The 2017 Ford Mustang is Going to Make Your Summer Hot!

PEKIN, Ill. – If you’re looking for a rockin’ summer ride, we’ve got something for you! Ford Motor Company just made a huge announcement that the 2017 Ford Mustang is going to make your summer hot with three new colors and upgraded standard features.

The 2017 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang will be going on sale this June, and Ford Performance ensured that this would be the best Mustang on the market. Mustang fans have expressed to Ford what they look for in their next sports car. Ford's global director Dave Pericak says, "At the end of last year we started offering a back seat option for Shelby GT350R due to customer demand. Now, we have adjusted the packages available to continue to provide more of what customers want on the Shelby GT350 Mustang.”

The 2017 Ford Mustang will make your summer hot in three new colors: Ruby Red Metallic, Lightning Blue, and Grabber Blue. For those of your who were crazy about the Track Page from previous Mustangs you’ll be happy to hear it’s coming standard on the 2017 model with features that include:

• Aluminum tower-to-tower brace
• MagneRide damping system
• High-downforce decklid spoiler
• Engine oil, transmission, and differential coolers

Ford Performance is also offering two other packages you can add onto you new Mustang including an Electronics Package and Convenience Package. The Electronics Package includes SYNC 3, a nine-speaker audio system, and voice activated navigation. The Convenience Package offers the same as the Electronics Package, but also includes leather-trimmed power sport seats.

You can look forward to test-driving the 2017 Mustang at Velde Ford this June! While you’re waiting until then, get your current Ford ready for spring. Check out our spring car care page on our website and see what maintenance your vehicle may need this season. From tires to wiper blades, our team of experts can help you with all of your vehicle service needs. Schedule a service appointment with us today at Velde Ford online.

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit Velde Ford located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

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Ford Makes Carbon Fiber Wheels with Space Shuttle Technology

PEKIN, Illi.– We’ve sent men to the moon, calculated Earth’s orbit, and even taken pictures of Pluto, but who ever thought all of that science could be applied to a car?

Now that Ford makes carbon fiber wheels with Space Shuttle technology for its Shelby® GT350R Mustang, you’ll soon learn how useful this knowledge can be on the road. Many auto parts companies already produce aftermarket carbon fiber wheels, but Ford will be the first automaker to mass-produce a wheel of this caliber.

Ford took special care to design a carbon fiber wheel able to endure harsh elements and even the occasional curb or pothole. The wheel is made a pre-made structure of carbon fiber strands woven together, and after an RFID chip tracked by Ford’s quality assurance system is inserted into the wheel, it’s infused with resin and cured at high heat.

The Space Shuttle technology plays in when Ford coats the wheels with a ceramic plasma arc spray originally intended for the Space Shuttle. The coating gives Ford’s carbon fiber wheels a layer of thermal protection that keeps brake heat from doing any damage.

Ford makes carbon fiber wheels with Space Shuttle technology, but its own development and testing has a large part in the functionality of the wheels. It isn’t news that Ford puts all of its wheels through vigorous tests that cover curb strikes, UV and chemical exposure, and high temperatures, and the GT350R’s carbon fiber wheels get the same brutal treatment before they’re approved.

The difference between Ford’s carbon fiber wheels and typical aluminum wheels is the level of durability and support. Its carbon fiber wheels are stiffer, lighter and more resilient, and give the GT350R better suspension response times, chassis performance, weight reduction and overall handling.

As much as we wish Ford’s carbon fiber wheels could be used on any vehicle, they’re intended for a high-performance track-ready vehicle like the Shelby GT350R Mustang, the most intense pony car manufactured today that is obviously in need of some above-average wheels that can take the heat.

Perhaps one day you’ll see Ford mass-producing carbon fiber wheels with Space Shuttle technology for more typical everyday vehicles, but for now– unless you intend to purchase a Shelby GT350R Mustang– you might have to settle with one of the New Ford Trucks or New Ford Cars for sale at our Ford Dealer serving Washington, IL. And don’t worry, these vehicles might not have the bite that a GT350R has, but they’re definitely just as dependable, even without carbon fiber wheels.

At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

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First Shelby GT350 Mustang to be Sold at Barrett Jackson Auction

PEKIN, Illi. - Ford Motor Company will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the infamous Shelby GT350 Mustang at the Barrett-Jackson Auction on Saturday, January 17th in Scottsdale, Arizona. In light of five successful decades, the first Shelby GT350 Mustang will be sold at the auction with all proceeds benefiting JDRF.

The very first retail production unit of the Shelby GT350 will go home with the winning bidder; customized with the package and color of their choice. Not only will the winner be taking home this world-class vehicle, but they will also be making a major contribution to the country's leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. Ford Motor Company has been a supporter of JDRF since 1983 and will show their appreciation for the donation by having team members involved in the Shelby GT350's design and development sign the pony car. 

Next month, the first Shelby GT350 Mustang will be sold at the Barrett-Jackson Auction and will offer one lucky driver a whole new experience behind the wheel. To create the Shelby GT350, Ford took the best Mustang yet and primped every aspect of the car that contributes to the performance driving experience. The Shelby is powered by Ford's very first V8 5.2-liter engine with a flat-plane crankshaft, a design that is typically reserved for racing applications and exotic European sports cars. This engine puts out more than 500 horsepower and more than 400 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most robust and naturally aspirated Ford production engine ever!

Along with the auction of the all-new Shelby GT350 Mustang, Ford will also be sponsoring a ride-and-drive at the event with a full lineup of 2015 vehicles. Not only will attendees have the opportunity to take the new Mustang, Expedition, and F-150 for a spin, but they will also be offered a "hot lap" experience with professional drivers in the Shelby American-built GT500 Super Snake and the Shelby Focus ST!

If you've got a need for speed, check out the 2014 Ford Mustang at Velde Ford! At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

Follow us on: Velde GM Facebook, Velde Ford Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram