Square Park, 900 Smith Street – directly in front of City Hall.

Ford reports “the all-electric Focus is capable of fully recharging in three to four hours at home using the available wall-mounted 240-volt charge station – charging in half the time of the Nissan Leaf.”

Plugless power is a new concept of hands-free, wireless charging stations. The Plugless Power by Virginia-based Evatran is a disc you park on the floor of your garage. The disc relays the charge wirelessly and automatically via a receiver mounted to the underside of the vehicle that’s been hard-wired to the EV’s existing on-board charger.

The wireless system does not connect with or affect the external “outlet,” so you can still recharge conventionally, with a cord and plug, at any plug-in charging station. Right now, Plugless Power is available for the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, but is also being expanded to include other models.

Meanwhile, Toyota and Mitsubishi are partnering with Massachusetts-based WiTricity on a different system of wireless recharging. Although this system also requires a device embedded in the vehicle to connect with an energy-transmitter in the parking spot, the two systems differ in how the electric charge is transmitted. This one uses magnetic resonance, not inductive power, and it’s several years from real-time testing.

We can't wait to see the results when this hits the market!

Education Matters

We posted about this a while back but wanted to give it some more focus, as it's quite an achievement for our home town. From the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat:

A regional magazine’s analysis shows a large disparity in test scores among Cambria and Somerset county school districts.

Windber Area topped the area districts, ranking 67th out of 500 in the state. Turkeyfoot Valley Area, at 478th, and Greater Johnstown, at 477th, trailed the local pack.

The Pittsburgh Business Times published the rankings in its April edition, based on three years of Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exam scores.

“It shows consistency,” Windber schools Superintendent Rick Huffman said. “It is not just a good group (of students) that comes through. It shows you have a process in place.”

Windber moved up from 83rd on last year’s report and from 118th two years ago.

“We are now in the top 15 percent,” Huffman said. “We are very pleased with that.”

You can read the full story here.

“Go Further” Ad Campaign Begins Tonight!

Tonight, Ford will take a dramatic step out of the box with the launch of a new advertising campaign featuring some of our most exciting vehicles – the Ford Fiesta, Focus ST, 2013 Escape and the all-new 2013 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid.

This also marks the external debut of our new Go Further global brand promise here in North America.

For the first week of this campaign, none of the vehicles featured in the ads will wear the blue Ford oval and there will be no mention of the Ford brand. This unique – and somewhat unconventional – approach is designed to catch the attention of consumers who have perceptions of the Ford brand that don’t match up with the reality of today’s Ford Motor Company.  By running the ads for the first seven days of the campaign without any reference to Ford, we’re confident that the fuel economy, technology and design of our new vehicles will speak for themselves. 

After one week, re-edited versions of these spots will take over and be fully Ford-branded, but look similar in tone and feel to the first set of ads. These will air in a big media push for an additional six weeks.

To read more about this, including Jim Farley’s perspective click here.

Watch for the ads tonight during some of your favorite television programs like House, Smash, Dancing with the Stars and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

And you can go here to see the 60-second version of the unbranded ad…and since changing the perception of our Ford lineup to match reality is so important to growing the business, we ask that you actively share the ads with your family and friends.

Thank you for your support Ford Fans!