Any good manager will spend some time observing a new company before going ahead and making their mark. It seems that Alan Mulally has spent the last couple of months wisely and now he’s beginning to flex his muscles a bit. Not only is he going to don his best polyester suit (will the white shoes match the belt?) but it looks like he’s also taking a run at the branding department.

One of the most important elements an automotive brand has to work with is, well…it’s brand. Outside observers all over the world wondered what the hell the Ford team were thinking a few years back when they killed the Taurus nameplate. While it may have been the butt of more than a few jokes over the years, there is no denying the fact that Taurus is one of Ford’s all time greatest selling nameplates. Stand on any street corner and ask around. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t know who built the Taurus. Now go and do the same thing with 500. What response did you get? Not one? Just what I thought.

It looks like Mr. Mulally is off to a great start. Now when can we expect a new Pinto Fastback?

Original story via Winding Road