Ford Motor Company Auto Show Exhibit Prepares to 'Take on the World'
11 January 1999
Ford Motor Company Auto Show Exhibit Prepares to 'Take on the World' DETROIT, Jan. 8 -- Visitors to Ford Motor Company's
new auto show exhibit in Detroit are the first of millions of people
around the world who in the next few years will see a dramatic display of the
strength of the company's six global brands.
The two-story display -- with an overhead bridge the length of a football
field -- makes its worldwide debut at this year's North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, which opens to the public tomorrow. After its Detroit
debut, elements of the display will be used at many of the company's major
international auto shows, including those in Europe, North America and Asia.
The new exhibit combines all of Ford Motor Company's global brands --
Lincoln, Mercury, Ford, Mazda, Jaguar and Aston Martin -- in one central
location.
"We are delighted by the phenomenal reaction to the new stand by the
public and press," says Robert L. Rewey, Ford's group vice president of
Marketing, Sales and Service.
"This display is telling customers that here are six unique,
differentiated families of vehicles all connected in a special way, with the
support of a leading, global corporation behind them," Rewey says.
The materials used within each area of the display -- such as the walls,
flooring and art work -- are designed to complement the unique personalities
of the vehicles.
"When customers see a Lincoln, a Jaguar or a Ford truck on the road, we
want the vehicle itself to communicate what that brand represents. The auto
show display for each of these vehicles should provide the same function,"
says Rewey. "In developing our new vehicles, our designers are developing a
visual language for each of our six brands -- drawing on the characteristics
and tastes of target customers. Our new auto show display has been developed
using the same principles."
The new display is made from more than 200 tons of structural steel, 6,000
square feet of tinted green glass and 3,000 square feet of brushed and
stainless steel. The first level contains approximately 82,000 square feet of
display space, while the second floor provides another 12,000 square feet.
Two elevators and an escalator connect the two levels.
A 350-seat theater is used to give auto show-goers a multi-media
experience about the company's vehicles and technology.
The display was designed jointly by Imagination, a London-based design and
communications company, and Exhibit Works, an exhibit design and fabrication
company based in Livonia, Mich. The two companies worked in concert with
Ford Motor Company's design team, senior executives and the management of
Lincoln Mercury, Ford Division, Mazda, Jaguar and Aston Martin.
"We worked as partners with Imagination and Exhibit Works throughout the
display's development," Rewey explains. "These two companies are as elated as
we are about the overwhelming reaction to the display, and they will continue
to work with us as we take the show on the road to other cities in the
future."
In addition to inquiries about the exhibit's dimensions, Rewey says, one
of the common questions from the media has been the cost.
"While we can't comment on specific numbers for competitive reasons, most
of the estimates we have been seeing in the press are nothing short of
preposterous," Rewey says. "We can assure all who are interested that the
same rules of investment efficiency, platform sharing and cost control for our
vehicle development have been applied in development of our auto show
exhibit."
The North American International Auto Show is open to the public 10 a.m.
to 10 p.m. January 9-17 and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. January 18.
