Ford Really Did Store Mavericks Underground
Read the full story on Backfire News
People are marveling at a photo that keeps making the rounds, showing brand new Ford Maverick cars sitting in what appears to be a cave. While some think the photo is fake or was just some staged scene for a magazine shoot, the reality is Ford really did store brand new Mavericks underground in caves back in the day.Those caves were created by limestone mining operations from the 1940s. They delved deep and far, about 150 feet below the ground, hollowing out large expanses in the process. The result was a system of structurally sound, moisture-free caves sitting under Kansas City.
Decades later, someone realized the potential for storage, calling the old limestone mine caves SubTropolis and renting space to businesses. Ford realized the utility of renting some of the space and was soon stashing car components down there.
It then started storing finished vehicles in the space, and that's how someone took a photo of all those classic Ford Mavericks stashed down there.
Today, SubTropolis is part of what's called Automotive Alley in Kansas City. On the surface is Hunt Midwest Business Center, but 150 feet down are the caves. Situated just minutes away from the Ford and GM assembly plants in the city, it's still utilized as a storage facility for new vehicles after they come off the assembly line.
In fact, Ford F-150 and Transit upfit shops have set up right there out of sheer convenience. It makes sense when you learn over 785,000 square feet of SubTroplis is currently leased by automotive companies.
SubTropolis not only has modern lighting, HVAC, plumbing, even fiber internet, the floors are concrete and everything seems not very cave-like, save the walls and ceilings. Ford still uses the space as storage, as do a number of other businesses.
Since the caves are out of sight, most people in Kansas City have no idea they exist.
Images via Hunt Midwest
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ford CEO says rare earths shortage forced it to halt production
Ford CEO Jim Farley said that a rare earth minerals shortage is hurting production and caused the automaker to temporarily shut down one of its plants last month, according to an interview with Bloomberg TV. Rare earth minerals, which are a set of 17 metallic elements, are integral to automobile production, and enable features like windshield wipers, seat belts and speakers to function. About 90% of the U.S.'s rare earth minerals come from China, the world's largest producer of rare earths, according to data from the Geological Survey. China has leveraged its grip on rare earths and their widespread utility amid a trade war with the U.S. In April, Beijing announced greater export controls on the materials — a sticking point in tariff negotiations — along with other retaliatory trade measures. The controls require businesses to apply for a license to export rare earths, which U.S. automakers say they have been struggling to secure. Earlier this week, on June 11, following two days of discussions in London, U.S. and Chinese negotiators struck an agreement under which Beijing would resume regular exports of rare earths to the U.S. "The centrality of rare earth export restrictions to the trade deal underscores the criticality of minerals to the U.S. economy as well as the severity of the chokehold Beijing holds on global supply chains," policy experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a research note. "Hand-to-mouth" Farley said the slowing flow of the critical minerals into the U.S. has presented a challenge for Ford. "It's day to day," he told Bloomberg TV Friday. "We have had to shut down factories. It's hand-to-mouth right now." Ford did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment. Ford Chief Financial Officer Sherry House addressed disruptions caused by new restrictions on rare earth minerals from China at a June conference. "There are many components that rare earth minerals are in. And any of those that are coming from China require you to now go through export control," she said. "And so there's an additional layer of administrative process that has to happen." The process isn't reliable, she added, noting that sometimes it goes "really smoothly," while other times applications are not approved quickly. "Most frequently, it goes through; it just may take more time," she said. For now, Ford is able to manage the cumbersome process, House said, but added that it has the potential to become a "larger issue for us." Farley also told the outlet that he is optimistic about the developments in trade talks between the U.S. and China, and hopes that rare earth supply constraints will ease soon. He added that Ford is awaiting approval of applications with China's Ministry of Commerce to export more rare earths. "We have applications into MOFCOM and they are being approved one at a time," Farley told Bloomberg TV. Video shows Air India plane crashing in Ahmedabad Air India plane crashes shortly after takeoff, carrying more than 240 people Israel ready to launch operation into Iran, U.S. officials say
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Driver runs red light, sparks midday crash in downtown San Angelo
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — A driver was cited for running a red light Friday afternoon, leading to a minor two-vehicle crash at the intersection of South Irving Street and West Twohig Avenue, according to San Angelo Police. Authorities say a GMC Sierra was traveling east on West Twohig when the driver failed to stop at a red light and collided with a northbound Ford F-250 on South Irving. UPDATE: Neighborhood church that was destroyed by storms is starting to rebuild Each vehicle had one occupant, and no injuries were reported. The driver of the GMC Sierra was cited at the scene for disregarding the traffic signal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Drive
6 hours ago
- The Drive
This ‘Build and Price' Tool for Truck Mods Is Fun Even if You Don't Buy Anything
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Every mainstream automaker's site has a 'build and price' tool that lets you visualize different models, trims, colors, and options as their prices are tabulated for your reference. There have been versions of this for aftermarket parts, too. But the new 'RealTruck Builder' is the richest and deepest I've seen yet. RealTruck is like The Home Depot of aftermarket truck parts. It carries good and decent versions of popular items for common vehicles. Obscure or specialized things like vintage JDM parts or long-travel Baja suspension are best sourced elsewhere. Truck bed caps, aux lighting, side steps, seat covers, and other crowd pleasers are well-stocked, though. So you probably already understand what we're heading towards: The builder allows you to input a vehicle's year, make, and model, and then lets you visualize various aftermarket parts on a 3D rendering of your rig. RealTruck screenshots Again, they don't have super-old or unusual cars, and the catalog is not that deep on every model. But it's not limited to Chevy Silverados and Ford F-150s, either. The Mercedes-Benz Metris van is in there, and so is the Hyundai Palisade, Mazda CX-5, Chrysler Pacifica, and a pretty long list of common imports and domestic vehicles. The 3D models are neat, too—you can open doors, open the trunk, put them in a variety of settings, and spin them around in 360 degrees. But the fun part is outfitting them with various mods, selectable from a menu on the left that also feeds you an add-to-cart button. Since, of course, the site's objective is to get you to buy stuff. Even the car interiors are rendered. RealTruck screenshot I think it's a cool idea, and pretty well executed. I've always liked that Tire Rack lets you call up an image of specific makes and models to let you see what different wheels would look like with your body style and color, and the RealTruck Builder is just a much more advanced version of the same idea. And it's amusing to play with, even if you're just looking for an ad-free 'game' to kill a few minutes in a waiting room with. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
