Historic Fords on auction at Monterey

If you are a fan of American cars, and have US$450,000 to splash, you will be delighted to know that Ford has officially opened order books for their 2017 Ford GT. Just like its predecessor, and similar to what Ferrari is doing, the company will carefully select clients in the hope that they will become "ambassadors" for the brand (criteria being owners who would actually use their cars, and not keep them in garages). The practice will be applied to cars built in the first two model years, which will amount to roughly 500 in total. Ford refers to this as a concierge service, which, handly, will also help these customers personalise their rides. The 2017 GT is equipped with an EcoBoost V6, and lots of Carbon Fibre absolutely everywhere. It is a road-going version of the car that Ford and Chip Ganassi Racing in FIA WEC.

Ford will chart new territory as it seeks to create adhesive innovations inspired by the gecko. Working alongside Procter & Gamble, both companies will share biomimicry research findings in the search for new business solutions. For years, Ford researchers have considered ways to make auto manufacturing more sustainable. A key challenge is that glue used to adhere foams to plastics and metals can make disassembling parts for recycling nearly impossible.

The all-new Ford Mustang is the first vehicle to be equipped with a new type of knee airbag that is integrated within the lid of the glove box, instead of the instrument panel, preserving maximum passenger space. Rather than a textile fabric airbag, the technology consists of an innovative moulded plastic design, sandwiched between the outer and inner glove box lid surfaces. Just 46cm long and 28cm wide, the glove box airbag weighs 65 per cent less than a conventional knee airbag but offers comparable protection. In the event of a collision, a tiny gas generator inside the glove box lid inflates the bladder in just 20 milliseconds, pushing the lid exterior outwards to provide leg protection. Weight reduction improves fuel efficiency and the innovation has so far been granted 23 patents.