As of late, Ford news has surrounded the company announcement made earlier this year pertaining to the retirement of longtime Ford executive, Greg Smith. After starting out as an engineer with truck operations in 1973, Smith was atop Ford news as he moved up to Vice Chairman after more than 30 years with the company. Now, after 32 years of service, Smith has announced his retirement effective March 1, 2006.

“Greg has contributed tremendously to Ford Motor Company in many areas, including leading the turnaround at Ford Motor Credit,” admits Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Ford. “His deep knowledge of all aspects of the business has been extremely helpful as we’ve developed our plans for the future, and I’m pleased he will remain with us in a consulting role.”

Upon joining Ford in 1973 as an engineer with truck operations, a recent Ford news release explains that Greg Smith also held several engineering and product planning positions within the company. In 1985, Smith moved to the Ford Division as Truck and Powertrain Marketing Plans manager before becoming the manager of Car Marketing Plans. Finally, he accepted the position of Central Region Marketing manager. Smith later went from the Ford Division to the Lincoln Mercury Division, which is where he became the Dallas District Operations manager.

After returning from Dallas in 1990, Smith was named Director of Strategy and Advanced Planning for car product development. Just three years later, in 1993, he was promoted to executive director of Strategic Planning and External Affairs for the Ford Financial Services Group. Following that, Smith was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Credit before being named the Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit. In 2004, he became a company Executive Vice President and President of the Americas, which is a position that he held until he was elected Vice Chariman.

“Greg’s respect for his fellow employees and his leadership behaviors are well known and highly regarded throughout the company,” said Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company president and Chief Operating Officer. According to a recent Ford news release, Padilla added, “We appreciate his many contributions and will greatly miss his knowledge and insight.”

As Vice Chairman, Smith was responsible for a variety of company operations, including the direction of central corporate staffs. Among others, he was responsible for directing the departments of Human Resources and Labor Affairs, Corporate Strategy and Information Technology and Automotive Strategy. As Vice Chairman, Greg Smith was a regular participant in Ford news releases, as well as being in charge of guiding Ford Motor Company’s strategic development, considering and enforcing key decisions and defining it’s future financial services.

Everyone knows the current state of the economy; it appears in news reels every day. However, it is very common that bad news distracts the public from the good. The motor sector was hit hard in the past few years, but there is plenty of automotive industry news to be very excited about.

Public awareness has been consistently growing about issues such as global warming and man-made greenhouse gases. With this constant global environmental education comes a common urge to help the situation. Choices are being made with the earth’s wellbeing in mind and as such much stock is being put on improved efficiency and reduced emissions when people buy cars.

As indicated by the multiple new models released (and soon to be released), electric vehicle (EV) models have been grabbing a lot of attention. Already doing well in the USA, Japan and parts of Europe, EV designs seem to be the way forward. It fulfils all the green aspirations consumers have for their automobiles. There are a few issues though, namely the large cost of the lithium ion batteries core to most designs, and also the absence of sound EV infrastructure.

The bridge between fossil fuels and pure electric has been around for quite a while: the hybrid car. Since many can’t afford the extra initial capital costs of an EV, a hybrid seems like a suitable compromise. It has similar benefits to electric cars, but at a fraction of the price, and with less performance loss. It is no wonder then that hybrid sales have been so high in recent years – it is the logical choice, and the public know this.

Other imaginative innovations have been popping up. For example, in safety, many new models have radar and sensor technology allowing you better cruise control and collision detection. Things that were already impressive, such as airbags and anti-lock braking, are now being reshaped and improved.

Many cars now come equipped with airbags that take into account details to allow it to operate better, like weight and size. The latest in anti-lock braking applies brakes faster and harder, and controls out of control situations that lead to crashes. A common new feature is tire pressure sensors, letting you know when your tires need to be filled, much the same way as your oil and gas monitors work.

Don’t forget all those little extras that make an automobile that much more desirable. The latest gadgets are pushing the driving experience into the future. One clever little key design allows you to limit the top speed of the car, ensuring speed-hungry teens don’t crash the family vehicle. Another high tech addition is night vision, allowing a clear view of the road when headlights can’t help. Perfecting existing designs, new GPS systems provide constant instructions, as well as updated traffic reports.

When you think of automobile news, you may not expect to read about a renowned artist. However, a recent automobile news release contained just that. An artist, his talent and an innovative company looking to change the way you look at windshields is the current focus of much media attention and automobile news.

In an automotive news announcement made, Window Canvas, the leader in Exterior Applied See-Thru Window Graphics for cars, trucks and SUVs, confirmed an agreement with well-known artist Jeff Wilkie. The exclusive contract was signed with Persistence of Vision, which gave Window Canvas the license to represent the art of Jeff Wilkie on their vehicle graphics.

If you have ever noticed a rear windshield with an impressive, and colorful, image covering the entire back glass, then you are already familiar with the concept of transparent window graphics. They prevent viewing the interior from the rear, but allow the passengers and driver to see out. Window graphics are often quite detailed and beautiful, which is the concept behind Windows Canvas and their new artwork license with Jeff Wilkie.

“Jeff’s breathtaking artwork is the perfect addition to Window Canvas and our image library,” commented Bianca J. Hennings, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Window Canvas. According to the recent automobile news release, Hennings concluded, “We are very excited about his imagery being displayed on people’s cars all over the country and even the world.”

Jeff Wilkie is an accomplished artist whose collections include both ocean and marine life images. Among the many depictions, Wilkie portrays an artistic image of dolphins, seascapes, whales and other wildlife. “I am very happy to have my artwork added to their line of products,” Jeff admits. His work has been licensed for a variety of products, including greeting cards, puzzles, t-shirts and computer mouse pads. To add even more credence to Wilkie’s art, his images have been offered as part of the fine art prize category on “The Price Is Right” televised game show. The products featuring Wilkie’s art are constantly ranked number one in sales. Beginning in the spring of 2006, his art will also be featured on checks, checkbook covers, address labels and wall murals throughout the United States.

Window Canvas is the recognized leader in exterior applied see-through window graphics for automobiles. Their website features more than 2,000 images, including patriotic, flags, sports, personal expressions, nature, military and camouflage scenes. In addition to their many options, Window Canvas also offers website visitors with an opportunity to customize their own rear window graphics using a patent pending technology feature called “Create Your Own.”

An artist who loves to create images and a company who loves to incorporate them into windows have come together to generate widespread automobile news attention. Websites and various industry publications are sure to be among the first to report automobile news and especially when it’s as beautiful as Wilkie’s artwork.