ZEELAND, MI /Marketwire/ -- Gentex Corp., a leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, has announced that its rear camera display mirror will be available as original equipment on the 2008 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Lincoln Mark LT.
The Gentex auto-dimming interior mirror contains an LCD display that works with a video camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle to provide a view directly behind the vehicle while backing up. This innovative convenience feature will be available as an option on all three vehicles.
When the vehicle is shifted into reverse, a 2.4-inch diagonal LCD display appears automatically through the auto-dimming mirror's reflective surface. The display disappears when the vehicle is shifted into any other gear. The unique capability for the display to appear through the mirror's surface is made possible by Gentex's proprietary transflective coatings and lighting techniques, which result in a bright, high-resolution color image.
The rear camera-display mirrors darken automatically to eliminate glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear for improved nighttime driving. The interior auto-dimming mirrors are standard on the three vehicles, while the Navigator and Expedition rear camera display mirrors will also include Gentex's proprietary Z-Nav compass transducer, a highly-accurate compass sensor that determines the vehicle's directional heading. All the interior mirrors on the Mark LT will incorporate the Z-Nav compass technology.
"Rear cameras are becoming an increasingly popular feature, and we're excited to be working with Ford as they offer this unique display solution on three additional 2008 vehicles," said Gentex Senior Vice President Enoch Jen. "This underscores the value of the mirror as an intuitive location to display rear-camera video because it allows the driver to view the display and the reflected scene simultaneously, making this feature a great tool for backing up to boat, RV and utility trailers."
Founded in 1974, Gentex Corp. is an international company that provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive industry and North American fire-protection market. Based in Zeeland, MI, the company develops, manufactures, and markets interior and exterior automatic-dimming automotive rearview mirrors that use proprietary electrochromic technology to dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from trailing-vehicle headlamps. Many of the mirrors are sold with advanced electronic features, and more than 96% of the company's revenues are derived from the sale of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every major automaker in the world.