MARKETING AND LOYALTY AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY (tm).

FoMoCo's underpowered and somewhat underwhelming FWD "Mexican Mazda" a/k/a Ford Fusion is one of the few bright spots in the current model line-up for the Number 3 U.S. automaker (Ford is now behind both GM and Toyota in retail sales according to the latest reports).

In grotesque "funny car" form, Fusion masquerades as a pushrod V8-powered RWD in NASCAR's Nextel Cup.

On the retail front, it's one of the few FoMoCo models which has not suffered huge declines in this year's "July to forget" sale (Overall, FoMoCo made 34.3% fewer sales this July than July 2005, in a market that was down 17.4%).

According to Automotive News Ford moved 71,089 Fusions during the first half of 2006. But Toyota sold 218,517 Camrys and Honda sold 178,116 Accords.

Not much of a "hit" . . . .

Still, Ford keeps pushing the "Mexican Mazda," even as some promotional efforts suggest conFUSION. For example, among FoMoCo's latest "Bold Moves" is a deal with Kellogg Company and Target Corporation to put 600,000 toy Fusions in specially-marked boxes of "Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Krispies. A photo of the car will appear on the outside of each box. One consumer will find a red model Fusion with a Target logo and win a real full-sized Fusion . . ."

A curious choice, considering that for years Kellogg's has been a major sponsor of Chevrolet-powered NASCAR racers fielded by Rick Hendrick's organization and Target has funnelled millions of dollars to Chip Ganassi's teams, which use, at various times, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler powerplants.

Money and marketing make strange bedfellows.

Team Ford Racing Fan No. 001, Edsel B. Ford II, wrote in the latest issue of Inside the Oval magazine a poignant article on "loyalty," in the context of the defection of Yates racing driver Dale Jarrett to Toyota's fledgling NASCAR Nextel Cup operation.

Edsel, of course, avoided Ford's own catastrophic disloyalty through his father's decision to kill the factory racing and "Muscle Parts" programs in 1970 (which adversely affected many of the "loyal" Ford racers he venerates, such as Robert Yates (Holman-Moody) and the Wood Brothers). And he apparently chose to ignore other autumnal defections of Ford racing legends, such as Bob Glidden, A.J. Foyt and Bill Elliott (he does mention Glidden as a "historic" Ford pilot, but appropriately avoids "Million-Dollar Bill" and A.J. entirely). He also ignored Dale Jarrett's own checkered past, jumping back and forth between Ford and Chevrolet before his sojourn in a Yates Ford.

However, the great theme of Edsel's editiorial is that true loyalty should not go unnoticed or unrewarded. In a day when "money talks" and Jeff Gordon walks, true loyalty is increasingly rare.

Still, something seems strangely disloyal about Kellogg Co. and Target taking bushel-baskets of Ford's money for marketing Fusions while they both pay out money subsidizing Toyota's and Honda's racing exploits. And probably the only full-size sedan we'll see sporting a Target logo -- unlike the cereal box prize -- will be a Ganassi Dodge . . . .

Speedzzter wonders what Edsel thinks about that.