Ford has been remarkably quiet during the current tsunami of financial woes threatening to drown Chrysler and General Motors.

By dint of good planning (Ford’s successful products in Europe) and foresight (its investment in Mazda), Ford has managed to keep its fiscal head above water.

Ford has been through slender times before, but now seems to be on the verge of breaking out.

To give an idea of where Ford has been — and where it is going — the Canadian arm recently showcased a look into the near future at its national headquarters in Oakville, Ont.

But first, it started with a look at the past with three of the iconic Model Ts, including

a 1911 Torpedo Roadster.

Constructed largely of wood with an iron motor and brass radiator, it is simple, sturdy and, above all, reliable — ergo the reason it is still running almost 100 years later.

Driving a Model T is not easy.

There are three pedals on the floorboard that are (from left to right) clutch, reverse (that’s right, you depress the centre pedal to back up) and brake.

The accelerator is a lever on the steering column.

What a difference, compared to the new Fiesta compact car Ford had on hand.

Slated as a 2010 model, it was developed by Ford’s European arm and designed for global sales.

Ford has tried this before with the Mondeo that failed because Ford tried to Americanize a British car in the days when big was still beautiful in the U.S.

I drove the Fiesta briefly through Oakville and Mississauga and it was responsive with a sporty feel.

The Detroit Three (as the former Big Three are now called) always seemed to struggle when it came to designing a good, small car.

But it looks like Ford is on the right track with the Fiesta.

Ford is also on the cutting edge of introducing technologies.

One of the most exciting is cross traffic alert that works with the new blind spot monitoring system.

When backing out of a parking spot, it takes the radar-based blind spot detection system to detect moving objects within a 65-foot range from either the left or right side of the vehicle.

It also works when backing out of angled parking spaces because its view is wider than just strictly sensing traffic coming at a 90-degree angle.

Conventional systems have limited sideways effectiveness.

When cross traffic is approaching, two warnings are given: An indicator lights up in the corresponding outside mirror and an audible alert is sounded.

Something else that’s new is SOS post-crash alert.

Available now on certain Lincolns, but expected to spread across the Ford range, it flashes the head and taillights and sounds the horn automatically after airbags are deployed in an accident to alert people you’re in trouble.

I first came across adaptive headlights on $100,000-plus premium luxury cars in Europe.

Basically, the headlights pivot 20 degrees automatically as the vehicle goes around a curve to provide maximum illumination on winding roads.

They are finetuned to each vehicle and measure certain drive inputs, including steering-wheel angle and vehicle speed.

It’s the same for adaptive cruise control which has been restricted to the most expensive luxury cars because of cost.

Ford is looking at it for wider use in its vehicle range.

While it is based on, and operates like, the standard cruise-control systems we are familiar with, adaptive cruise control uses radar sensors mounted in the front to monitor the rate of closure to slowing traffic ahead.

It automatically keeps a safe distance between you and the guy in front.

Once the vehicle ahead speeds up or turns off, the system returns the vehicle to the selected cruising speed.

It is important to note this system only monitors moving vehicles ahead.

It is a vehicle ahead is fully stopped, the system does not recognize it.

Available on only the most expensive Lexus sedans until now, Lincoln will offer active park assist on the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and Lincoln MKT crossover.

It is based on an ultrasonic sensing system and electric power assisted steering (EPAS) to position the vehicle for parallel parking and calculate the optimal steering angle and quickly steer the vehicle into a parking spot.

The driver doesn’t have to touch the steering wheel.

While power rear window sunshades aren’t new, the one to be offered by Ford lowers automatically when the car is put into reverse, which is pretty cool.

There are a lot more like MyKey that really impressed me because it lets the owner/driver pre-set speed limits and can also set the audio system.

It is a great way to keep the kids from blowing speeds limits and their eardrums.

The beauty is you can make one key for each member of the family or employee that can be set to each individual.

The system allows for up to eight keys to a vehicle that only the owner/driver can change.

The onboard computer can track all this.

I will be booking a Ford with this feature because there is so much more the system can do that is not only distinct to Ford (I believe), but offers the owner/driver with a truly useful aid.

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