Car Nation

Light trucks are relegated to undercard status at the New York auto show. Yes, they’re given exhibit space, but it’s on the bottom floor, tucked beneath the luxury vehicles and best-sellers on the Javits Center’s main level and coupled with other so-called “specialty vehicles.”

But those brave enough to venture downstairs are greeted right at the entrance by one of the more exciting concept...

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER 1978 Ford LTD four-door pillared hardtop owned by Gregg D. Merksamer

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING At almost 19 feet long and over 4,200 lbs., the 1978 LTD was Ford’s top-of-the-line luxury model and it marked the company’s 75th anniversary. Merksamer’s ride accentuates its length and heft with an unusual factory green color combination that would do itself proud at any St....

THE CAR AND ITS OWNERS 1940 Ford Deluxe opera coupe owned by Connie and John Delillo

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING While more than 20,000 of these fluid and stylish Ford coupes (also known as “business coupes”) hit the road in 1940, so many were hot-rodded or otherwise modified for stock car and dirt track racing that it’s rare to see one in its original form. Yet even in stock guise, these cars...

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER 1927 Ford roadster owned by Mike Doyle

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING Henry Ford may never have envisioned Doyle’s wild roadster, but it would surely have gotten a “thumbs-up” from pioneering hot rodders before World War II. In those days, California teenagers bought cheap and plentiful Model T Ford roadsters and souped them up with engine and body modifications. Today, collector...

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER 1988 Ford Mustang Saleen coupe #509 owned by Joshua Rivera

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING “Mustang on steroids” is one term that comes to mind when collectors think of the Ford coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles modified and massaged by former race driver Steve Saleen going back to 1983. His early creations began their lives as base Ford Mustang LX models (known internally...

THE CAR AND ITS OWNERS 1931 Ford Model AA modified dump truck owned by Carol and Al LeGrow WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING The Model AA, built from 1927 to 1932, was a pedestrian workhorse of its day, barely noticeable on the streets. It’s the exact opposite of the LeGrows’ wild and fantastic creation, a 32-year project limited only by Al LeGrow’s considerable imagination, budget and metal fabrication...

The long-anticipated 2013 Focus ST will be available to enthusiasts later this year, after a nearly 12 month delay. The ST, a performance-oriented version of the third generation Ford Focus is turbocharged unlike most models in the  Focus line.

That in itself doesn't make the ST unique or groundbreaking -- it's a small, sporty front-wheel-drive hatchback with forced induction. Sound familiar?

Here...

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER 1930 Ford Model A sport coupe owned by Evan Delman WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING The 1928-31 Model As are so durable and beloved that experts estimate several hundred thousand may still be on the road. These good-looking, simple-to-fix cars are prized for their ability to lure first-time collectors, such as Delman, into the hobby. "I purchased it . . . without knowing anything...

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER 1969 Ford Fairlane Cobra owned by John Dox WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING U.S. automakers had been stuffing big V-8 engines into modest mid-size cars since 1963 and Ford came roaring into the market with the 1969 Fairlane Cobra. As Dox notes, the Cobra was Ford's answer to the highly successful Plymouth Road Runner of 1968. "Ford used the mid-size Fairlane body in two styles:...

Ford just begun taken orders for their first all-electric vehicle, the 2012 Focus Electric. Pricing will start at $39,995 and will hit New York metro area dealer floors later this year. It is eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

“Today is a historic day, as Ford opens up the order banks for the company’s first full production, all-electric passenger vehicle -- the Focus Electric,” said...