Edsel Ford’s Restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster Makes a Special Appearance at Monterey

Nearly eight decades after Edsel Ford, the son of the founder of the company, commissioned the one-off 1934 Model 40 Speedster, the historical sports car made a comeback at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show in Monterey, California.

The custom made model, which served Edsel Ford as a personal roadster had changed many hands after his death in 1943 until its last owner, a Texas car collector, bought the car in 2008. After the collector’s sudden death in 2010, the Speedster returned to Edsel's home, now operated as an historic site called the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House.

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It Came From eBay Hell: 2006 Excalibur Limousine

Cruella de Vil, your car has arrived. This 2006 Excalibur limousine was once a scanty 2000 Lincoln Town Car Signature Edition and challenges the notion that anything would be better than the latter.

It now has a front end styled like a 1930 Stutz, though this car has more in common with the hideous Stutz Blackhawk of the 1970s.

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Mystery Scoop: Is this the 2014 Cadillac ATS, a Future Buick or Something Else?

Maybe you can help us out here. A Carscoop reader, who prefers to remain anonymous, nabbed these photos of an identical pair of camouflaged prototype sedans at a tollbooth in Ohio.

The photos were shot from a distance with a cell phone camera, so it’s difficult to tell the brand and make of the vehicles. Our unnamed reader told us that the front end looked like a Cadillac but the rest of the car reminded him of a Buick, and we’ll agree with him.

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Union of Concerned Scientists Releases 2011 Hybrid Scorecard: Prius = Good, Touareg Hybrid = Bad

The Union of Concerned Scientist, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its second annual Hybrid Scorecard. The organisation criticised hybrid car manufacturers for not delivering on the technology’s promise, for placing performance above fuel efficiency and environmental benefit and burdening hybrids with features that put them out of the price range of average Americans.

A total of 34 hybrid vehicles from the 2011 to 2012 model year were tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The latter is features that don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make the cars more appealing to money-conscious consumers.

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Mercedes-Benz Tops Secret Shopper Study of U.S. Dealers, Lincoln Places Last in Luxury Segment

Mercedes-Benz dealers were number one for customer treatment in the US according to an independent study by survey company Pied Piper. The California-based company hired 3,524 “secret shoppers” and sent them to US dealerships in order to determine how their salesmen were performing in anything from explaining a car’s features to closing a deal.

This is the third year in a row that Mercedes-Benz, which looks set to top the sales charts this year in the luxury segment, has topped Pied Piper’s study.

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Lincoln Drops Price of 2012 MKT with EcoBoost V6 by $3,000

Lincoln has introduced the 2012 model year version of its not-so-successful MKT three-row crossover. While there are no equipment or styling changes, the Detroit automaker has reshuffled the MKT’s lineup by dropping the all-wheel drive model with the naturally-aspirated 3.7-liter V6 from the range and reducing the price of the AWD version with the 355HP 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 by $3,000 to $46,295. Read more »

So Long and Thanks for all the Fish: The Last of San Francisco’s U.S. Dealerships Closes its Doors for Good

Are you in the market for a new car in San Francisco and are considering a product built by America’s Big 2.5? If so, then I have some bad news: the last U.S. domestic automaker dealership has just shut up shop. San Francisco Ford Lincoln Mercury on Van Ness Avenue closed a few weeks ago, leaving some 50 employees out of a job.

Ford Lincoln Mercury presidente Mel Turner told the San Fransisco Chronicle: “We are proud to have served the San Francisco community and will be focusing over the coming weeks on helping employees through this transition and ensuring our current customer commitments are met.”

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Lincoln Touts All-Wheel Drive Sales in the USA

Not to be outdone by GM and its Cadillac brand, which had recently published some fresh statistics about its all-wheel drive model sales in the States, Ford’s Lincoln division came out with a similar announcement to increase awareness and do some show off. Ford’s premium brand offers all-wheel drive as an option on all five models of its range, including the MKT, MKS, MKZ, MKX and the Navigator. Read more »

Lincoln Shakeups Continue as Ford Lays Down the Law for its Luxury Brand

After rejuvenating Ford and euthanizing Mercury, FoMoCo is finally ready to take its top-tier brand seriously. This means it will set standards for Lincoln by taking cues from true premium marques.

Ford recently spoke with its remaining 1,100 Lincoln dealers and spelled out a plan - or provided them with an ultimatum - that will hopefully please and attract customers while allowing for time to re-characterize and rebuild the ailing luxury brand. If these requests aren't met by October 1st, Ford just won't think dealers are committed enough to continue selling Lincolns.

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Lincoln Shakeups Continue as Ford Lays Down the Law for its Luxury Brand

After rejuvenating Ford and euthanizing Mercury, FoMoCo is finally ready to take its top-tier brand seriously. This means it will set standards for Lincoln by taking cues from true premium marques.

Ford recently spoke with its remaining 1,100 Lincoln dealers and spelled out a plan - or provided them with an ultimatum - that will hopefully please and attract customers while allowing for time to re-characterize and rebuild the ailing luxury brand. If these requests aren't met by October 1st, Ford just won't think dealers are committed enough to continue selling Lincolns.

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Next Lincoln Models to get Unique Designs and Different Technology than Fords

According to an Automotive News report, future Lincoln vehicles will be heavily differentiated from their Ford counterparts, as the two brands will no longer share design cues and technology.

“The strategy isn't just new products, but full differentiation from the Ford brand in not only design, but in technology”, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, on the sidelines of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

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Next Lincoln Models to get Unique Designs and Different Technology than Fords

According to an Automotive News report, future Lincoln vehicles will be heavily differentiated from their Ford counterparts, as the two brands will no longer share design cues and technology.

“The strategy isn't just new products, but full differentiation from the Ford brand in not only design, but in technology”, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, on the sidelines of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

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Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

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Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

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Holy Bat Race! To the Batmobile, Carscoop!

Since the beginnings of hot-rodding and customization, the world of modifying cars has been a realm in which car fans could express themselves in an almost uncountable number of ways. It plays host to a broad spectrum of possibilities; ranging from minor appearance items like headlight eyelashes and spoilers to fully coach-built supercars like James Glickenhaus's Ferrari P4/5 and Michael Stoschek's recent tribute to Lancia's Stratos, it's a vast space filled with five-dollar accessories, million dollar showboats, and everything in between.

Residing in that enormous region of "in-between" is a small company called Fiberglass Freaks in Logansport, Indiana, but they're not your average car shop. In fact, you could say they're one-of-a-kind.

Owned and operated by Mark Racop (the "what guy") and Jeff Sandberg (the "how guy"), and staffed by six full-time and eight part-time employees, Fiberglass Freaks is much like Harley Davidson; they sell dreams. In the case of this unassuming small-town Indiana garage, however, they're giving people the opportunity to own a real 1966 Batmobile.

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Holy Bat Race! To the Batmobile, Carscoop!

Since the beginnings of hot-rodding and customization, the world of modifying cars has been a realm in which car fans could express themselves in an almost uncountable number of ways. It plays host to a broad spectrum of possibilities; ranging from minor appearance items like headlight eyelashes and spoilers to fully coach-built supercars like James Glickenhaus's Ferrari P4/5 and Michael Stoschek's recent tribute to Lancia's Stratos, it's a vast space filled with five-dollar accessories, million dollar showboats, and everything in between.

Residing in that enormous region of "in-between" is a small company called Fiberglass Freaks in Logansport, Indiana, but they're not your average car shop. In fact, you could say they're one-of-a-kind.

Owned and operated by Mark Racop (the "what guy") and Jeff Sandberg (the "how guy"), and staffed by six full-time and eight part-time employees, Fiberglass Freaks is much like Harley Davidson; they sell dreams. In the case of this unassuming small-town Indiana garage, however, they're giving people the opportunity to own a real 1966 Batmobile.

Read more »