This likely should be posted in another area rather than Engines, but because most of the arguments are going on in the Engines area, I'll post it here. Sorry, Mr. Webmaster if I done wrong, And my credits to blueOvalnews.com for the article. Seems as if Ford really has a dedicated bunch of owners not to mention a great product:

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"Off the Tire"
Critics proved wrong, with
top honors going to Ford

Published: January 13, 2001
By: Steve Blake

Many critics were forecasting doom for Ford Motor Company, last year, shortly after the Firestone tire issue absorbed the spotlight of local, national and global news coverage. Later, critics forecasted doom because of the many production related recalls that halted sales at dealerships across the country for a period of time. How was Ford Motor Company's Ford Division able to survive these challenges? Ford Division's unwavering loyal consumer base.

Ford owners make up the largest base of the most loyal, passionate, and opinionated consumers in the automotive marketplace. They are not afraid to offer their unsolicited testimony to acquaintances, friends and family members. Ford Division dealers also play a significant roll in retaining a majority of Ford's consumers.

Dealers often battle with Ford Motor Company on behalf of their consumers. Though lately, some dealership employees have developed such a hatred for Ford Motor Company, it inhibits the effectiveness of the dealers' ability to battle Ford on many fronts.

While many challenges remain for Ford, looking to the future, one thing is for certain, Ford consumers are responsible for driving Ford to an all time record sales year. Ford gives the public the products they desire, and thus allows their consumers to continue supporting the company. The Ford Focus, in only its first full year of production in the U.S., was able to capture the #10 spot of the top ten selling cars and trucks in America and is now the world's top selling car. That alone is testimony to the power of the Ford's blue oval and to the consumers that support Ford.

If you would, just ponder this for a moment... what other auto maker could withstand the challenges and problems that Ford faced during the past year, without losing marketshare and still be ranked as number one in owner loyalty? Not one that I can think of.

However, I am not passing out this praise with a blanket statement that puts Ford on an unreachable pedestal. It is the individuals that continue to go beyond the call of duty at Ford and Ford dealers that keep Ford Division ranked as number one.

The plant janitors, vehicle designers, engineers, corporate communications personnel, executives, dealership salespeople, technicians and service advisors that continue to outperform their counterparts from other automakers, are the real reason the faithful stay faithful. Most of those mentioned are also passionate Ford enthusiasts themselves.

My praise goes to those consumers that stick with a company because they know in the end, they will come out winners. Steve Yzerman, captain of the Detroit Red Wings said during a radio interview when the Wings were on their way to a repeat championship that "We owe this to our fans who stuck with us throughout the good and bad times. There were times when we had less than 5,000 fans in the seats and its these fans that deserve the Stanley Cup."

It is the loyal, enthusiastic, and passionate Ford owners that keep the company going through thick and thin. A perfect example of this was when Ford Racing introduced the Taurus as the replacement for the Thunderbird for NASCAR. Many criticized Ford for the move, yet when Dale Jarrett in his #88 Taurus took home the NASCAR racing championship, the critics were once again silenced.

When you are on top, the target gets larger and every critic wants to be the one that says, "I told you so." Some dealership technicians, left with a sour taste in their mouths over the reductions in labor rates Ford Motor Company, would like nothing more than to see Ford crumble and have at times stated that we at BlueOvalNews do not publish enough negative press concerning Ford.

While I do believe the reduction in labor rates is a real issue that needs to be addressed, wishing the demise of not only a company, but of a brand that so many have poured their lives into, is beyond reproach.

I told a Ford Motor Company executive at the North American International Auto Show, during the media preview days, that nobody does it better than Ford, and that holds true under the scrutiny of any skeptic. What Ford Motor Company does so right that other automakers can't or are afraid to do, is effectively communicate openly with the general populous and get involved.

Jim Rogers, Lincoln Mercury General Marketing Manager, who is an active "Edmund's Town Hall participant" gets involved with the members of that forum, if even first against the advice of Ford Motor Company's legal department. The same holds true for Art Hyde of Team Mustang and many others.

At the NAIAS, I was able to shake the "man's" hand and congratulate him for the sales success of 2000 and wished him more of the same for 2001. But, meeting CEO Jac Nasser is nowhere near the top of highlights of my dealings with those at Ford Motor Company.

It is people like Ford Division President James O'Connor and Ford Sales Analyst George Pipas that I truly enjoy speaking with because they are as big a Ford enthusiast as myself. You can tell when a person's enthusiasm is true to nature and not just that of a salesman.

It is also people like Jason Vines, Vice President of Communications for Ford Motor Company that make Ford what it is. I have kindly nicknamed Jason the "eliminator" because he has demonstrated on an ongoing basis how truly inferior other automakers are in transmitting a company's desired message to the masses.

So to you people who think you can dilute a brand that is more powerful than the sum of all its employees and consumers, I say good luck! For the rest of us.... I would like to post all of Ford's honors received at the North American International Auto Show.

From "Best in Show" to "Best Engine," Ford Motor Company and its Volvo, Mazda, Lincoln and Ford brands took home 13 top awards at this year's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Honors included:

AutoWeek named the Forty-Nine Ford Concept "Best in Show," one of AutoWeek's annual Editor's Choice Awards. "This is the cream of the crop. What vehicle will we look at five years out and remember?" said AutoWeek Editor and Associate Publisher Dutch Mandel. "The Forty-Nine harkens images of hot rods of the '50s and '60s. There's more than a subtle hint of the dream cars that buoyed our optimism and enthusiasm."
Ward's Auto World bestowed Ford's 5.4-liter TritonTM SOHC V-8/5.4-liter supercharged engine with one of its coveted "Ten Best Engines" awards.
African Americans On Wheels magazine named Elliott S. Hall, vice president of Dealer Development for Ford Motor Company, its "Executive of the Year." The award was announced last night at the Fifth Annual Urban Wheel Awards program, which recognizes companies and individuals for their diversity efforts in the automotive industry.
American Woman Road & Travel magazine awarded three Ford Motor Company products as winners of its "Most Likely to Succeed Awards," naming the new 2001 Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute "Best in Class-SUV: Most Likely to Survive Anything," and the Volvo Cross-Country as "Best in Class-Station Wagon: Most Dependable."
Lincoln and its agency Young & Rubicam were honored with three awards by the Newspaper Association of America at its 25th Annual DANDY Awards. Lincoln was the "Best of the Best" winner for its "Lincoln LS Race for the Cure" ad, which was published in The New York Times. The ad also was chosen as the winner in the category of "Best Manufacturer Image Ad." In addition, Lincoln receive the "Best Use of Color in an Ad" award for its "Lincoln LS Dust" ad, created for the Tri-State region. This ad also appeared in The New York Times.
Ford Motor Company won five of 14 categories in the annual Polk Automotive Household Loyalty Awards. The award signifies Ford's focus on maintaining customer loyalty and its wide variety of car and truck models in many different segments.
The Awards are based on Polk's proprietary household loyalty methodology which determines loyalty among households to a model, make or manufacturer. Ford Motor Company Vice President Jim O'Connor, president of Ford Division, accepted awards in the following categories on behalf of the company's dealers and the many consumers that continue to drive Ford into the #1 spot year after year:
Award Category Winner Loyalty % Avg. Segment Loyalty
Make Loyalty Ford Division 58.6 % 42.8 %
Small Car Ford Focus 31.8 % 17.8 %
Minivan Ford Windstar 29.0 % 16.8 %
Compact Pickup Ford Ranger 19.6 % 14.8 %
Pickup Truck Ford F-Series 36.0 % 32.8 %



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2000 F150 Harley-Davidson: Superchip, K&N FIPK
Hard Tonneau, Hidden Hitch, 2-Meter Rig (KG0UK)
'99 FLHRCI, '95 XLH