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Ford hones its off-road ambitions in the desert: ‘We want to dominate’
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Surrounded by some of the world’s best off-road drivers, motorsports technicians and his Ford Racing lieutenants — including Henry Ford’s great-great-grandson Will Ford — CEO Jim Farley rallied his troops for the Dakar Rally in the middle of the Arabian Desert.
“This is our business,” he said with a boyish glint in his eye. “We want to dominate off-road in our industry. We’re a stone-cold killer team, and we’re going to win this f—— race!”
The bivouac (French for paddock) erupted in cheers. This was the start of week two in the world’s most demanding off-road race, and Ford was neck-and-neck with Toyota and Renault performance brand Dacia for the outright win.
Ten thousand miles from Dearborn in the middle of Saudi Arabia, the power of the Ford brand is palpable. It is part of an American business and entertainment juggernaut that reaches every corner of the globe, including this royal kingdom anchored in the Sunni religion.