As Ford Authority reported just yesterday, The Blue Oval has opted to rebrand its Ford Performance division back to Ford Racing, effectively uniting the company’s customer racing programs, its range of performance vehicles, and merchandising operations into one neatly integrated operation. It’s a notable change indeed, and one that will likely be met with at least a little controversy, as name/branding changes often are.
Ford Racing will take over for Ford Performance under its global director, Mark Rushbrook, with the goal of continuing to drive innovation for both road and racing machines. Ford Motor Company has been competing in various forms of motorsport since before it was even conceived – back when Henry Ford won his first and only race in the Sweepstakes in 1901.
Since then, The Blue Oval has expanded its racing efforts in a major way, with much of that push intensifying over the past few years. Ford is currently preparing to enter Formula 1 racing as a power unit manufacturer and competes in everything from the 24 Hours of Le Mans to off-road events like the Dakar Rally, so it wanted to place a proverbial cap on those efforts with this rebrand.
According to Will Ford, General Manager, Ford Racing, the move is “much more than a simple rebranding exercise,” however. He notes that the “new Ford Racing organization will bring our road and race operations closer than ever before. Under one global leader, our super-talented engineers, designers and aerodynamicists will find innovative solutions for the track and bring them to our road products – and vice versa.”
Regardless, the Ford Racing brand and logo will take over for Ford Performance in the coming months, which should prove interesting given how consumers tend to react to such changes. Thus, we’re curious to know what our readers think – do you prefer the Ford Racing name, or should The Blue Oval just have stuck with Ford Performance? Let us know by voting in the poll below!
Comments
Neither. Failure Farley needs to focus on things other than his “weekend” obsession, and the Ford Board needs to stop sleeping.
Do us all a favor and stop posting please. You clearly have an axe to grind with Jim Farley, for who knows what reason? You clearly don’t understand how corporate structures typically operate. The CEO doesn’t get involved in the weeds, lower management levels do. He steers the ship he doesn’t operate the engines, or the climate controls, or any of the other multitudes of operations that make a multi-billion dollar, international corporation operate.
Really Mark? SCE can say whatever he wants. Farley has trashed the company, everything that man has done is a disaster, pretty much every individual that man has brought is as talent is a joke. From the PR mess, to the RTO fiascos, to laying off critical team members, Farley’s leadership is a horrendous disaster. The list goes on and on for the number of things that man has trashed. Ford had world class products, had the respect of the American public when Ford didn’t need Government money. FORD LEADERSHIP PISSED ALL OF THAT AWAY. From the ongoing recall disasters, to the runaway warranty costs, the plummeting moral, the gutting of engineering group, turning teams into adversaries, this guy was at the helm, the captain of the ship. Ford is paying the price for this incompetance. So apparently Mark, you dont know what the hell you are talking about.
I’m good with either name here, just keep the mission going.
What’s in name if it doesn’t produce results? The Ford Nascar teams on all levels have been far less than good.
Why not have both?
I even understand the brand’s objective in making its focus on motorsport more concentrated, as if it were highlighting… but Performance is much more comprehensive while Racing brings an impression of being restricted to the tracks!
As Pirelli said: “Power is nothing without control”
So racing is nothing without performance
Performance covers a much broader spectrum of Ford products and owner/enthusuast interests. Racing denotes competition on the track and other venues IMO.
Ford Motorsport was always the best and powerful name !
Yeah, that was a good one along with Special Vehicle Operations.
Back in early 2000s it was Ford Racing…now a change back..while i like the Ford Racing…not a fan of the phonts..prefer the old Ford Racing phonts.i can now go back to using my old Ford Racing caps and coats again..lol.
Most consumers don’t care. They would settle for fewer recalls and a quality product instead.
Dept of Defence or Dept of War ? Ford Performance or Ford Racing ? I think your survey speaks for itself !
Come on, people! The answer is right therein the article, where the writer mentions our founder. NEITHER “racinc,” nor “performance,” is correct. The answer is “Ford Motorsport”!!!
Good With Either Name Watched The Video Ford Disrespected All Of The Ford Drag Racers And All Of The Records And Acomplishments They Achieved
Who changed it in the first place?
Old Ford Racing logo 100-times cooler, new one dull and drab!
Ok, my SVT became Ford Performance, and my 2 Ford Performance’s along with the former SVT will all now be Ford Racing! Wonder if Ford will pay for all the new Ford Racing license plate frames
No, you , the consumer, will pay for ” all the new Ford Racing license plate frames.
If you’re going to change it, go back to Ford Motorsport.
I feel the Ford Racing rebrand is best. It seems to me the “performance” side of Ford has become watered down to wheels, sway bars and spoilers, stickers etc. Performance used to mean power, strength. With the down sizing of engines across the board the wind has gone out of “Performance.” “We can’t go faster but, we will try to make it handle better.” Can’t buy an LX mustang with the same drive train as a GT anymore. Have to upgrade to the most expensive or next to most expensive trim to have a “performance” car. Do you want to install “Racing” parts on your vehicle, or performance parts? I think I’ll go with racing, Thank You.
Ford Performance says what it is!! When you buy or have Ford Performance upgrades installed to your Vehicle you are supporting Ford Performance & improving your vehicle’s performance, look & stance. Leave it Alone! Ford Racing is not Ford Performance! It’s a race team after all Ford performance upgrades have been done
In this members opinion, Ford Performance is more of a blanket moniker. Ford Racing is a bit more specific. As one comment above points out, you could have both, but it would require creating separation of content for Ford Racing which would fall under the Ford Performance umbrella.