It’s been a busy media preview at the Detroit auto show with the launch of a number of new production cars, and now it’s time to assess the hits and the flops. All the models below will hit showrooms sometime in the next year — although we have to wait longer on the new Focus — and some are vitally important to their respective automakers. Let us know what your favorite new production car was in the comments.

Ford’s 2011 Super Duty fire truck is for the firefighter in all of us. The flame red F-550 chassis cab, which debuted today at the L.A. Auto Show, has been converted into a first-responder vehicle that can tackle Southern California’s urban and rural emergencies. It features plenty of storage and cubby space for search-and-rescue and paramedic supplies, plus it has a remote-controlled flame-suppressant turret that allows firefighters to battle a fire while staying protected within the truck. It also sports a winch integrated into its front bumper.

Ford is using the Super Duty fire truck to help the Los Angeles County Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund. Ford will donate $10,000 to the fund at the outset, plus $10 for those who each person who visits the Ford display and $20 for those who test drive a Ford vehicle at the LA Auto Show, up to a maximum of $6,000 a day throughout the run of the show.

“This is one small way we can give back to the families of these heroes and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow citizens,” said Doug Scott, Ford Trucks Group Marketing Manager.

GM will begin production of the Volt late next year, and it’s scheduled to go on sale by the end of 2010. The announcement of the Volt’s initial retail markets will shed light on how GM plans to introduce Americans to a new, unfamiliar transportation technology.

Dealers must be certified to sell and service the plug-in hybrid vehicles, and by no means will every Chevy dealer in the country have the Volt on their lots.

The only clue so far? Jack Maxton Chevrolet in Columbus, Ohio, is already taking deposits on the Volt, according to Maxton sales representative Mike Garvey.

LA Auto Show: GM to Announce Where Volt Will Be Sold Initially (Detroit Free Press)

FoMoCo revealed teaser shots of the 2010 Ford Mustang. Some past shots were already released such as the 2010 Ford Mustang spy shots, it’s new hood, and the 2010 Ford Mustang Pony Badge. This teaser gives us an overview about what we should expect to see this November at 2008 LA Auto Show. The 2010 Ford Mustang is set to debut in Spring 2009.

The 2010 Ford Mustang is set to debut in Spring 2009.