 |
|
 Listen to this report as a soundclip (right-click to download - 1.9 Mb) |
July 09, 2008 |
| Ford's newest model: Leonardo the dinosaur | |
 Ford's rapid prototyping capability typically gives the company a leg up in creating new vehicles. But, in an unlikely twist, Ford’s cutting-edge technology helped create a life-size prototype of one of the most extraordinary dinosaur fossils ever discovered. The 77-million-year-old dinosaur, dubbed Leonardo, was 22-feet long and weighed nearly 2 tons when it walked the earth. It is one of the only dinosaur fossils ever to be classified as a mummy because Leonardo's soft tissue remains intact. Ford's pro-bono rapid prototype work was conducted at one of the company's Non-Destructive Evaluation Laboratories, which created a high-fidelity model based on a series of CT scans that were taken of the fossil on-site at Montana's Dinosaur Field Station. The Ford-built life-size rapid prototype of Leonardo is on its way to the South Dakota-based Black Hills Institute of Geological Research for molding and casting.[More...] |
|
Alan Hall | ahall32@ford.com | 313-594-3744 |
|
| The Model T’s long ride on Hollywood’s A-list | |
|
|
Marisa Bradley | mbradl31@ford.com | 313-845-3791 |
|
| Customer needs drive Ford safety research | |
 In today's unpredictable world, consumers want to know that their vehicle will not only hold up in a crash, but help them avoid accidents altogether. "Consumers today are constantly bombarded with safety scares -- from food contamination to lead paint in toys to violence -- and that means they seek more safety in things they can control, such as the vehicles they want," said Sheryl Connelly, global trends manager, Ford Motor Company. To that end, Ford is developing high-tech active safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Cross Traffic Alert with Blind-Spot Monitoring. Ford also is studying collision warnings and other ways to alert drivers to potentially dangerous situations.[More ...] |
|
Wes Sherwood | wsherwoo@ford.com | 313-390-5660 |
|
| Ford joins forces with Lifetime, Reader’s Digest to raise breast cancer awareness | |
 Ford is joining forces with the Lifetime Network and Reader’s Digest to raise breast cancer awareness and build upon the Ford's Warriors in Pink initiative. On Sunday, a Ford Mustang with the Warriors in Pink package will play a prominent role in a special episode of "Army Wives" as the car the character Betty takes on a cross-country trek to receive treatment for breast cancer. As part of the "Army Wives" integration, Ford and Lifetime will seek out real army wives who have made a difference in their community. At the same time, Ford is joining forces with Reader's Digest this summer in a promotion to honor three real-life "Warriors" who personify strength, love and perseverance. Through print and online ads, readers can nominate themselves or someone they know who has faced breast cancer or stood by someone with the disease. The winners will be featured in the December issue of Reader's Digest.[More ...] |
|
Dan Jarvis | djarvis1@ford.com | 313-845-2709 |
|
| ‘Quick’ fixes for customers helps Ford dealers grow | |
 As Ford's vehicle quality steadily improves, Ford dealers are naturally losing some repair and warranty business. However, Ford dealers are finding a lucrative revenue stream in Quick Lane® Tire and Auto Centers, which provide routine vehicle maintenance and simple light repair services, such as oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire rotations. In fact, despite today’s sluggish economy, Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers, launched by the Ford Customer Service Division, are opening up across the country at a record pace, with the total number of stores topping 500 this week.[More ...] |
|
Marisa Bradley | mbradl31@ford.com | 313-845-3791 |
|
About Ford Motor Company # # # |
|
