The Silent "I"

Ford Reception at the Detroit Institute of Arts

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a private event, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, at the Detroit Insititute of Arts.  The building itself was an impressive, classical-style building that reminded me of the Art Institute of Chicago and other fine art museums I've visitied around the world.  I had no idea that Detroit had such a grand and historic art museum.

The reception was held in the Diego Rivera Courtyard, which housed four walls of fresco paintings entitled "Detroit Industry" and were really incredible to see.

During the reception, we were welcomed by Edsel Ford II, Henry Ford's great-grandson.  Mr. Ford acted as an unofficial ambassador to Detroit, explaining some of the rich history of the city and its relationship to the auto industry, particularly as it was represented in the mural and building that surrounded us. 

Next Up: Ford Green & NAIAS in Detroit

Thanks to the Clever Girls Collective and the fine people at Ford Motor Company, I've been invited to participate in the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) press event on Monday and Tuesday.  I'll be with a group of about 100 bloggers and media people from around the world who get to see a sneak peak of what Ford is presenting at NAIAs this year.  I leave for Detroit tomorrow, and I am excited to find out what Ford has in store for us.  I've heard the emphasis this year is on green technology and environmental sustainability, which makes it doubly exciting for me.

Since we just spent two weeks in our car driving halfway across the country, I now consider myself an expert on things like gas mileage (our current car was meh), comfort, and entertainment in cars. Also, if they have any tips on how to get the smell of rotten French fries out of the carpet, I'm all ears. 

When I had the chance to try out the Lincoln MKT and Ford Taurus, I was impressed on all counts. Ford has come a long way in terms of green technology, high tech amenities, comfort and style from my Grandpa's Ford Fairlane to now.  I can't wait to see what Ford has planned for the next generation of cars. Electric? Hybrid? Levitating? Rocket-powered? Invisible? Who knows?  I'd like an invisible, levitating rocket-car for dealing with Bay Area traffic, but will settle for one that gets more than 40 mpg.

Follow me on Twitter (@glennia) and Facebook for real-time updates and follow the hashtag #fordgreen on Twitter!

Disclosure: I was invited to participate in this program by Clever Girls Collective, Inc. in partnership with Ford and Ogilvy PR. Ford Motor Company is paying for my travel and accommodations at the 2-day Driving Green Technology event, I will not be compensated in any other manner for my time.  My opinions posted here are my own.

PHOTO: Lincoln MKT that I got to try out in 2009, courtesy of Ford. Sadly, it's not mine, but I did take the photo.

Lincoln MKT Test Drive Review

 

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to test drive the new 2010 Lincoln MKT, thanks to the people at Ford.  The car arrived Thursday morning, a stylish black ride with three rows of seats (the third row folds down to make trunk space).  I'm not sure if this could be described as an SUV or a luxury station wagon or maybe a mini-limo. When it first pulled up, my thought was "hearse," but that quickly changed once I got inside the plush interior with warm tan leather seats and high-tech gadgetry that would stymie James Bond. I tweeted my friends that all it needed was a mini-bar to complete the limo-feel  (for the passengers, of course).

The first test I put it to was piling five of my coworkers in to take them all out to lunch.  When we walked out to the parking lot, my co-worker Mary exclaimed, "It looks like a spaceship!" 

We all piled in, set a course for a Singaporean noodle shop, and were off. The first thing I noticed was that it was hard to see out of the back window with two heads in the way. No worries, though...the MKT came equipped with back-up camera, so I could see what was happening in the rear without needing to look out the window.  The two in the back said it was rather cramped, and we could not figure out how to move the seat up.  They remarked that it would be comfortable for kids, but there was not quite enough legroom for adults.

On Saturday, we drove up to San Francisco to visit the Asian Art Museum, and try out the car on the highway and in city traffic.  Even though it is considerable longer and wider than the car I normally drive, I thought it handled well, and was easy to drive.  One feature that I liked was the collision warning, which is a small yellow light on the side view mirrors that light up when a car is approaching your blindspot. 

Lincoln MKT Test Drive

I am getting a Lincoln MKT to test drive this weekend.  We're going to Napa Valley and taking a few day trips around the Bay Area to see how this baby handles.  Alex has already asked if we can keep it.

Posted via email from glennia's posterous

Car Review: Ford Taurus 2010

On Friday, I went to an event sponsored by Ford, hosted by my friends at Clever Girls Collective, introducing the 2010 Ford Taurus.  Riding around in the luxurious, tricked out new Taurus brought back fond memories for me.

My family has a long history with Ford cars. In 1968, my dad had an old Fiat that he basically drove into the ground. I think he abandoned it or sold it when the door fell off on I-75. After the Fiat met it's untimely demise, my dad abandoned foreign cars forever, bought a sturdy Ford sedan, and never looked back.  For my dad, the ultimate car was an enormous champagne-colored Ford LTD he bought new in the 1970's. My dad was really proud of this car, and it felt to me like we were driving around in our living room.  The seats were more  comfortable than our sofa, and the windshield was like some live action large-screen TV.  Through that enormous windshield, my brothers and I watched the world go by.

After my mom went to work in a local factory, her first job after being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, she bought the car of her dreams: a Lincoln-Mercury Cougar.  The Cougar was red, fast, and symbolized her new-found independence.  She was a working woman, with her own money, making her own decisions about everything from what color the car was to what music played on the tape deck. I think of my mom's Cougar as her declaration of independence, and remember barreling down the highway with Sam Cooke's Greatest Hits blaring and all of us singing along.  Eventually, I inherited that car when I moved to Austin and declared my own independence of sorts.