Editor's Note Ford vs. Firestone: Ain't PR grand?

In the beginning, it was a beautiful relationship. If you lookat photos from back then, circa early 20th century, you'd thinkHarvey Firestone and Henry Ford were brothers. In one shot, thepair is seated comfortably in lawn chairs, clearly chucklingtogether about something, the true picture of synergy at itsfinest. And now, nearly 100 years later, one of the most notablebusiness partnerships in history is coming undone at the seams.

					TalkBack What do you think of Ford and Firestone'sresponse to this fiasco? E-mail bsumag@entrepreneur.com.

Last month, following intense debates revolving around thestability of either Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.'s tires or FordMotor Co.'s Explorer, Firestone CEO John Lampe elected to severall ties with Ford. The move comes after last year'stire-recall debacle, where both companies were implicated in aseries of deadly rollovers. Millions of tire recalls later, with noconcurrence on whether the injuries and deaths could be blamed oneither the shredded tires or the SUV, the two companies came to animpasse. And as impasses go, they had to part company-though theirfounding fathers might have felt differently.