Borgman Ford Mazda

We thought our friends at the local Grand Rapids Mustang club and other aficionados might be interested in the latest news of celebrations for the indomitable brand’s 50th anniversary. Ford has just announced the commission of a limited edition of luxury watches from Shinola to honor Ford Mustang.

Detroit-based Shinola is helping to mark 50 years of Mustang with the release of a premium wristwatch. Bearing the exclusive Mustang 50 Years logo, only 1,000 of these watches will be sold. A onetime maker of shoe polish, Shinola is an American brand that embodies strength, passion and quality, and so is a perfect fit to help celebrate this special moment in automotive history. Check out a video from the Shinola shop floor:

Hey, Grand Rapids, here’s a chance for Borgman Ford customers who love programming and fuel efficiency to help craft a homegrown app and win some cash! We’d be delighted if one of our customers stepped up to the plate for the OpenXC Challenge. Here are the details, with registration and full criteria available here.

Ford Motor Company is challenging developers to create innovative apps with the OpenXC platform that will help drivers easily access their personal fuel-economy performance data. Using OpenXC data and on-road personalized experiences, customers can share, compare and learn how to optimize their fuel usage.

OpenXC is an open source software and hardware platform created to pull data from a vehicle and use it like any other data source in a smartphone, tablet or Web application. Think of it as an application programming interface (API) to your car.

Don’t have a car or don’t drive a Ford? No problem. Using the OpenXC platform, you don’t need a Ford or a car to write and test an app! With just a computer and a network connection, you can access the required OpenXC data and start making vehicle-aware applications.

Apps must be functioning Web or Android native apps that use data provided by the OpenXC platform and must conform to In-Vehicle Approval Criteria from Ford for safe and nondistracting in-vehicle interfaces (if the intent is to use the app while driving).

Visit the challenge site at http://ford.challengepost.com/ for submission requirements and eligibility details.

Have a great idea for a fuel-efficiency app you’d like to use? Enter your idea in the Ford Personalized Fuel-Efficiency Ideas Challenge.

With the Mustang’s 50th Anniversary approaching, Ford has issued a challenge to Mustang fans: Like the iconic car on Facebook and share your best Mustang memories! Within a small period of time, the Mustang reached five million likes. That’s incredible! Borgman Ford is proud to offer the Mustang to the Grand Rapids area and is sharing in the anniversary excitement. Here’s the article from Ford.

The Ford Mustang has been an iconic car since it was unleashed on the world almost 50 years ago. That is still true today.

As witness to that, the Mustang Facebook page recently surpassed 5 million fans! And we’re celebrating  the fact that people from around the world have been signing up to “like” the Facebook Mustang page!

Read the rest of this entry »

Ford has outdone themselves this time. Check out the newest version of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, a 2014 model that packs even more punch than its predecessor. The Borgman Ford team is excited about this development, and this article from Ford Social has plenty of juicy details to share!

As if the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor hasn’t stood out enough since it hit the streets – and the dirt – in 2010, Ford has now added a package that kicks things up a major notch. You might be asking yourself, how do you take a highly capable and functional pickup with cutting-edge technology, and then make it even more awesome? The answer is the new 2014 Raptor Special Edition!

Read the rest of this entry »

At Borgman Ford, we’re all about saving money and saving the environment. That’s why jobs like John Viera’s are important! Check out this article from Ford, detailing what John and his team do to make a difference.

What do you think this job title means: Director, Sustainability & Vehicle Environmental Matters? You probably guessed things like alternative fuel and reusable stuff, and we like the way you think because that’s spot-on! John Viera is the title-holder of that position at Ford, and he has been at it since 2007. He develops global sustainable business plans and policies, interfaces with global regulatory bodies, reports externally on the Ford environmental and social performance, and leads the engagement and partnerships with nongovernment organizations and other key stakeholders. Whew, right?

Read the rest of this entry »

Can you believe the Ford Mustang will soon turn 50? That’s right – and it hasn’t missed a year of production! It had quite the debut in 1964, well beyond its game-changing performance and looks. That first year saw it join the ranks of Indy 500 pace car and also take a lead role in the James Bond flick “Goldfinger.” Steve McQueen ensured the pony car’s spot in movie history when he did “Bullitt” in 1968 (that was a 390 GT model; in 2001, the first Bullitt GT model came on the scene).

The countdown to the 50th anniversary of this very special car has now begun, and we will be doing all sorts of celebrating! That includes 50 companies selling various festive items, such as watches, Ts, a leather jacket and model cars. There will also be a special commemorative 50th anniversary logo. Stay tuned for more!