Who is Freddie Ford, you may ask? Well, he's not so much a "he" as an "it," although we suppose that could be up for discussion. Freddie Ford is a robot created by American automaker Ford which first made its debut at the 1967 Texas State Fair. Ford has brought Freddie back out of storage in honor of Robotics Week and to highlight the  installment of around 700 robots at its Louisville Assembly Plant, which will be building the updated 2013 Ford Escape.

Freddie was quite advanced when he first appeared in the late '60s. He looks like a very tall version of B9 from Lost in Space, except his auto-sourced "body" parts (like his oil pan "feet") are pretty obvious. Freddie weighs a massive 800 pounds and is about 9-feet tall. He is almost entirely made from spare auto pieces and is "gen-2"- or the brand's second try at robot-building. Freddie is even animated and speaks! His brake pad hands move, and around a dozen toggle switches allow him to answer a series of questions. For example, when a visitor asks him: "What does it mean to 'Walk softly and carry a big stick?'" Freddie answers, "The quotation is really, 'Drive softly and carry a big six."¹ Freddie is quite witty!

Ford has come a long way in its technology offerings since Freddie was "born," but we're happy to see he's still operating and intact almost half a century later. For more updates on all things Ford, be sure to stay tuned here with Pearson Ford, conveniently located at 10650 North Michigan Road Zionsville, IN 46077 and serving the greater Indianapolis area.

Source: ¹ http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/04/freddie-ford/