Auto News 5

For those of us who've been around long enough to witness the entire history of the Ford Taurus brand, from its seminal mid-1980s debut as a modern American design icon; to its mid-1990s battle for sales supremacy with the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry; to its millennial malaise as its maker kicked it to the curb in favor of SUVs; to its recent renaissance at the hands of Ford's make-it-happen CEO, Alan Mulally, the 2011 New York Auto Show is a bit of a mind-blowing experience. Ford brought in dozens of members of the nation's automotive media corps and staged two consecutive nights of events at a huge venue in Chelsea, including a live performance of the rock group Train to showcase its alliance with Sony, all in the name of promoting the Taurus, a car that until recently was synonymous with "rental car" in the minds of many, many Americans.