If the North American Auto Show were televised, like the Oscars, Ford would be giving many acceptance speeches.

It’s a landslide for Ford:

DETROIT, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ –

Ford swept the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards today at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), winning both prestigious awards for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and the 2010 Ford Transit Connect, respectively

It is the third time in 17 years that one manufacturer has won both awards

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan with an EPA-estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway

The Transit Connect is an industry-exclusive vehicle developed to be a smart new choice for small business owners; it offers double the fuel economy of full-size vans, generous and accessible cargo space, and the agility and maneuverability to operate in crowded urban areas

Alan Mulally is an unstoppable force, he’s brilliant with his strategy and has turned the company around while taking backlash for driving the competition’s cars and stating a competitor’s car was the best in the world. He did so because it was the truth at the time, and was determined to beat it.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid has more that catapulted itself above any other vehicle it competes with. This has everything to do with understanding what people want and delivering a product that leaves them speechless.

Take the Ford SYNC for example. Estimates as high as 70+% of those surveyed said this technology was *THE* deciding factor in why they went with Ford. So what does Ford do? They take it up a notch and start offering an open SDK (software development kit) in the likes of Apple’s infamous iPhone App marketplace which has over 100,000 applications.

The company has taken off because it intends to. The company wanted to make the best cars in the world, it’s doing so.

If there was one thing that you could pinpoint on the successes of Ford it would be Mulally, clearly. Studying his philosophy reveals a leader that understands the needs of not only his customers but of the workforce. The workers aren’t dancing in the streets of Detroit but there is no questioning the company wouldn’t be where it’s at without the commitment of every individual worker to produce the best in the world.

That’s right, best in the world – Another title Ford claimed with the Ford Taurus at the 2010 CES (Consumer Electronics Show).