Ford-designed Santa’s sleigh

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 17 December 2008 14:30 Blue Oval designers at Dunton in Essex, UK, penned this trio of Ford-inspired sleighs to help fashion Santa’s just-in-time delivery system. It’s a job they’re familiar with, working on successive series of Transit vans in the past – and they’ve put their practical skills to good use on their Ford sleighs. These sledges are seen through the prism of Ford’s latest ‘kinetic design’ mantra.

At the Detroit Auto Show, Lincoln gets a C

Hoping to attract younger buyers, Ford's Lincoln division unveiled the Lincoln C concept at the Detroit Auto Show this week, a car Lincoln calls a big idea for a small luxury car. Ford's vision: a small, more fuel-efficient car for congested urban areas and compact parking spaces that still provides driver and passengers with luxury and comfort of larger sedans. "Modern luxury buyers who live and work in large, urban areas want to play their part in helping the environment by moving to a smaller vehicle, but they still want to enjoy the luxuries of life," said Peter Horbury, executive director of Design, The Americas.

UK car market slumps to 'worst since 1966'

Britain's new-car market is nosediving. Purveyors of big expensive cars – like Porsche – are experiencing that sinking feeling By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 05 September 2008 07:07 Credit crunch, spiralling oil prices, fragile consumer confidence... It's small wonder that the UK's car market is in turmoil.