2006 California Auto Show

Overall, the most significant announcement was Ford's push for near-zero emissions. Leading that cause are the Focus, 2.3-liter Fusion and Mercury Milan Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEV), a California standard that measures total emissions, and the newly redesigned 2006 Explorer 4.0-liter V-6 producing 74 percent fewer emissions than last year. "A conventional lawnmower will produce more smog-forming emissions in 10 minutes than a new Explorer will in 1,000 miles of driving," according to the company's release.


Finally, Ford's commitment to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles by 2010 was supported by the commencement of production of the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, which joins its sibling, the Ford Escape Hybrid. By 2008, a Fusion Hybrid also will begin production, followed by even more hybrids further down the road.

Open-Air Import Fanfare
The only import to make noise was Volvo, itself a part of the Ford extended family. The Swedish company, on a sales and profits roll with its entire vehicle lineup, chose the appropriate site of sunny Orange County for its debut of the new 2006 C70 convertible.


Introduced by Volvo Cars North America President and CEO Ann Belec, the C70 was penned at the Volvo Design Studios in Camarillo, CA (north of Los Angeles), and holds many features that Belec insisted capture the essence of the iconic car company—room for four adults and a unique Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), which features a door-mounted, inflatable curtain that deflates slowly to provide extended protection in case of a rollover. The C70 can be transformed seamlessly from a coupe to a convertible, with the three-piece retractable hardtop folding away quickly and smoothly into the trunk. True to the spirit of safety, the large rear window glass provides excellent visibility and improves body rigidity.


The announcement of the C70 was timed to the start of celebrations saluting 50 years of Volvo sales in the U.S. Classic examples, many of them ragtops, surrounded the C70 on Volvo's stand, accompanied by their proud and loyal owners. Volvo takes this loyal patronage to heart, as it's a far cry from its meager beginnings when some critics described the company's earliest effort like "selling refrigerators to Eskimos." Things have gotten better as Volvo sold 140,000 cars in 2004. Initial forecasts for C70 sales in the U.S. are half of all convertibles produced, or 8,000 cars.