Bruce Axelson, president of the Capital Auto Group and Irv Lazorko, product specialist at Capital Ford Lincoln posed for a few photos together in celebration of their third year in a row to receive an award!  Bruce received his third Retailer of the Year award, while Irv received his third Product Specialist of the Year award for 2011!

Bruce Axelson received an award for Capital GMC Buick Cadillac with two components, one for sales of Optimum used cars and another for combined sales of new and used vehicles – from Glenn Lemmerick, GM Canada’s western regional manager.  Irvin Lazorko received the award for Capital Ford’s Product Specialist of the Year 2011.  This is also his third award in a row!  This award is given to the product specialist with the top total new and used vehicle sales combined.

These two gentlemen have been in the car business for a combined total of  80 years.  They are both extremely outstanding individuals that are dedicated and passionate towards the automotive industry and are always willing to lend a hand.  On behalf of Bruce and Irv I would like to thank all of our customers for your loyalty and ongoing support.  We look forward to welcoming any new customers and seeing previous customers in the future!

The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards recognize vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. A jury of 49 automotive journalists in the United States and Canada vote for the vehicles, which must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model to qualify for the award.

If you’re driving either a Fusion or a Transit Connect, Capital Ford wants to hear from you! How’s it been, what’s it like and would you recommend it to others? Thinking of buying either one? Leave us some questions on the blog and we’ll get back to you asap.

In the winner’s circle
The Ford Fusion Hybrid edged out finalists including the Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagen Golf/GTI to win the North American Car of the Year award. It is the fourth hybrid vehicle in 17 years to win recognition as North American Car (or Truck) of the Year. It also is the second hybrid win for Ford – the most hybrid wins for any automaker. The Ford Escape Hybrid was named North American Truck of the Year in 2005.

The Transit Connect bested finalists including the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback to win the North American Truck of the Year award. It is the sixth Ford truck to win the award – the most wins of any automaker in the 17-year history of the awards program. It also is the second year in a row that Ford has captured the title. Last year, top honors went to the 2009 Ford F-150.

Fusion Hybrid a winner out of the gate

The North American Car of the Year award is the latest in an impressive string of awards and accolades for the Fusion Hybrid. Most recently, the vehicle was honored as CAR and DRIVER Magazine’s “10Best” Cars for 2010, one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2010 All-Stars, and the entire Fusion lineup captured the acclaimed MOTOR TREND Car of the Year® award.

The all-new Fusion Hybrid arrived in dealers in March, complete with a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy. The Fusion Hybrid also offers drivers a way to be more connected to the hybrid driving experience thanks to Ford’s SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster execution that helps coach them on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid.

Transit Connect fills unmet needs of small businesses and fleets

Developed with the unique needs of small business owners in mind. Transit Connect is spacious, economical, and durable.

The Transit Connect was brought to the U.S. to fulfill the unmet needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs, offering them a new vehicle choice with significantly improved fuel economy, generous and accessible cargo space, and the agility and maneuverability to operate in crowded urban areas.

Powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 engine with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, the Transit Connect offers double the fuel economy of full-size vans, delivering an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

The Transit Connect also has more than double the cargo-carrying capacity of the Chevrolet HHR Panel, making it suitable for a broader range of commercial-use applications. And it offers commercial users a cargo payload of up to 1,600 pounds – a larger payload than the full-size Dodge Ram 1500 standard-cab short-box pickup truck.

The Transit Connect also is available with the industry-exclusive Ford Work Solutions™, a suite of affordable technologies that provides customers with connectivity, flexibility, visibility and security to better run key aspects of their business.

Selected by unbiased expert editors from CNET (www.cnet.com) at the 2010 International CES, winners are recognized as having the hottest products in their respective technology categories for their unmatched innovation and creativity and their ability to excite consumers and help them explore a world gone digital. CNET editors reviewed hundreds of entries, as well as scoured the 2010 CES show floor for products to consider for the prestigious award.

The nine categories include Digital photo and video; Car tech and GPS; Cell phones and smartphones; Computers and hardware; Gaming; Green; Home Theater; MP3 and portable video players; and Televisions. In addition, there were awards given for the Best in Show product and People’s Voice, given by the thousands of online viewers who cast their votes.

Videos of the winners and finalist products can be found at http://www.cnet.com/ces.

About MyFord Touch

“Each year, CNET editors spend hundreds of hours on the show floor to find the hottest technologies that will drive industry trends for the coming year and beyond. Ford was chosen from thousands of products at the show and demonstrates the innovation to be honored with one of our ‘Best of CES’ award.” – Scott Ard, Editor in Chief of CNET

MyFord Touch is the all-new driver interface launching later this year on new Ford products. The interface retains the traditional car interior layout that has existed for decades – instrument cluster in front of the driver, center stack dividing the dashboard – and adds even more voice control plus full-color LCD screens for much of the visual information presentation. We’ll be seeing this technology land at Capital Ford in what’s guessed to be 10 months with the 2011 Edge and Lincoln MKX.

The information presented is customizable by the driver using a combination of voice controls, touch-screen technology and five-way cell phone-style buttons mounted on the steering wheel.

MyFord Touch displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel crossbar – similar to the one found on most mobile phones and MP3 players – controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens. Check out a slick video from edmunds.com showing off MyFord Touch.

Ford Motor Company recognizes the importance of working jointly with environmental stakeholders to engineer sustainable vehicles in an eco-friendly manner. Its commitment to a greener future is demonstrated on a daily basis with numerous ongoing environmental initiatives. While Capital Ford is a fraction the size of FoMoCo we pitch in as well, more on that at the end.

On Tuesday, May 6, Ford Motor Company was recognized with the esteemed ‘Green Choice Award’ by Natural Health magazine. Ford received this award for its continuous efforts towards building a greener future. The company and its products were judged in a number of different areas such as alternative energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, recycling, operational energy footprints, and LEED certifications. All data collected by Natural Health magazine was submitted by Ford.

The following are some highlights of Ford’s ongoing environmental initiatives:

- Each year, Ford conserves up to 900 tons of carbon emissions and 600,000 gallons of water because Escape Hybrid seats are made with 100 per cent post-industrial recycled fabric.

- Since 2000, Ford has cut its global energy use by nearly one third, in part by upgrading plants with more efficient equipment.

- Ford gives employees two paid days off a year to do volunteer work—in 2008, they committed a total of 124,000 hours. At 17 of the company’s facilities, staffers have turned vacant plots of land into habitats for local plants and animals, and created walking trails to encourage nearby residents to visit.

- Ford’s EcoBoost engine, which the company launched this year, improves vehicle fuel economy by as much as 20 per cent.

“Ford facilities are often faced with complex environmental challenges, and every year – even in hard times – our employees rise to the challenge with innovative solutions that reduce environmental impact while promoting sustainability. The Green Choice Award honors their achievements, and challenges others to take bold steps.” – David Berdish, Manager, Ford Sustainable Business Development

The ‘Green Choice Award’ was presented to Ford, along with nine other corporations, by renowned actor and environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. in New York City. Like I’d said, Capital Ford is a fraction the size of Ford Motor Company but we’re active with the little things. We pitch in with proper oil recycling after vehicle maintenance, proper battery recycling (especially during winter it’s busy),  paper recycling stations and all cans and bottles are collected with the recycling refunds are put towards the Capital Cares program.

How do you think a car dealership can work towards winning a ‘Green Choice Award’ ?