1965 Ford F-250 Camper Special on 2040-cars

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Ford celebrates 1 millionth Mustang built at Flat Rock

Yesterday, the Ford Mustang turned 49 years old, and Ford didn't miss the opportunity to celebrate the one millionth version of the Mustang rolling off the assembly line at the Flat Rock Assembly plant. Production of the Mustang at Flat Rock coincided with the fifth-generation design launching in 2004, and the one millionth car was the car shown above, a 2014 GT convertible painted in Ruby Red.
In total, Ford has sold more than 8.5 million Mustangs since the original car went on sale, but some of the key milestones over the car's nine years at Flat Rock include the Shelby GT-H, Bullitt, Boss 302 and, of course, the 662-horsepower Shelby GT500. Scroll down for a press release celebrating Flat Rock's milestone Mustang.

Weekly Recap: Auto execs face life in prison for recall delays under proposed legislation

The stiff punishments are part of broader transportation legislation, but clearly McCaskill has automakers in her sights.
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill threw down the gauntlet this week, proposing a bill that could send auto executives to prison for life if they were found to have delayed a recall. She also wants to eliminate the limit for fines for auto safety violations, which are currently capped at $35 million.

GM readying aluminum-body fullsize pickups

Ford's extensive use of aluminum in its 2015 F-150 is a big deal. A really big deal. Big enough, in fact, that General Motors is reportedly changing its fullsize pickup strategy. According to The Wall Street Journal, The General has locked in partnerships with Alcoa Inc. and Novelis Inc. - companies that will supply aluminum for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.
"Ford's introduction of the 2015 F-150 pickup truck was a game changer, and it's the first, not the last, conversion of this type," Novelis spokesperson Charles Belbin told the Journal. The switch to aluminum has allowed Ford to shave roughly 700 pounds off its fullsize truck's curb weight. And while official mileage ratings have not been announced, the weight loss should go a long way for improving efficiency, especially when combined other efficiency-minded improvements including better aerodynamics and new, turbocharged V6 engines.
Of course, aluminum-bodied cars are nothing new. But extensive use of aluminum in a major, best-selling product like the Ford F-150 is expected to kick off widespread use of this weight-saving material as availability rises and cost decreases. The WSJ reports that GM had originally explored the idea of moving to aluminum pickups back in 2008, but abandoned the idea due to cost concerns amid economic woes.