Focus on Thanksgiving

We all have plenty to be thankful for.  On the automotive front, I'm thankful for Mustangs, particularly mine.  I"m thankful for Ellingson Classic Cars and their close proximity that allows me to visit their gorgeous inventory on a regular basis.  I'm thankful for all the amazing technological advances that are incorporated into cars, even if I prefer to keep things a bit more simple.

Mostly, I'm thankful that this is not my car.

....Because I'd cry like a baby if it was.  I've professed my love for the Focus ST on at least 2 other posts... actually 3 now that I think about it.  Anyway, I would LOVE to have one of these cars... just not this one.

This one appears to have been T-boned by some other vehicle.  It probably happened on that night last week when it was sleeting and the roads turned into an ice rink as soon as the sun went down.  The starting price on this Focus ST would have been $24,495, but note that the owner sprung for the Rado gray wheels, so add another $375 at least.  Now that I think about it, there's a chance that this little Focus didn't even get sold before it got smashed up.  Note the lack of a front plate on the car.  Minnesota requires them, and unless the owner had just recently bought the car and was yellow tagging it (the paper temporary tag that goes in the back window while you wait to get your plates), I'm thinking this car was brand new and probably out for a test drive when it got hit.  I don't see a Monroney sticker on the car, but of course, that might have something to do with the fact that the passenger side window is smashed out, and that's probably where the sticker was.  That sticker placement could also have contributed to the accident if this Focus happened to pull out in front of a car that was obscured by the Monroney sticker.

Well, anyway, that's roughly $25,000 worth of smashed up Focus we're looking at here.  I doubt it's totaled, but that's some pretty nasty damage.  We've got deployed side airbags, a damaged passenger door, smooshed passenger side fender, torn up fascia, broken grille, offset hood, demolished headlight enclosure, and who knows what else.  They may have to straighten out the frame, and will probably have to replace that front wheel, because I bet the impact bent that rim.

Such a shame.  That's a little race car sitting there, made lame by an unfortunate collision.  Its 252 horses can't run anywhere in this condition.  The good news is that I spotted this car parked outside the service and collision repair center at the local Ford dealership last week, so it should be back to its normal, peppy little self in short order.

I hope nobody was hurt in the accident that damaged this Focus, and I'd bet if there were any injuries, they were mild, at least for the people in the Focus.  So, while the Focus owner is probably not too happy to have been involved in an accident in the first place, they can at least be thankful that it wasn't worse, and that their car appears to have done its job when it comes to protecting its passengers. They're probably also thankful for insurance, assuming they had full coverage.  So, as you go about your holiday travels, be careful and be safe, and remember to appreciate all the safety features that your vehicle has to offer.