Thelma and Louise may have driven a Ford Thunderbird off a cliff in the 1991 Academy Award winning movie starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, however I am predicting much greater things for the Ford Motor Company in 2013!
First of all, you should know that I’m partial to German made vehicles, and fairly obsessed with BMWs in particular.  Ironically, my love for BMWs started in 1991, the same year the Thelma & Louise movie appeared on the big screen.  While making a long drive home from Los Angeles to San Diego and feeling beat up in my red Nissan 300Z sports car, I could not help but notice this amazing looking BMW 525 series (E34 for you BMW nuts reading this) that pulled up next to me.  It looked sporty, yet comfortable, and after one test drive later that day, I was hooked and have been driving  these incredible handling machines ever since.

So how in the world did a rear wheel drive, German made car enthusiast get so enamored with American made, front wheel pulling Ford vehicles?  To begin with, how does anyone get past that old, tired looking Ford Logo to begin with! 

Well….about month ago, I was on a business trip in Milwaukee and when the Avis rep handed me the keys to a 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback, I was not exactly thrilled or excited about her choice of transportation for me on this trip.  My first thought was to pull a Thelma & Louise and drive it off the first cliff I came across and ask for something else:)

And then….as Gomer Pyle use to say “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise”.
After 10 minutes of driving this little buggy, I became impressed with the cockpit layout, the quality of the materials, the peppiness of the little four banger that could, and most of all, how well it handled, and how much fun it was to drive!

After returning home I visited the local Ford dealership in Encinitas, CA and was so impressed with the entire Ford product line, most notably the new Ford Escape, Ford Fusion and C-Max Plug in Hybrid and Electric that I went home and purchased a bunch of Ford stock on one of my retirement plans.  Buying stock in a company is not something I do very often, so the Ford product line must have really made a real impression on me.

For example, the new Ford Fusion ….
looks like a cross between an Aston Martin, Jaguar and a BMW.  It’s priced well, gets great gas mileage and the interior is much nicer than my 2009 BMW 335i Sedan.

Unlike General Motors and Chrysler, Ford Motor Company did not take any of the Government TARP funds and they continue to improve their product line.  Ford is going places on 2013 and hopefully beyond.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the logo, or where it is made, it’s about how you feel sitting in the cockpit, and how much of a smile you get while driving it!

Side Note: Ford (F) closing stock price on 12/31/12 – $12.95