Ford just announced, via Facebook, an interesting promotion of its Fusion line, called the “Fusion 41″. The race sounds really fun, and the winner gets to have his/her Fusion’s car loan completely paid off. Oh, and did I mention that the winning team gets free gas for a whole year?

Ford, you wily serpent. Not only do you get the benefits of the promotion, but you get to wear out someone else’s car in the process. You heard that correctly: You have to provide your own car for the race. It’s a great, low-cost way for Ford to promote their vehicles, without having to shell out for a full vehicle. Paying off someone’s auto loan is a smart idea, because they’ve already paid into the equity of their vehicle.

Granted, Ford’s wholesale price for a car is significantly lower than the cost of paying off someone’s loan, but the full economic impact is better this way. Think of it this way: Ford is paying off a car that it has already made profit on. The dealer has already taken his cut, the auto finance company has taken their cut, and the whole scenario helps keep the market rolling.

Don’t forget another one of Ford’s reasonings:

And we know, after spending so much time in the Ford Fusion, everyone will want their own, so we are giving every participant the chance to win a brand new Fusion.

They’re gambling on the fact that your other team members are potential Fusion owners, which IMO is a gamble worth taking.

In the end, I wish I had a Fusion just so I could compete in the race.

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