Ford Motor Co's iconic Blue Oval turned into the Blew Oval Thursday after 50-mph wind gusts tore part of the sign from its perch atop the automaker's Glass House headquarters in Dearborn, Mich.
The sign's cover, made of a soft, pool liner-like vinyl, ripped off the frame and wrapped itself around electrical structures on top of the Glass House's roof. The sign's frame and lighting were not affected.
A Ford spokesman early Thursday said the company was working to restore the signage as soon as possible. He said the company would have to order a new cover. Check out local news coverage of the damaged sign.
It's not the first time the iconic logo has left the building.
Former CEO Jacques Nasser removed the Blue Oval from Ford's headquarters in 2000, arguing it was outdated and no longer represented the full scope of Ford's portfolio, which at the time included luxury brands like Aston Marin, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. It was replaced with script “Ford Motor Company” lettering.
The exile was short-lived.
Nasser was fired in 2001 and replaced by Bill Ford, Jr. The great-grandson of Henry Ford re-instated the oval in 2003, in time for the company's centennial celebration.
In 2006, the logo was famously used as collateral when Ford took on $23 billion in debt — a move that helped the automaker avoid bankruptcy during the Great Recession.
Ford got the Blue Oval out of hock in 2012, after Moody's Investors Service upgraded Ford, allowing it to reclaim assets.
