Ford Motor Company Global Auto Shows

The blogs have been buzzing, and now it’s official: Ford’s latest crossover, the 2009 Ford Flex, was unveiled this morning at the 2007 New York International Auto Show. Setting out to redefine the modern American family vehicle, the Flex—bringing to production the 2005 Ford Fairlane Concept —is a full sized crossover that builds on the success of the new Ford Edge.

Ford Flex’s designer, Richard Gresen, thinks that the Flex is even more daring than the 2005 Ford Fairlane concept. “In a lot of ways the production car takes the concept car to another level,” he says. “We wanted to stay as close as possible to the concept vehicle. It’s bold. It’s something we haven’t done with a lot of our cars, but we really pushed it with this one.”

Peter Horbury, executive director Design, the Americas, agrees:
“Flex is following in the tire tracks, so to speak, of Ford vehicles like the Taurus, Explorer, and Mustang. It’s the next iconic Ford. It shatters today’s image of people movers.”

“The Ford Flex has the power to move people emotionally as well as physically,” says J Mays, group vice president of Design and chief creative officer. “This crossover has been created for people who know it’s the journey—not the destination—that matters most.”

Ford Flex goes on sale in summer 2008. Gresen is excited to see what the public’s reaction will be. “We wanted to give people a sense of pride driving this vehicle. We want them to look at it and say, ‘I want to drive this!’”