The Detroit Auto Show is back. Thursday night, the coldest day in the last 365 days, was warmed by Ford Motor Company’s reception at Huntington Place a day earlier than the traditional Media Day. Gone is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS); this show is not the back-to-back “reveals” by automakers from around the globe. There are only a few new models that will cross the stage for the usual flashy “smoke” and light show glitz that typically accompanies new models.
On Thursday evening, with a flat track, a set of bleachers that accommodated about 400 guests, and a large video board background, Ford Motor Company brought out its “show” ponies for the world to see. Ford Executive Chair William Clay Ford, Jr. stood alongside Jared Goff, Lions star quarterback, and Jim Farley, Ford’s President and CEO on stage. Invited guests included the media, Ford designers and executives, as well as workers from the Rouge, Michigan Assembly, and Flat Rock factories. The reception was consistent with its huge investment just a mile away at the Michigan Central Station and Mobility Center.
Goff excited the crowd by tossing two footballs to the crowd in the bleachers and then stood with the Mustang GTD driven on stage. The GTD is a flat-out high performance, street legal, supercar that started shipping this year. The Mustang GTD is the first car from an American automaker to make a lap of Germany’s Nürburgring in less than 7 minutes. The vehicle on stage was a tribute to world land speed record breaker Craig Breedlove.
Ford made the evening a standout event for a somewhat diminished agenda for the “Auto Show” bring corporate power to the convention hall just a mile down the street from its new nerve center the Michigan Central Station.
The guests applauded for several minutes at the mention of Bill Ford’s vision for the Michigan Central Station. As the presentation wrapped up, the ropes were removed and the crowd swarmed Bill Ford and Jared Goff with handshakes and compliments.
The event had a flavor of the best of the NAIAS with a warmth never achieved in recent years. Factory workers, designers, media, and guests all felt the force of Detroit’s industrial strength.
Editor’s Note: It was my pleasure to personally thank Bill Ford at Thursday’s event for his commitment to Michigan Central Station and Southwest Detroit. His reaction was a smile and a handshake followed by a question – Did I notice the Honolulu Blue lights on the building the night before? My response was “I took a photo and I posted it immediately. People loved it!”
Bill Ford’s vision and commitment deserves the gratitude of a proud city and a pat on the back for a job well done. The impact on the revival of our city was clear for all to see.
Other vehicles revealed at the event were:
- The Detroit Lions Special Edition Powerboost Hybrid F-150
- Ford Maverick. LOBO
- Bronco Sport, the Sasquatch
- Bronco Stroppe Special Edition – tribute to ’60 racing models
- Expedition Tremor
- Ford Ranger Raptor, class winner in recent Baja off-road races.
The public show runs from Saturday, January 10, through Monday, January 20.
