The Oval Returns and Other Fun Facts
Visitors to Dearborn probably didn't appreciate it, maybe not realizing its symbolic significance, but the Ford "Blue Oval" was back adorning the top of Ford World Headquarters for the centennial celebration.
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| A Ford Centennial banner covers up the blue oval symbol atop the Henry Ford II World Center in Dearborn. The blue oval is one of the three most recognized corporate symbols in the world, but it was removed from the automaker's headquarters building in 2000 as a marketing ploy. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press) |
The oval is one of the top three recognized corporate symbols in the world, ranking up with Coca Cola and McDonalds. It was removed nearly three years ago as part of a marketing ploy by former Ford President and CEO Jacques Nasser to show that Ford Motor Co. was a corporation that also owned Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo, and a controlling interest of Japan's Mazda.
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| Sitting back on top of Ford World Headquarters, the blue oval will be ready to greet the crowds for the automaker's centennial celebration the week of June 12-16. (Photo: Joseph Cabadas, Canadian Auto Press) |
But with Nasser's fall from grace in 2002, when he was fired by the Ford board of directors following a series of missteps that included:
- The Firestone tire tread separation/Ford Explorer roll over controversy;
- An employee ranking system that set the white collar staff on edge;
- Battles with auto suppliers;
- A lack of new products for the automaker's "bread and butter" division--i.e. Ford;
- And a stock price that dwindled from nearly $32 a share to just above $9 a share."It just didn't feel right taking it down," said Bill Ford Jr. during the June 5th ceremony marking the unveiling of the oval back on the Glass House.
Other activities for tourists to Ford were:
- An exhibit showing a reproduction of the Wright brother's 1903 flyer;
- Children were entertained by Blue of the TV show Blue's Clues;
- Rides on some 83 Model Ts;
- And shuttle buses to other area attractions, like the nearby Henry Ford Estate-Fairlane and Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, plus the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Point, Mich.
- Or going to the Ford Dearborn Proving Grounds where Ford Trimotors--Ford aircraft with three propeller engines that were produced in the 1920s--were on display. The Trimotors flew into Dearborn on June 9, buzzed the city, before landing on the test track at the proving grounds. The site was the location of the former Ford Airport.