I do confess to reading issues of HOT ROD magazine when I was a teenager. However I was not so much a gearhead that Hot Rod took precedence over Playboy.

Yes, I drove a 1956 two door Chevrolet in my teen years. It did have a floor shift but only a small block engine. It was respectable but not a macho.muscle car.

Yes, I drooled with envy when a friend of mine had a 1960’s something Dodge with powered by a 426 cubic inch hemi engine. Now that was truly a muscle car that was macho.

It certainly was not environmentally friendly. If I remember right the mpg was well under 10.

But that was many sunsets ago and for a good many years my interest in automobiles has been merely for transportation. Proof of that is though I have lived in the Chicago area for more than 30 years is the fact that I have attended the Chicago Auto Show once!

I do admit I like an underdog. Maybe that is because I rooted for Joe Namath and the NY Jets when they upset the Baltimore Colts in 1968. I still remember the feeling of exhilaration.

So, even though I had never owned a Ford in my life I decided to look at them when it was time to trade in my automobile more than a year ago when the price of gasoline was skyrocketing. Much to my surprise I purchased a Ford Focus.

I chose it over what was being offered at that time in its size class because I wanted to upgrade my milage without breaking my wallet on a new car or paying a premium for a hybrid. I also thought if I could I would buy American if I found anything that seemed to provide value.

I haven't been disappointed or exhilirated. The Focus serves me well but certainly isn't exciting. It is what it is, a second car in our family. It is not a “drive it up to the country club” vehicle. It is go grocery shopping and run errands. It is open the hatchback, fold down the back seats and let Max our Labrador Retriever jump in it after he has been swimming.

However, I found I actually like my little Ford Focus and found that it exceeded my expectations.

 I recently read that Ford has revamped the Taurus and according to some the 2010 Ford Taurus should be on the list of possibilities for anyone thinking of purchasing a family sedan.

AOL goes far enough on it's web site to ask web  “Is this the Best Sedan In America” referring to the 2010 Tauraus.

Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. However it is sure a change to see a domestic  American automobile manufactuer being lauded by the media.

At the web site The Car Connection (http://www.thecarconnection.com/bottomline/ford_taurus_2010) They write , “The 2010 Ford Taurus punches up Ford’s reputation for quality and features, with an engaging new SHO model to boost.”

The underdog in me appears. I applaud Ford and hope they are able to continue to compete in the increasingly tough automobile business without standing in line with their bail out cups in hand as have GM and Chrysler. I say this even though I would love to have a classic 56 Chevy, and at one time enjoyed the Jeep Cherokee I owned. I have also owned Datsun (Nissan), Buick, Toyota, Plymouth and Volkswagen vehicles .

I think that the fact Ford is able to survive, at least so far, without Federal bailout money should earn them the right to have new car and truck buyers look at least consider their products. The the addition of the revamped 2010 Tauras to their increasingly popular Focus, and their Hybrid Fusion makes the case for Ford even more compelling .

Which, by the way if you are looking for a Hybrid Car you may want to take a look at the Hybrid Fusion.

According to US NEWS and WORLD REPORT of rankings and reviews the Ford Fusion Hybrid is ranked number 2 out of 23 most affordable mid sized cars. The article goes on to say that cars (the Fusion tops both Camry and Accord in the 2008 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study).

Of course, a better mouse trap, or in this case better vehicles does not mean the world will automatically beat a path to the doors of Ford Dealers.

The cash for clunkers program run by the Federal Government helped beat a path to the door of most if not all automobile manufacturers and their dealers this summer. However, now that this artificial incentive has ended, the automobile market will be more competitive than ever.

I don’t wish to see any company fail. However, out of the three domestic auto manufacturers Ford has earned my admiration. The company has surivied without government bailouts and is in the process of rolling out some competitive products.

The automobile business has always been a competitive business. There are literally hundreds of automobile brand names that have gone the way of the passenger pigeon and the dodo bird. Only time will tell if Ford is evolving into a truly 21st century survivor.