New Ford eBay Motors Online Store Will Offer Global Reach for Licensed Merchandise

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

• The Ford website, www.store.ford.com, now links to an eBay Motors online store that gives Ford fans around the world with access to the eBay site a chance to purchase officially licensed products from their home

• The store is hosted by eBay Motors, and offers items at a stated price, ranging from Mustang neon signs to Fiesta hoodies. Now available on the U.S. eBay site, additional global locations for the Ford online store on eBay Motors will be added in the coming months

• To help celebrate the launch of the new website, a pool table shaped like a 1965 Mustang will be on display on the Ford stand and available for auction Nov. 2-5 at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show

Whether you're looking for the perfect gift for the Mustang lover in your life or just want to show your pride for the Ford vehicle you drive, a new online store launched by Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) on eBay Motors will provide enthusiasts around the world with access to the items they want in one convenient place.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101101/DE91540 )

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101101/DE91540 )

The redesigned website, www.store.ford.com, now provides access to an eBay Motors online store that offers products at a stated price for customers shopping on the U.S. version of the eBay site. In the coming months, links to more and more global eBay Motors stores will be added, and each online store will reflect the vehicles and brands that are most popular in its corresponding region.

"eBay Motors involvement gives us the power to reach customers around the world," said Regina Watson, Ford licensing manager. "We're taking a global approach to our online store, and truly integrating various parts of the world. So no matter where you live, as long as you can access the eBay site, you can see what products are available for sale."

Besides the convenience factor, the store offers plenty of merchandise to satisfy Ford enthusiasts worldwide.

"Ford is a 100-year-old iconic brand that resonates with our most die-hard automotive enthusiast," said Famous Rhodes, director, parts and accessories, eBay Motors. "This opportunity opens up everything Ford, from pool tables to clothing for our enthusiasts to express their love for the Ford brand."

To power the store, Ford partnered with ChannelAdvisor, a software and services provider that helps retailers sell through multiple online channels. Through ChannelAdvisor's eBay management platform, Ford's official licensees' products will be aggregated in one store on eBay, unifying a typically fragmented market to improve the shopping experience and product selection for buyers of Ford merchandise.  

In the future, Ford hopes to keep adding more products to the site to make it one-stop shopping for Ford fans.

"Our goal is to become a hub for all items that Ford enthusiasts would want to buy – including restoration parts and vintage shop manuals," said Watson.

Action at SEMA

To help celebrate the launch of the website, a pool table shaped like a Mustang will be on display on the Ford stand and available for auction Nov. 2-5 at the SEMA show. All proceeds from the auction will benefit JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).

The Mustang pool table is molded from a 1965 Mustang and comes complete with working lights, alloy rims and wheels and chrome decals, bumpers and hardware. A professional billiard player will even be on hand all week to show off just how much fun the table can be.

Ford is teaming up with eBay Motors and ChannelAdvisor for the auction, and visitors can bid on the table at computers surrounding it. eBay Motors also will have screens in its booth monitoring the auction throughout the show, which will end when the SEMA show comes to a close.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company