Bill Ford’s inspiring visit

Bill Ford’s gesture of visiting the Middle East region on the 50th anniversary of the Mustang and his inspiring speech in Dubai about the future of mobility deserve credit. For a car executive of a major company to talk about mobility solutions and environmental concerns is extraordinary. Those who listened to his speech could feel that he was speaking from the heart about issues close to him.
He talked about the same topic in a Detroit workshop a few years ago and revealed at the time that the challenges facing his vision would not dissuade him from trying to implement his vision and tell everyone about it. The unique thing is that Ford as a company is actually involved in implementing Bill’s vision on many levels.
Bill Ford does not believe that the current model of producing more cars to more people is a sustainable model for the future. He calls for new ways of thinking, innovative applications of technology and revised transport systems that would ease the chronic problem of congestion and traffic gridlocks.
As a visionary environmentalist, Ford sees opportunities where others see stumbling blocks. He looks for out-of–the-box solutions on a global scale. He is a man who stretches his imagination and sets his goals higher not just for the welfare of his own company but also for “improving the human condition” as he puts it.
Bill Ford is an extraordinary man who carries on his shoulders the burden of more than a century of car heritage. One would expect him to champion the concept started by his great grandfather Henry Ford of “more affordable cars to the masses.” Yet, being a son of this century he lives in a different world and works to make it better.
There is no doubt that the challenges facing Bill Ford’s vision are formidable. If only other motor industry executives could share Bill Ford’s vision, the world would be a better place indeed.
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Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist, based in London.
Email: [email protected]