Legacy automaker Ford (F) has brought out quite a few advances in vehicle technology over the years. In fact, we have seen a few just in the last few months. But did you know about Ford’s recent win for breast cancer survivors? It did not donate money, or sponsor some kind of race for research. In fact, its latest development is a new piece of technology: the seatbelt. This unexpected win gave Ford a little boost, up fractionally in Tuesday afternoon’s trading.
Ford got together with Lynn Simoncini, who found herself preparing for a mastectomy back in November 2022, reports noted. The problem, however, was that driving post-mastectomy was a bit of a challenge, particularly given how the seatbelt typically lays. That’s when Simoncini, tired of the jury-rigged solutions, instead designed a new seatbelt herself. Given that she worked on Ford’s marketing with VML, she knew the people she could take to to get the belt in question designed.
Designed…and put in vehicles. Ford calls it the SupportBelt, and it is now available for free. It is a soft, hollow foam pad that is included under the seatbelt, making a broader point of contact with the user’s chest. Therefore, the driver gets a more comfortable experience for sensitive post-surgical sites. Given that there are around 100,000 women having mastectomy surgery in the United States annually, there should be brisk demand, and a lot of happy Ford drivers.
Their Own F1 Team
Meanwhile, as part of Ford’s ongoing crusade against boring cars, Ford is coming back to the Formula 1 series starting in 2026, reports note. It will be teaming up with Red Bull to get back into the action that it had left behind so long.
Ford used to be a big part of F1 racing, thanks to the Cosworth DFV engine. But Ford ultimately sold the Jaguar team, reports note, to Red Bull. Thus, Red Bull proved a welcome point of contact to get Ford back into the F1 market, though it took some doing. Ford’s last contact with Red Bull was back in 2004, so a lot of the groundwork had to be laid all over again.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on four Buys, eight Holds and three Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 15.17% loss in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $10.56 per share implies 11.69% upside potential.
