Ok, I’m just going to lay it out here—I bet my best work day ever is better than yours! Now I admit I have a few advantages here. First of all, I’m an Industrial Designer and sometimes designers just get to do cool things. Second, I was fortunate to be invited with a client to an innovation session between non-competing industries, that how it all began.
To start, we stayed at the Dearborn Inn which was built by Henry Ford back in the late 1920’s as an airport hotel designed to keep travelers from the necessity of going all the way to Detroit for lodging. The inn is seeped in history, and it’s easy to imagine the mighty Ford Tri Motors coming in for a loud landing across the street. This is the same hotel I stayed at 40 years ago when I started my career as a Ford designer. Looking around at the Henry Ford Museum and the nearby Design Center was a nice trip down memory lane, and a great start to “the day.”
After a great morning of which I will share nothing, we were told we would go to the test track for some pretty good local pizza. That’s where it got interesting. In the middle of lunch, the test track ‘boss man’ came in and gave us a briefing on test track etiquette. The day was getting more interesting by the second and the experience of a lifetime was about to begin. The rules were basically, if you go too fast I’ll let you know. Remember the old airport across the street from the Dearborn Inn? It was converted into the test track in 1938, and was laid out around the old runways. In 2006 Ford remodeled the 365-acre site with a high-speed track and a low-speed handling track. Track- check. My pulse must have been blowing out the meter by now as we were introduced to 7 new 2011 Ford products.
- 500 hp Shelby GT 500 Mustang
- 400 hp Mustang GT
- 305 hp eco boost Mustang V6
- Twin turbo eco boost SHO Taurus
- The not yet introduced Fiesta
- A hybrid Fusion
- The special edition Raptor 4X4 truck
Cars-check. Pulse overtaken by adrenalin.
We drove each of them round the high-speed track and the handling track, and it’s safe to say that I was mighty impressed. Ford has really turned around the perception of American automobiles. Oh yea, the 500 hp Shelby was an unbelievable ride. As a former 67 Shelby owner with a highly modified 428 and suspension upgrades, I marveled at the sophisticated handling and smooth power of the new snake.
One last prize awaited. Over in the corner was a Ford GT painted in the GT40 blue and orange Gulf racing colors. I didn’t conceal my admiration for the car and hinted at what a joy it must be to drive. We were told that Ford has 5 levels of drivers and only a level 5 i.e. race-car driver, could even touch the GT. To my great surprise, as we finished the last test drive, the GT roared to life and the driver came over and opened the door. I sat down and buckled up for the ride of my life; a full speed romp around the handling track. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
Now if by some strange twist of fate you do manage to convince me you had a better day, I was just thinking about the time I shot a torpedo from a nuclear submarine…
Tell us about your best work day!
2 Comments
You certainly have me beat, Ken! However, I still have a few years left in my career, and space travel for civilians is ALMOST here!! Congratulations to you!!!
You my friend must be a designer of designers!!! Wow!