Back to the Detroit Show
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Ford's showpiece at Detroit was the Thunderbird concept. More than just the name originates in the 1950s. Glance over the sculpted 2-door body and you will notice the huge chrome grille, round headlights, and even a modern interpretation of the rocket-shaped rear lights of that time. The overall shape is coherent, however, and the car's stance is right up to date. There is a practical reason for this - Ford intend to put it into production. No, seriously. The yellow paint of the show car may not be to everybody's taste, but the Thunderbird name and image spans several generations - particularly in the US.
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The production version will be based on the Lincoln LS (coming to Europe soon) / Jaguar S-Type platform. Therefore, this is not a lightweight, sporty roadster.
Another interesting "car" on the Ford stand was the Explorer Sport Trac. Supposedly, this is a new cross-over vehicle. It combines a sport-ute cabin (seating 5 in comfort) with a regular pick-up cargo bed. Ford expect sales of this type of vehicle to take off next year (when it goes into production), possibly even superceding the traditional pick-up. That is quite an expectation, given that the pick-up outsells even cars in America. It certainly will not be so popular over here, where a pick-up still shouts "work".
Development on Ford's P2000 research project was displayed also, in the form of an extensive range of environmentally-friendly cars and trucks. The most relevant in our opinion, is the Taurus saloon - hydrogen fuel-cell powered. Several manufacturers are studying this technology as it appears that it may be viable soon. Hydrogen, after all is a renewable fuel source. The Taurus features the latest proton-exchange membrane cells - developed in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler and Ballard Power Systems.
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