Tri-County Ford Blog

Just in case you missed it, Ford Motor Company made it a 1-2-3 finish yesterday during the 2011 Daytona 500. With Trevor Bayne, driver of the #21 Quick Lane/Motorcraft car winning the race in dramatic fashion after two late caution flags.  Trevor becomes the youngest NASCAR driver to win the Daytona 500, turning 20 years old just a day before the big race (record previously held by Jeff Gordon 24yrs old).

Ford Motor Co. matched Toyota Motor Corp. as the most favorably viewed auto brand by U.S. consumers in a survey released today by Consumer Reports magazine.

Ford has climbed 35 percentage points in the last two years, while Toyota has fallen 46 points, leaving the automakers “in a statistical dead heat,” the Yonkers, New York-based consumer magazine said.

Toyota declined as it recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide during the past two years. Ford, the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy, improved its reputation for safety, quality and value, the magazine said.

“Ford built on the momentum seen in last year’s study, likely the result of a model lineup with improving performance, reliability and styling,” Consumer Reports said in a statement today. “The massive recalls announced by Toyota earlier this year contributed to the tarnishing of its public image as measured by the poll.”

View complete story on Bloomberg.com.