kscarbel2

Say what you will, I thought Franken was very effective, based on what I observed on C-SPAN. Pelosi (age 78) and Waters (age 80) both should have retired long ago.

Franken resigned in January, ten months ago.

Who is "frankenstein" ?

They copied the idea from Galpin Ford, who does it best. https://www.galpinford.com/horselesscarriage/

Would you like fries with that EcoSport? Michael Martinez, Automotive News / October 1, 2018 A concept imagined 20 years ago is finally bearing fruit — and vegetables and cheese and meats — at Marcotte Ford in Holyoke, Mass. The family-owned dealership recently underwent an $8 million renovation, nearly doubling its size to 40,000 square feet. But despite the glistening new showroom and well-equipped service center, the main attraction isn't an F-150 or Mustang — it's LugNutz Cafe. The full-fledged diner, which serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday, has increased sales and improved morale within the company, dealership leaders say. A version of the cafe existed in the old showroom but only served breakfast two days a week. The idea was thought up 20 years ago by Bryan Marcotte, who trademarked the name in 2014, according to his son, Mike Marcotte, the dealership's president. He said his father, now treasurer at Marcotte Ford, got the idea after reading in Automotive News about a dealership that served breakfast. "It's something that's kind of unique," Mike Filomeno, the general manager, said. "People who have to go to the dealership, it's like the dentist — you don't want to do it. Now, it's not a task or chore that they dread anymore. They enjoy coming down." The dealership hired a consultant who owns a restaurant in the area to help design the diner. It's open to the public in addition to dealership customers and employees and is staffed by two full-time and two part-time workers. The menu features Ford-themed food, such as the Galaxy Salad, Explorer Omelets and a number of pizzas labeled GT Specialties, Filomeno said. Everything is priced under $10. "It's a bigger draw than the new dealership right now," Mike Marcotte said. The rest of the dealership, which opened last month and has a grand opening planned for the fall, is worth talking about, too, he said. Marcotte sells about 1,500 new, used and fleet vehicles per year and employs 114 workers, who needed more space. They had been in the same building since 1967, six years after it was founded by Mike Marcotte's grandfather, Al Marcotte. "We just outgrew the facility based on what's going on in the marketplace," Filomeno said. "We knew we had to change to stay in business, survive and grow." The team traveled to showrooms near Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., to see the latest facility improvements and design styles that Ford was implementing before it embarked on the 14-month project. Marcotte tore down its 25,000-square-foot showroom to make way for the new building. During construction, the team moved into a former Hyundai dealership building across the street that Marcotte purchased. That space will be used for its commercial sales department, and the showroom will feature F-series trucks and Transit vans. "That enabled us to have a home and keep business going," Filomeno said. "It was a struggle in service, but we didn't miss a beat in sales." Marcotte now has 48 service bays across the campus, which includes the commercial truck center, a car wash and a separate Quick Lane facility. It also has a 120-vehicle rental fleet with 2016 to 2018 model-year vehicles. The renovated dealership features a drive-in service area with new lifts, equipment, flooring and exhaust systems. It also has a computer room for technicians to take Ford's online certification classes. "They're upbeat, really excited to have a new workplace," Filomeno said of the workers. "They're proud of where they're working. We see an uptick in their attitude." The new showroom is opening as Ford prepares for a product blitz in North America. The automaker is dropping all of its cars except for the Mustang and reinvesting in its SUVs, crossovers, pickups and vans as it attempts to offer the industry's freshest lineup by 2020. Over the next two years, Ford will redesign its Escape and Explorer crossovers and introduce off-road utilities to better compete with brands such as Jeep. That should help Marcotte, Filomeno said, because it sells a large number of four-wheel-drive vehicles, which are popular during East Coast winters. The EcoSport, launched this year, has also been a big seller, Filomeno said. And officials expect high demand for the upcoming Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco off-road SUV. "We're excited about what's coming down the pike," he said. "We're making a huge investment, and we're totally committed to Ford and all the products." .

What's behind Hackett's new strategy at Ford? Michael Martinez, Automotive News / October 1, 2018 DETROIT — Ford Motor Co.'s stock price has tumbled into single digits, analysts have publicly questioned its communication strategies and grasp of today's industry, and its credit rating is back on the brink of junk status. A decade after the automaker's brush with collapse, clouds of uncertainty have settled over Ford World Headquarters again. An abrupt CEO change 16 months ago — the second time Henry Ford's great-grandson has installed an automotive novice to protect his family's legacy — has done little to appease shareholders and analysts. Outside Ford, and among some within it, there is mounting impatience with $9 shares and the vagueness of the vision that CEO Jim Hackett has articulated thus far. Up on the 12th floor, Hackett admits that some organizational changes have taken about four months longer than he would have liked. But he bristles at the notion that Ford isn't moving fast enough, the stated flaw that felled his predecessor. "We're addressing some long-term issues, and we're going to do those in very thoughtful and orderly ways — not chaotic ways," he told Automotive News last week. "We're not in a crisis. The company's in great shape." Interviews with a half-dozen senior executives last week revealed new details of how the company is implementing Hackett's transformation plan, which includes new vehicle architectures, redesigned product lineups, a shortened order-to-delivery process and revamped organizational structures around the globe. "All those things are evidence of what you would do as you're trying to make a company better," Hackett said. "It's why I'm not at all reeling from the criticism, because I know what we're doing from behind the scenes." Bill Ford, the executive chairman whose last name adorns the roof just above Hackett's office, continues to give the CEO his full-throated support. "I don't think it's even close to a crisis," Ford told reporters last week at a 100th anniversary celebration of the automaker's storied Rouge manufacturing complex. "We're still making good profitability." Those profits, which were absent the last time Ford needed to execute a turnaround plan, appear to be buying time for Hackett, who conceded that he needs to produce concrete results. Ford might have alleviated some of the concerns last week, at a long-anticipated investor day, but a few months ago, it canceled the event while signaling the need for an $11 billion global restructuring. "We're worried Ford does not have a good handle on either the operational or strategic levers of the global business," Barclays analyst Brian Johnson wrote July 26 in a blunt note to clients. Last week, Johnson wrote that, even if Ford fixes or sheds the unprofitable parts of its business, "We see little earnings upside and limited potential" for the stock price to rise considerably. Hackett said he doesn't believe the Wall Street angst is "as pervasive as represented," noting that one analyst who had been critical of him apologized in person during a visit to New York last week. He said Ford has spent the first 16 months of his tenure developing 19 "fitness projects" to improve every aspect of the business. "There's no one I know anywhere within 12 months of a company that's this old that in that short time is giving some kind of detail that answers every single question I was facing," Hackett said. "We're about action now," he said. "I've made it clear to my team we have to demonstrate results. CEOs' licenses are extended based on results. I'm not worried that they aren't there, because all [of] these things we've built." Product focus Many of those decisions center on revamping Ford's vehicle lineup by cutting failing nameplates, entering new segments and investing to redesign models that are at the end of their product life cycles. "There's nothing in this business that great, new product can't help solve," Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of global operations, told Automotive News. Some of the biggest product challenges have been overseas. Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets, said the company is focused on fixing its operations in China, where it's addressing stale product with a blitz of 50 new models by 2023, and in Europe, which has become a money loser again after briefly returning to profitability. "The work we're doing in China and Europe are key to the company's financial performance," Farley said. "These launches and the growth opportunity of improving profit really come down to those products and how they land in the market." And while North America continues to generate the bulk of Ford's global profits, the company is trying new ways of ensuring it's giving customers what they want. After Kumar Galhotra was promoted to Ford's president of North America in March, he took over the 11th floor of Ford's headquarters, converting executive offices into makeshift "franchise rooms" for individual nameplates. He also created meeting rooms to bring together communication, manufacturing, purchasing and customer-service teams that previously worked in different buildings. The idea is to treat each vehicle as its own business and focus on how to make it profitable as the company strives for 10 percent profit margins in the region. "How do we truly, as a team, drive the business?" Galhotra asked during an exclusive tour of the franchise rooms. "After a lot of thought, we settled on driving it through product lines. We're going to move fast and be clear in our objectives." Wednesday meetings There are 13 rooms, one for each vehicle line. Galhotra and his team spend an hour in each room beginning every Wednesday, working their way through Ford's portfolio from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a one-hour break. The meetings routinely spill over into Thursday, and then the group starts each Friday with two hours at Ford's fledgling campus in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood, where work on electric and autonomous vehicles is being concentrated. Afterward, leadership team members meet back at headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., to review whether they reached their goals for the week. Inside the franchise rooms, sheets of data cover the walls, detailing every aspect of a particular model with brightly colored charts and graphs. Each vehicle has a thermometer that's filled in to depict how close it is to annual profitability goals for each model year through 2020. (Ford provided the tour on the condition that more specific details not be shared publicly.) Some rooms have newspaper ads for competitive models tacked up. And most rooms don't have chairs. The roughly 20-person team that meets each week prefers to discuss the issues standing around a center table. "The thinking about what needs to be done and the action are happening at a much faster clock speed here in the same room," Galhotra said. "The objectives are clear." The new format has helped deliver "very substantial progress" on vehicle profitability, Galhotra said, although he declined to elaborate. "We've been able to overcome substantial headwinds like commodity prices and tariffs," he said. "We've improved margins versus where we thought we were going to be." One recent Wednesday, the team was cooped up in the Expedition room trying to figure out why dealers were complaining about low inventory, even though the SUV's days-supply level was normal. After looking at the data, the team determined that Expeditions built with 8-inch touch screens were turning fast, while those with 4-inch screens stayed on dealer lots much longer. Galhotra's team immediately decided to stop installing 4-inch screens and build more Expeditions with the 8-inch screens. "We were able to isolate the issue and get the right product to the customer," Galhotra said. "The whole thing happened in a one-hour period." Dealer communication Executives said Ford wants to take a more active role with its dealers. After an April announcement that Ford would stop selling sedans in North America, members of its dealer council were upset they weren't involved in the move sooner. Hinrichs acknowledged the process could have been more transparent. "We could have spent a little more time explaining why we made the decision, what the ramifications of that would be and the opportunity to allocate that capital into other segments and products, especially with our dealer network," Hinrichs said. "We've listened, and we've learned from that for other announcements that we make." Ford will get a chance to show improvement this month, when roughly 5,000 members of Ford's retail network descend on Las Vegas for the company's national dealer meeting. Over the course of 28 hours, dealers will hear directly from Hackett about the direction of the company. They'll get to see new products, including the next-generation Escape and Explorer; they'll preview accessories for Ford's upcoming off-road utilities; and they'll get to drive vehicles such as the new Ranger midsize pickup and the GT supercar on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The retail network will hear from Galhotra and Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, about the go-to-market strategy for the company's newest products. Ford also plans to give dealers the first glimpse of an advertising campaign debuting in the fourth quarter. "Our dealers are solidly behind our leadership and the company," LaNeve said. "I feel like we have solid roots to grow the tree." Work to do Hackett, known as a big thinker who tackles problems from a high-level view, admitted his leadership style may take a while to catch on. "My history has been that I can cause a confrontation of ideas — not necessarily people — and it takes time to work its way through," he said. "At the highest levels of the company, the temperature's much better. As you go down in the organization, there's still angst and lack of understanding, which is a test for how effective I can be in communicating and leading. I know that gestation period takes longer." Bill Ford last week said he's pleased with his CEO's performance and decision-making speed. Asked to compare the company's current struggles with past rough periods, he said the automaker is still operating from a relatively strong financial position. "Do we have work to do? Yes, we do," Ford said. "But we're investing heavily in the product, we're investing heavily in the future and there's really nothing we want to do that we can't do." Hackett said he has a "quiet confidence" that every decision executives are making now eventually will help improve Ford's sagging stock price. "There's a myth that says I'm only worried about the vision stuff," he said. "I was brought in because I know how to make the two work well — the current business and the evolving state. "I would never make it in my last job if all I did was sit around and dream. It's about designing a business to win." .

Originally, the event was just Saturday. Now, I assume out of respect for folks coming great distances. they're promoting it as Friday and Saturday. Mark, will you put the Citation down at LNS?

Reuters / September 30, 2018 China has canceled a security meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis that had been planned for October, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday. “The tension is escalating, and that could prove to be dangerous to both sides,” the official said. The U.S. State Department refused to comment. Officials at the White House refused to comment. The Department of Defense refused to comment.

This is a nation founded in 1776 on the Rule of Law..........as interpreted in arbitrary fashion by the aristocracy that runs business and government, then and now.

I want to say its shocking, but we're talking about the crowd that spent US$500 million on the HN80 and then turned around and sold America's best new heavy truck (at that time) to the Germans for just US$200 million. I guess.......Ford had $300 million to burn. Seemingly, Ford doesn't want its 58 remaining U.S. truck-only Ford Truck dealers to know they're back in the heavy truck business in a serious way.....in the global market.

Turkish President Erdogan opening a new Islamic mosque in..............Cologne, Germany. What's wrong with this picture? .

http://www.gerhartmachinery.com/about/gerharts-all-mack-truck-event/

These were a popular seller, along with the glasses.

The 8MY324 R-model shifter boot mounts on top of the floor pan with a rectangular metal retainer atop it.

No special promotion. The Mack Shop sold many items like this from the time of the Hansen era, at his request. He made the bulldog a symbol of the company, a symbol of America, that we could all be proud of.

Michael Strong, The Detroit Bureau / September 28, 2018 Does Tesla have another competitor in the battery-electric semi truck arena? Maybe. Ford Motor Co. took the wraps off an electric semi truck concept called the F-Vision at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicles expo in Hanover, Germany. The company’s vision is similar in many ways to Tesla’s offering with a high level of autonomy and a sleek exterior design. However, it would appear that Elon Musk and the gang in Palo Alto can breathe easier – at least about this anyway – as Ford says the new F-Vision is only a concept. Unlike auto shows, generally when a maker says something is a concept, there is some lag time between denial (i.e. “It’s just a concept”) to voila! (i.e. “You can put your deposit down now”). Obviously, Tesla is the biggest exception to that “rule.” The F-Vision concept is Ford Trucks’ vision on electrification, autonomous and connected drive, lightweight and zero carbon emission products. It cares about humans’ priorities both inside the cab and on the road, as well as the load being carried, and aims constantly to connect with the environment and users and communicates, the company notes. Ford's global design and engineering center for heavy trucks and engines, Ford-Otosan in Turkey, created the F-Vision concept. Not only is the exterior futuristic looking, but the actual vehicle possesses some features one might not expect. Of course, it’s autonomous and can link automatically with its trailer. It can convoy with other vehicles. However, if also features cameras in place of side mirrors, and an automatically tinting windshield. It’s said to be capable of automatically linking with its trailer, as well as operating in a linked-together convoy mode. If Ford does bring it to market, it’ll not only have the aforementioned Tesla truck to contend with, but also Volvo. The Swedish truckmaker is working furiously on its Vera electric semi concept. The truck has no cab at all because it’s entirely autonomous. Additionally, other companies in the segment, like Freightliner and Cummins, aren’t just sitting idly by. Ford may also need to inspect its new F-Vision closely to ensure it’s not too much like Nikola Motors entry into the segment. Nikola sued Tesla earlier this year and could be awarded up to $2 billion in damages if it finds in favor of the company’s suit. Nikola’s case, however, isn’t looking too good. Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office found that the two designs differ enough to award separate patents. If Nikola fails to win in court against the troubled Tesla, its odds of successfully suing Ford would be even smaller still. .

Yes. I used to have a cupboard full.

The "P" lever is parking brake control. Not all (global) trucks have a trolley brake lever. I still like it, but with today's advanced electronic braking systems, there less need for it. From the superb chassis "packaging" to the lower center instrument panel with two large pull-out drawers, the F-MAX is an impressively engineered truck.

A photo gallery of the DAF exhibit at IAA 2018. https://product.360che.com/photoexpc_big/260560.html

A photo gallery of the BMC "Tugra" launch at IAA 2018. https://product.360che.com/photoexpc_big/260462.html

A great photo gallery of the new Ford F-Max launch at IAA 2018 (81 photos). https://product.360che.com/photoexpc_big/262129.html

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Kenworth Trucks Australia certainly doesn't peddle any tacky rubbish like this.

Kenworth Launches Long-Hood Conventional W990 John G. Smith, Heavy Duty Truckling (HDT) / September 28, 2018 Kenworth’s W900 has become a staple of the show ‘n shine circuit, its long hood and gleaming accents seem to guide drivers down the highway. The look has had a starring role in movies and been immortalized in belt buckles. Now it has been re-imagined in the form of the W990. “We’re celebrating the legacy of the W900 and the introduction of the next generation,” said Kenworth general manager and Paccar vice-president Mike Dozier, during a customer launch party at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “A lot of passion, a lot of pride, have gone into what we think is a really special product.” The W900L remains available, he stressed. “But we’re planning for the future.” Redefining a model like this is no small matter. The W900 has, in one form or another, been a staple of Kenworth’s lineup since 1961. The W is even a nod to Edgar K. Worthington, one of the company’s founding fathers who gave the brand its "worth." “Redesigning an icon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a design team,” added Jonathan Duncan, Kenworth design director. Trucks like Kenworth’s T680 on-highway tractor and medium-duty models are important, he said. But they’re different. “They don’t sing songs about those. They don’t put those trucks on belt buckles necessarily.” The Las Vegas event was the first opportunity most people outside of the Paccar family have had to soak in the truck’s unique profile. Marketing teams have been keeping the truck under wraps for months, shrouding the distinct hood as it moved to photo and video shoots. “The driver’s view over the hood, that’s a huge part of the appeal,” Duncan said. “It’s really designed to accentuate the hood … All this creates kind of an emotional connection to the driver.” Specifications Measuring 131.5 inches from the bumper to the back of the cab – 1.5 inches longer than the W900L — the W990 comes as a day cab, with a 40-inch flat top sleeper, and 52- and 76-inch mid-roof sleepers. It also comes standard with a proprietary Paccar powertrain with a 510-hp/1,850 lb-ft MX-13 engine, 12-speed automated transmission, and 40K tandem rear axles. It’s all built on the same cab platform used in the T680 and T880. Sitting up front is the largest cooling module found on any of Kenworth’s on-highway trucks, Duncan said. And the shape is 6-7% more aerodynamic than a W900L, although he admits that won’t likely be the main driver for most buyers. Much of the appeal will focus on the appearance. The grille at the front maintains what’s described as a “cathedral shape”, with inset surfaces to define a tailored look. The “wind-split” raised section at the top of the hood itself is meant to accentuate its length as drivers look over the dash. Stainless steel air intakes wrap over the top so they can be seen from the driver’s seat, too, and against some colors they’re said to look twice as deep as they actually are. Inside, final touches come in the form of a limited-edition cab and sleeper interior, and the W990 Driver’s Studio Package. The interior itself is black, accented by door and dash trim elements made in a glossy ravenwood. Blue accents can be found in the double-stitched diamond door pads, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the backing for driver and passenger seats that have suede charcoal inserts and perforated leather. For living quarters, the W990 Driver’s Studio features the passenger seat that swivels 180 degrees and a rotating table for two, drawer-style refrigerator, and space for a microwave. The premium audio package includes a 320-watt amp, 10-inch subwoofer and eight speakers; swivel TV mount for up to a 28-inch flat screen TV; and optional EpicVue pre-wire for satellite TV. There’s an 1,800-watt inverter including a connection for shore power and four standard 120-volt sleeper outlets. The LED lights shine over it all. The ever-important storage amenities come in the form of a full-size wardrobe, storage drawers, and storage space under the bunk. While it offers a nod to the company’s heritage, the W990 also comes standard with the latest TruckTech+ remote diagnostics, and the seven-inch color in-cab NAV+HD display for navigation, audio controls, blind spot camera inputs and more. Paccar Parts was also involved in the process to create aftermarket enhancements like a special LED lighting package and stainless trim. “They’re going to want to customize their trucks,” Duncan said, referring to early buyers. “We’ve given them a great place to start.” The truck will visit 20 dealerships in the U.S. and Canada in October and November. .