News in brief

Seeing the blind spot For most drivers, there's a lingering doubt when changing lanes on the freeway: Did I miss a car in the blind spot?

Starting early next year, Ford Motor Co. will try to eliminate that doubt. It will begin installing side-view mirrors on its vehicles that show the blind spots in the outside upper corners.

Ford says it will put the mirrors on a few Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models to start, eventually making them standard across most of its lineup.

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Chrysler's new ad theme As the economy slumps and gas prices rise, Chrysler wants to remind consumers that cars still can be fun.

The automaker is launching a corporate advertising campaign featuring the tag line "If you can dream it, we can build it."

A similar theme -- "If you can dream it, do it" -- is at the heart of the ad campaign for Chrysler's Dodge Journey crossover, which went on sale in February with a base price of $19,985.