Ford CEO personally delivers car to Microsoft CEO

May 26, 2009
Seattlepi.com

Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer are surrounded by cameras as Mulally delivers a Ford Fusion hybrid with Microsoft SYNC technology Tuesday at the Microsoft campus in Redmond. The car was Ford's 1 millionth car produced with the Microsoft technology aboard. (Joshua Trujillo, Seattlepi.com)

Flanked by cameras and reporters, the chief executives of two of the world's most well-known brands put on a small production at the Microsoft campus on Tuesday.

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer had been in the market for a new car and being the son of a 30-year Ford veteran made his choice of brand easy.

He ultimately settled on a light ice blue metallic Fusion Hybrid with SYNC installed, a voice-activated entertainment system that connects music players and mobile phones with the computer systems installed on the car. SYNC was co-developed by Ford and Microsoft.

It turns out, the story goes, that Ballmer's new car is the 1 millionth Ford with SYNC since the technology was introduced in 2007.

That, combined with the fact that Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Alan Mulally has Pacific Northwest ties as the former CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, made for a photo opportunity too good to pass up.

"Cue the car," one man said into his walkie-talkie on Tuesday after the media were assembled.

Mulally drove the Fusion up onto the sidewalk near Microsoft's new commons building and parked it near the pre-set cones. He wore a red vest with the Ford logo.

Ballmer ran up and greeted Mulally, who stepped out to hand over the keys and let the tech chief sit in the driver's seat. Mulally ran to the passenger side and hopped in, and began to show Ballmer the controls.

The cameras snapped and rolled.

"I think it's awesome," Ballmer said of his new wheels.

Mulally announced, "41 miles to the gallon."

Ballmer later said that he sees a "big opportunity" to sell SYNC in cars. And Mulally said, in response to questions, that he doesn't see his company taking a taxpayer bailout in a manner similar to competitors GM and Chrysler. (GM is expected to declare bankruptcy as early as this week.)

"We went to the banks when credit was available. We had a great business case," Mulally said. "We took out a small home improvement loan at the time."

The Seattle Times' Brier Dudley got in the final question: "Steve, are the license plates going to say 'Bing' or 'Kumo'?"

Ballmer made a joke that it "depends on whether my wife wins or not."

(Photos by Joshua Trujillo)