Ford's shareholders and I may have something in common. I'm guessing they're not going to be any happier than I am to see the Expedition Funkmaster Flex Edition, if for different reasons.
Mine is this: Media days at auto shows can be exhausting, with countless hours spent on your feet and miles of walking from one press conference to the next. Work space is always tight at the media center, where reporters go to write stories, chat and glom free cookies.
Sometimes, you need an alternate place to pull out the laptop, make a few phone calls or just sit and have a little quiet time. I have found that a great place to do this is in one of the hundreds of vehicles on display, preferably a big comfy one that nobody else has any interest in. At recent shows, I have found the Ford Expedition fits the bill perfectly.
Ford had one such lonely Expedition tucked away in a corner of its stand at the Detroit show. With a spacious back seat, quiet interior and privacy glass, it was the ideal place to go when I wanted to be left alone. It drew so little attention, I could have snoozed peacefully for days.
Now, to my horror, Ford is trying to drum up renewed interest in its slow-selling, gas-guzzling SUV by rolling out the blinged Funkmaster Flex: a multicolored, 20-inch-wheeled, mercifully limited production Expedition.
