1936-37 Flathead Ford Shift Tower W/shifter on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: A Mustang limo for the president, and the joy of shop class

-- We imagine that the Secret Service is currently receiving fervent and excruciatingly detailed bids from Avanti, Zimmer, and DeLorean to build the next great presidential limousine. Well, why shouldn't Ford submit one -- again? Here's a 1966 Mustang limousine in which President Camacho would look swell riding in the back.

Ford gains ground in customer perception

The Ford brand gained ground in consumers' minds this year as Toyota slipped, though the Japanese juggernaut still leads the pack by a slight margin. Over the last two years, Ford climbed 35 percentage points while Toyota dropped 46 percentage points, according to the latest survey from Consumer Reports. During this time, Ford (144) moved within three points of Toyota (147).

Toyota Fun-Vii concept

Billed as the automotive equivalent of the smartphone, the Toyota Fun-Vii concept is part of the ‘Fun to Drive, Again' section of Toyota's concept car onslaught at the 2011 Tokyo motor show. The Fun-Vii is a socially-integrated vehicle that can change its appearance as quickly as the owner can download an app. The surfacing of the concept can be used as a display surface for business, with the body color and display content changeable at will.