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Ken Block - Ford Partnership Ends on Amicable Terms After 11 Years Together

Famous beyond the United States, the one and only Ken Block has made a surprise announcement today. After 11 years of sideways madness, huge jumps, motorsport success, and many more high-profile exploits, the Gymkhana star and the Dearborn-based automaker have called it quits.
Ken Block 11 photos
Photo: Ken Block on Facebook
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After accumulating 500-plus million views from Gymkhana 3 to Gymkhana 10, 19 wins, 17 podiums, and two X Games medals with the Blue Oval in rally and rallycross, “the time has come to start seeing other people.” As a free agent, Ken has highlighted that he is “stoked to still potentially work with Ford.”

Reading between the lines, it’s the Ford Motor Company that pulled the plug on their partnership. In reply to the Instagram post attached at the end of this story, the Blue Oval is “very grateful for Ken Block and his bringing the thrill of Ford Performance vehicles to a whole new generation of car buyers.”

Coincidence or not, only the Mustang passes as a passenger car for the 2021 model year. All other Fords are either crossovers, SUVs, or pickup trucks, and the Fusion sedan will be replaced by a coupe-crossover-wagon thingy.

What does the next chapter have in store for the co-founder of DC Shoes? “I am looking forward to what an unrestricted 2021 holds,” said Ken, and the ability to spread my wings a bit and play with other toys.” If we read between the lines once again, Block is telling the suits and bean counters in Dearborn that other automotive brands are close to cutting a deal with him.

On an ending note, care to guess which is Ken’s favorite vehicle from his long tenure with Ford? Of course, it’s the 1,400-horsepower Hoonicorn V2, an all-wheel-drive Mustang that can only be described as insane. If you were to make a wild bet on Ken's future partnership, what brand would it be?

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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