Is Ford thinking of going private?

Could it be that the troubled automaker is planning to go private as some analysts suggest?

Earlier this year TheCarConnection has reported what some analysts say – that the Ford family might be interested in taking the company private by buying out shareholders in order to reduce the focus on the company's business dealings and financials.

The USA Today cited a Ford insider as saying that the company was willing to look at anything to rapidly accomplish the restructuring along that include the idea of going private that could cost $14 billion.

Meanwhile, find the best Ford auto parts at Ford Parts Discount.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford will offer zero-percent financing for up to 72 months on certain 2006 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks.

The program starts immediately and runs through September 5. The financing will be available to financially sound customers as well as those who have "good but not great credit," a Ford spokesman told the WSJ.

Not to be left behind, other domestic automakers are also plugging summer-clearance deals: General Motors is offering several incentives, including zero-percent financing from 36 months to 60 months on many models; Chrysler is offering its Employee Pricing Plus program until August 31, which includes zero-percent financing or cash rebates for certain models.

While Ford does produce the best-selling trucks, it didn’t escape from the automaker’s recent problems – suffering a slump in sales of more than 12 percent this year.

As a result of the weakening truck sales Ford will idle its plant in Norfolk, Va., for nine weeks starting on Sept. 11. The plant produced F-150 pickup trucks and would experience down weeks before 2007, but no details were given. Two other F-150 plants in Claycomo, Mo., and Dearborn, Mich., will also stop building trucks for three weeks in September and October.

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Ford will reportedly focus more on safety for its 2007 Mercury and Lincoln brands, following Volvo’s emphasis on safety.

Both Ford Five Hundred and Mercury earned safety the “Top Safety-Gold” - the highest ranking award given by IIHS – for features such as side curtain bags and roller sensors.

Safety features such as seat-mounted front-side air bags, a three-row Safety CanopyTM rollover detection system and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control (RSC) are also now available on both Ford Expedition and Expedition EL.

Ford is reportedly planning to extend its North American restructuring to its retail network by consolidating dealerships in 18 major markets. The Detroit automaker currently has about 4,300 Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships in the U.S.

The automaker told the Associated Press that it plans to trim the number of dealerships it has in 18 metropolitan areas across the U.S. because of waning car and truck sales. Ford's market share has decreased from around 26 percent in the 1990s to 17 percent at the end of July.

The company is yet to identify exactly what markets would be targeted.

In the news: at least four new Ford products will reportedly be developed from the existing Ford Five Hundred sedan platform. The “future unique segments” of Ford will reportedly consist of two sedans and two vehicles. The Ford Five Hundred itself is derived from Volvo platform that originated with the XC90 SUV. The mystery sedan to come from the platform is known to be the Lincoln MKS, as confirmed by the automaker last week. News also say that the two crossover vehicles will be based on the Fairlane concept, with versions planned for both Ford and Lincoln brands. The identity of the second sedan meanwhile, is yet to be revealed.

Here’s something more advanced than your good ole seatbelts and airbags to keep your car safe.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a generic term for the innovative vehicle safety device designed to provide drivers an improved vehicle handling to prevent losing control of the vehicle when having an immediate turn. ESC uses the technology available in anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and Traction Control systems to control the directional stability of a vehicle.

ESC is one of the most beneficial safety devices you can find today because of several studies that proved the effectiveness in using ESC to help reduce the risk of car rollovers.

Automakers embraced this kind of technology and developed their own marketing name for the Electronic Stability Control. Here are some of them:

Acura: Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
Audi: ESP - Electronic Stabilization Program
Buick: StabiliTrak
BMW: Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), including Dynamic Traction Control
Cadillac: All-Speed Traction Control & StabiliTrak
Chevrolet: StabiliTrak
Chrysler: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Dodge: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Ferrari: Controllo Stabilita (CST)
Ford: AdvanceTrac and Interactive Vehicle Dynamics (IVD)
Honda: Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
Infiniti: Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
Jaguar: Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Jeep: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Kia: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Land Rover: Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Lexus: Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC) systems
Lincoln: AdvanceTrak
Maserati: Maserati Stability Program (MSP)
Mazda: Dynamic Stability Control
Mercedes: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Mercury: AdvanceTrak
MINI Cooper: Dynamic Stability Control
Mitsubishi: Active Skid and Traction Control MULTIMODE
Nissan: Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
Pontiac: StabiliTrak
Porsche: Porsche Stability Management (PSM)
Saab: Electronic Stability Program
Saturn: StabiliTrak
Subaru: Vehicle Dynamics Control Systems (VDCS)
Suzuki: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Volvo: Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC)
Volkswagen: Electronic Stability Program (ESP)

The American Automobile Association (AAA) evaluates about 200 cars each year to determine the best vehicles according to different categories. Some of these categories include driving performance, handling, braking, price, passenger and cargo space, value, fuel economy, and the newly added category “Cool Car”.

Here is the list of AAA’s top picks for 2006 along with their categories:

• $50,000 or more - Jaguar XJ8L

• $40,000–$50,000 - Infiniti M35/45

• $35,000–$40,000 - Volvo S80

• $30,000–$35,000 - BMW 3 Series

• $25,000–$30,000 - Toyota Avalon

• $20,000–$25,000 - Dodge Charger

• $15,000–$20,000 - Honda Accord Sedan

• Under $15,000 - Mazda 3

• SUV over $30,000 - Mercedes-Benz M-Class

• SUV under $30,000 - Ford Escape Hybrid

• Minivan - Honda Odyssey

• Pickup Truck - Honda Ridgeline

• Cool Car - Chevrolet Corvette Z06

This is good news for Ford lovers because the fuel-efficient Ford Escape Hybrid is included in the AAA’s list.