• Detroit Free Press, Wednesday, February 7, 2007 12:15 PM

New CEO Alan Mulally advocated for Ford's formal announcement today that it is changing the name of its slow-selling Ford Five Hundred to Taurus. The nameplate switch won't make the Five Hundred a great car, but it shows that the new kid in town understands and respects Ford's history better than the Blue Oval lifers who preceded him.

Mulally is already asking his executives to tell him why the company doesn't make some other corrections, including: Why don't we try to build the hotshot concept cars people love at our auto show displays? hy does Jaguar chase low-profit, low-image cars like the X-type instead of building what its customers want: fast, beautiful and gloriously luxurious cars it can sell at a profit? Why do we think our American customers should be satisfied with a Focus compact that's based on a geriatric platform?

The new 2008 Ford Taurus is expected to be in showrooms by this summer. Reviving the Taurus name is a small correction, but it shows Ford customers, dealers and employees that the captain is awake at the wheel.

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