In a January meeting, Chief Executive Alan Mulally and Ford's head of global product development Derrick Kuzak made a tongue-in-cheek joke about the design of the 2008 Taurus, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. Kuzak, the report says, compared the car's looks to those of the animated ne'er-do-well from Springfield, Homer Simpson.

David Koehler, clinical marketing professor at the University of Illinois, said a Motor City car company executive poking fun of one of his company's products, "is really unique."

A Ford dealer from Pennsylvania defended the family car with a disclaimer. "Everything about the car is fabulous, but it does look like Homer Simpson, Richard Bazzy said.