
Detroit — The Ford-Detroit Proud press event was held at Huntington Place to kick off the Detroit Auto Show which celebrates the Motor City and its incredible spirit.
Andrew Frick, President of Ford Blue & Ford Pro, talked about the best year Ford had with its electric vehicles. “We are number the number two brand in America. We increased hybrid sales by 40 percent and sold nearly 300,000 electric vehicles. We are all about giving customers the freedom of choice which is why we are the only brand in America to be in the top three in gas, hybrid and electric vehicles. We always focus on the customer to make their lives easier.”
“The Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch has the best in class touch screen, new 29-inch tires which makes Bronco Sport a huge customer hit. There is a new Bronco Stroppe Edition which is the most capable Sasquatch yet. As you can see, Ford is going big in off-road performance vehicles with Bronco Sport, Bronco, Raptor, Tremor and FX4. In fact, last year Ford’s off-road vehicles represented nearly 20 percent of our total sales.”
Ford Ranger Raptor has 405 horsepower plus 430-lb. ft. of torque. It is a global powerhouse and is sold on six continents. The Ford Ranger is assembled right here in Michigan.
The Detroit Lions Special Edition F-150 is a truck for true Lions fans. Ford F-series is celebrating 48 years of the best selling truck. Good for them.
Detroit Lions Quarterback Jared Goff was introduced and he spoke a few words. “I’ll just hang out here for a while and enjoy some of these beautiful cars. I’ll take a little rest and take long naps right now til we’re ready to go in a week and a half.”
Greg Goodall, GTD Chief Program Engineer, talked about the new Mustang GTD with its formed carbon fiber body panels to the dominant spoiler and its digital cockpit which makes a powerful statement. “Every element is born on the track and bred to race. Sixty years of motorsports excellence has made the GTD an ultimate super car. There is a Mustang for everyone.”
There is a lot of passion in the Mustang RTR. It is super quick, agile, looks good and is well balanced in power, capability and fun. The Mustang RTR is truly the definition of Ready to Rock. The engine boasts a 5.0-liter V8. People need to see the performance of this V8 EcoBoost. There is a new upper grille and new 19-inch wheels with a very aggressive offset that helps with stance and performance. The new RTR will turn heads on and off the track.
Ford CEO Jim Farley says, “Tonight is special because we have our Ford employees here from around Michigan and so thankful you are all here from our designers and our design studios, from our plants including the mighty Rouge and the Local 600. We also have the assembly team who makes the awesome Bronco and Ranger. We have the Flat Rock assembly team, the home of the iconic Mustang. Our dealers are here too. I’m not biased, but I am, but I consider our dealers the best in the world. They serve our customers and our communities.”
“As you know, Detroit is having a moment. We are definitely a comeback city; and a city with grit. And I believe the ideas and innovation here in Detroit and especially at Ford will continue to drive this wonderful industry forward. Always forward and into the future. The competition is strong with China, Silicon Valley and everywhere else. That’s why Bill Ford spearheaded the restoration and transformation on the Michigan Central Station.”
To add a footnote here, Bill Ford was chosen as one of the 2025 “Hour Detroiters” appearing in the January 2025 Hour Detroit magazine. He is a visionary who turns dreams into reality. Kudos to him.
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