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Ford Suggests Taurus Redesign In Works

MSNBC/AP, Wednesday, January 30, 2008 11:45 AM

Derrick Kuzak, Ford's head of global product development, recently likened the current Taurus to the portly, balding, doughnut-devouring Homer Simpson. He then projected a slide with Simpson standing above a Ford Five Hundred--the sedan that was renamed the Taurus last year. Next to Homer were cartoon images of Superman and Mr. Incredible, each above small drawings of sleeker versions of the Taurus.

Indeed, CEO Alan Mulally told a seminar audience recently that a Taurus set to debut in the next year or so "is the one we should have made originally."

Seldom do auto company executives criticize vehicles on the market, fearing such talk could hurt sales. "It's really unique," says David Koehler, a clinical marketing professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Industry analysts say criticism of the Taurus shows that Ford is becoming more candid about recognizing and fixing problems.

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