We're an enterprising sort around here. With the Focus' faulty door handle placement, we thought it wouldn't be too hard to correct this problem without the need for millions of dollars worth of R&D. So DiPietro and myself took a trip out to J.W. Higgins Auto Yard in Crenshaw to search for our solution...
Within minutes, we spotted a '71 Cadillac Eldorado with a suprisingly well-preserved red leather interior. With little effort, we crowbarred off the chrome and wood applique that held what we were looking for. Ten minutes and a whole heap of industrial glue later, voila. We'll see if our door handle design lasts longer than Ford's.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
benderofbows says:
10:10 AM, 05/ 7/08
Hilarious! How about some Eldorado badging as well?
dougtheeng says:
10:20 AM, 05/ 7/08
And someone in the other thread was saying that 70's Cadillacs were no good, for shame!
bimmerjay says:
10:22 AM, 05/ 7/08
LOL, nice Photoshop.
zjev says:
10:38 AM, 05/ 7/08
Ha, ha clever image placement!
limeman says:
10:53 AM, 05/ 7/08
Now THAT is funny!
stingray454 says:
11:20 AM, 05/ 7/08
That's funny that just the handle from the Eldorado is almost as long as the entire door of the Focus!
joefrompa says:
12:18 PM, 05/ 7/08
Photoshop? Lol, I was totally taken in.
I was about to write "this is the single worst thing you've ever done to a car on this blog..."
Joe
estreka says:
12:58 PM, 05/ 7/08
I'd love to see the resale value on that. lol
altimadude00 says:
01:15 PM, 05/ 7/08
That's awesome! Why didn't Ford think of that?
By the way, to me, that doesn't look half bad. (I know it's not real, but still.)
sylvia says:
02:08 PM, 05/ 7/08
Isn't that like a mixing species?
banhugh says:
03:58 PM, 05/ 7/08
Keep up the good work. I think you should comtinue with the rest of the fleet.
wenhead says:
08:57 AM, 05/ 8/08
It kind of pisses me off that Ford saved money by using the old Focus platform to save cost. Then, they stick in stuff like ambient lighting, but don't give you a decent door handle. That is lame, but it should not be a hard fix.
stephen987 says:
10:14 AM, 05/ 8/08
Hmmm. So much for the factory warranty. . .
greenpony says:
10:15 AM, 05/ 8/08
wenhead, so you'd rather Ford have used the Euro Focus platform and the car cost you $25,000 instead of $15,000? There is no rule that says a car needs a ground-up redesign every (4,5,6...) years. Ford's been guilty of longer-running platforms. Just look at the Fox Mustang and subsequent modified Fox called S195. Ran from 1979 through 2004. 26 model years. To me, a run that long is a sign of a successful platform.
hoops26 says:
07:08 AM, 05/ 9/08
Okay...looking at that picture, most of you would rather have to reach further, and have better leverage than a closer reach with less leverage???
Think about it...
canadaphant says:
03:02 PM, 05/ 9/08
greenpony-
Mazda and Volvo both sell plenty of cars based off the Euro platform (Mazda 3, 5, Volvo S40, C30, V50, C70). If Mazda can build a euro-platform Focus and sell it in the US AND Europe, why can't Ford?
mustang5507 says:
11:18 PM, 05/10/08
it was actually the SN-95...the new Mustang is S197 =P