Matt Ford 888-628-8227 - Buckner, MO

The week begins with the all-new Ford Edge picking up another trophy.  Members of the New England Motor Press Association have named the Edge as their official winter vehicle of New England for 2007.  Royal Ford of the Boston Globe notes that the Edge "is a tightly packaged, wonderfully designed crossover."   Other auto writers noted the following about Edge:

• "Fit and finish of a much more expensive vehicle."
• "Easy to drive, easy to park, and available in an all-wheel drive that beats New England winters."
• "Fits every demographic, from soccer mom to traveling salesman."
   

In other news, Ford Motor Company vehicles have placed among the Top 10 spots in a recent New York Times report on top shows, movies and product placements for 2006.  Ford was the only automaker that made the list, which was comprised of consumer products such as Oreo cookies, Sony Vaio computers and Nintendo.  The rankings included the following: 

• Ford Mustang ranked 3rd for product integration on the television show "My Name Is Earl."
• Lincoln Navigator ranked 4th for integration on the Julia Louis Dreyfus new show, "New Adventures of Old Christine," which showed the Navigator's interior, exterior and verbal mentions of five vehicle attributes.

NASCAR and Ford Racing kick into overdrive this week with the first race of the 2007 season, the Daytona 500. As you know, racing is an integral part of Ford’s marketing strategy and helps the company sell its winning line of cars and trucks.  Our involvement gives us a credible marketing platform to connect with customers.  Media interest is particularly high this week with Toyota's NEXTEL Cup debut.  Ford activities include Robby Gordon’s return to Ford Racing, a Fusion NASCAR media drive, manufacturer’s media forum and Q&A, Car of Tomorrow engineering comparison, unique content on FordRacing.com and consumer events including the Super Duty Saloon and Ford Race & Rock Fest.  In addition, the new Super Duty ad that debuted during the pre-game show for the Super Bowl will air during the Daytona 500. 

First Super Duty Trucks in Showrooms Now
As the first new Super Duty units begin arriving in dealerships across the country, here's a press release "template" that you can personalize and send out to your local contacts to help drive excitement for these new trucks.  Note that the template references the Daytona 500 race this weekend.

<<Super Duty on sale Template.doc>>  

Next stops on the Ford Acceleration Tour -- two visits this Friday:

• CALIFORNIA -- Santa Monica Rotary Club
• TEXAS -- Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce