Ford Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Well, either it's just a coincidence or there is something to the rumor that the Bond franchise was looking for a new car for their super-spy. Market Watch reports that Ford Motor announced at a press conference today that they had sold the famed sports car unit Aston Martin to a group of investors. The consortium includes the racing mogul David Richards, and two unnamed Kuwaiti companies. It is believed that the sale was prompted by Ford to help with their struggling bottom line. Originally, the Aston Martin was part of a grouping of high-end European cars that Ford hoped would be a great source of revenue, in the end it cost them almost $2 billion -- so it looks like Ford is looking to pay off some debts (an article in The Financial Times had estimated that the sale could be worth as much as $868 million).

Rumors had surfaced about the switch not too long ago, and the sale of Aston Martin has given some credence to the rumors that Audi was expecting to step in. Although, Ford did keep 15% of the company, so I doubt they would be willing to give up that kind of exposure, especially if they are struggling financially -- they need all the free advertising they can get. So between the sale of Ian Fleming's "Birthplace of Bond" and the deal with Aston Martin, it certainly seems that all things Bond are profitable again.

Casino Royale, the upcoming new James Bond film that introduces Daniel Craig as the new Bond will have 007 slipping behind the sleek and sophisticated wheel of ... a Ford? That's right folks, a Ford. He basically gets in this car and drives it to his hotel in the Bahamas, ostensibly from the airport. Talk about excitement. The rest of the movie will have him back in his beloved Aston Martin DB5 which returns for this film, but rest assured that Bond is the kind of guy who needs a car for every occasion. Apparently driving from your first class seat on a jet airliner to your swanky Bahamas hotel needs to be done in the luxury that only a Ford Mondeo can provide. I wonder how much Ford had to pony up to get this thing featured in the movie, can you imagine if Volkswagen had put up enough cash to feature Craig strolling from his plane to find a Beetle waiting on him? Priceless.

Come on, look at this car. It doesn't say "Bond" at all, heck it doesn't even say "Powers." The thing looks like the front end of a Dodge Neon welded onto the back end of a BMW, not the gadget-packed car of a superspy. Two of the Mondeo's new design features include: bold wheel lips and a rising belt line. This is a car we're talking about here? The only bold lips and belt lines I want to see in this film are on the Bond girls, not on what amounts to a commercial for a car. He could be riding a Segway from the airport to the hotel for all the audience is going to care. People are going to be counting down the seconds until the bullets start screaming across the screen, not thinking "Wow, I should pick up a Ford Mondeo so that I can also be like Bond."

Just check out the standard Bond-issue Aston Martin features, and keep in mind that these were from 1964's Goldfinger, they've probably at least added wifi access by now:

• Front firing Browning .303 calibre machine guns behind the front indicators
• Retractable blades in the tire spinners
• Rising bullet-proof rear screen
• Radio telephone
• Radar scanner and tracking screen
• Passenger ejector seat
• Oil slick spray from rear light cluster
• Caltrops from rear light cluster
• Smoke screen from exhaust pipes
• Revolving number plates - "BMT 216A" UK, "4711-EA-62" France, and "LU 6789" Switzerland
• Front and rear extending rams
• Gun cabinet under driver's seat
• Bullet-proof windshield and rear windscreen

Now that's a car. Not to be left out, the Mondeo apparently has ability to charge you for an extra day if you don't return it to the rental counter by 5 o'clock.

1930s and 40s film actress Dorris Bowdon has passed away at the age of 83. She was married to screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, who passed away in 1977. Bowdon appeared in seven movies in her lifetime. Three of them (Drums Along the Mohawk, Young Mr. Lincoln, and The Grapes of Wrath) were directed by John Ford, though I suppose only two count since her scenes were removed from Young Mr. Lincoln. Her most recognized role was that of Rose-of-Sharon in The Grapes of Wrath. Bowdon got her start when a talent scout discovered her after she won the Miss Memphis title.