Ford Dealers Get a Glimpse of 2010 Taurus
April 14, 2008

Ford CEO Alan Mulally showed dealers the next-generation Ford Taurus behind closed doors at a Las Vegas gathering. The Taurus is believed to be scheduled as a 2010 model and could be unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January.

Ford has given no official details about the new Taurus to the media yet. However, last week, the Taurus Car Club of America Web site posted a hazy photo showing a far more chiseled shape and European appearance than the current model, as reported by Edmunds' InsideLine.com.

Jim Farley, Ford's group vice president for marketing and communications, told the Detroit Free Press that dealers gave the Taurus a standing ovation.

The Taurus unveiling wrapped up dealer meetings in Las Vegas where Ford launched its new Farley-inspired marketing campaign “Ford. Drive One.”

Word is Mulally had a personal hand in the new Taurus. In February 2007, just after Mulally arrived at Ford, that the automaker announced at the Chicago auto show that it was dropping the Five Hundred name and returning to Taurus. At the same time, the Ford Freestyle became the Taurus X while the Mercury Montego returned to the Sable name.

The ad campaign also has a hint of the past. Like the “Have you driven a Ford lately? – a phrase Mulally is fond of using – the campaign invites consumers to test drive a Ford.

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