Former Ford Motor chief Mark Fields, who led the company as it lost almost $25bn (€22.3bn) in market value, could walk away with payouts worth about $57.5m.

LAST week, Ford had motoring hacks from all over Europe in Barcelona to test its new-generation ST models — including a diesel that is definitely not as exciting as the petrol, but which may account for 45% of sales. This week, in Cologne, they unveiled the new RS, which should shake up the high-performance hatch market.

It’s billed as the most prestigious car show in the world, the event car makers choose for their world debuts, premium product launches, and high-profile concepts.

Ford is joining with Daimler and Renault-Nissan to speed development of cars that run on hydrogen, with hopes of bringing a vehicle to market in as little as four years.