
After much anticipation of seeing the Ford Explorer America Concept debut at last year's 2008 New York International Auto Show, my hopes were high for this year's show. Would we possibly see a new concept, closer resembling production for the 2011 Ford Explorer? Would there be any notable improvements in the outgoing Explorer and Mountaineer generation? Sadly, the 2009 New York International Auto Show was in many ways a letdown.
Regardless of any auto manufacturer, the economic situation within the auto industry was clearly prevalent at this year's show. Gone from the early 2000's are the huge, outdoor arenas; the DUB custom car displays; the offroading Jeep course; the overflow of auto displays at the adjunct exhibit area connected to the Javits Center. This was a toned down show with the least amount of SUVs and trucks that I have seen in the ten consecutive years I have attended the show. The "Flex Fuel" and "E85" mantra that was so prevalent by General Motors only two years ago is replaced by compact cars boasting an average of 35mpg.











ExplorerX is a dedicated Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Lincoln Aviator, and Saleen Explorer XP6/XP8 enthusiast community. We have focused for years on the aggressive side of Explorer customizing, and have grown into a very loyal community. While countless are shying away from SUV's, our members are spending extra cash on modifying their Explorer to become truly unique.










