Ihave never been accused of being an early adopter of cutting-edge technology. On the other hand, I don’t dance the Luddite jig, either. True to my own type, I hung on to my old M-1A tank, aka a Motorola flip phone, for as long as I could, but was pleased as punch when circumstances led me to adopt a true smartphone. I even splurged on a Bluetooth earpiece so I could combine business calls and commuting. I soon discovered that the decibel level inside a pickup truck rolling down I-5 far exceeds the capabilities of a personal Bluetooth device.

Major auto manufacturers have been offering Bluetooth-integrated sound systems for a few years now, but I suspect cabin noise presents problems for that option as well. I also suspect wind noise engineers at Ford Motor Co. have been hip to this for quite some time.

Working on the inside from the inside

Ford has long encouraged its employees to imagine—and develop—inventive solutions. One such innovation is manifesting in its core manufacturing business to make quieter automobile cabins. Hallelujah and pass the Bluetooth!

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