BEAUTIFUL VIEW

THE MACHINATIONS of CEO Alan Mulally over the past two and a half years have given Ford a stronger balance sheet than the other two

domestic automakers—Ford alone said it didn’t need an emergency loan from the U.S. government—but the company’s relative fi nancial health hasn’t been refl ected in its rolling stock. Now, a series of recent new-car

introductions have us impressed, and optimistic, about Ford’s future. The fi rst, in December, was for the 2010 Fusion [see page 42]. Ford took the opportunity of a midcycle  update—usually an occasion for little more than a new fascia and some mild primping—to give its mid-size sedan, already earning kudos for its reliability, a surprisingly thorough makeover, topped by the addition of a very accomplished hybrid model that sets a new benchmark for fuel economy among family sedans and is also a

pleasure to drive. Next came three Detroit auto show reveals. The Shelby GT500 version of Ford’s restyled 2010 pony car should help keep the fi re burning for the Mustang faithful. Less exciting, perhaps, but far more impressive is the Lincoln MKT. It’s a platform mate to the Ford Flex, but it looks absolutely unrelated to that

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