This morning, I was privileged to attend a briefing on Ford's future products. Some of what was shown has already been introduced to the public, including the 2012 Ford Focus.
The purpose of the briefing was to give past and present employees a glimpse into the future and an opportunity to ask some questions... perhaps giving Ford's top management team who were present an opportunity to get either reinforcement or pause for thought. The briefing included three major areas: exterior design, interior design, and enhancing the driving experience.
While I cannot go into details about any of these because of confidentiality, J. Mays, who heads up Ford's design team, was clear... before revealing Ford's vehicles... about what Ford's design philosophy was not. I can attest that these images are nothing like Ford's vision of the future. [left: Chevy Spark; right: Nissan Qazana concept]. I can also attest that the general response from those present was one of extreme approval. Personally, I would have to give Ford an A+ on what I saw and heard.Ford's rise to the top of the U.S. market may well be unstoppable by any of their competitors. It is a focused and dedicated organization that is clearly prepared to be on the leading edge of automotive innovation. With GM and Chrysler hampered by governmental and organizational issues and Toyota reeling from bad press about safety and vehicle body integrity [rust], it would seem that the only thing that will stop Ford is Ford itself losing sight of what is bringing them to the verge of enormous success.