Super Bowl XL logo unveiled

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The Super Bowl XL logo was unveiled in the midst of a giant collection of cars at a museum named after Henry Ford.

The setting Wednesday was no coincidence.

In the shadow of a Model T and the limousine that John Kennedy was shot in, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue displayed a logo designed with Detroit’s history in mind.

‘‘We took the chance to reflect the heritage of the auto industry,’’ Tagliabue said. ‘‘That fits in with our slogan for Super Bowl XL — Celebrating Tradition: The Road to 40.’’

The logo contains ‘‘XL’’ in a style reminiscent of auto-logo lettering, while the words ‘‘Super Bowl’’ are in an odometer-style framework.

Bill Ford, the CEO of Ford Motor Co. and Vice Chairman of the Detroit Lions, was thrilled at taking one more step toward bringing the Super Bowl to Detroit’s Ford Field. It was played at the Silverdome, the Lions’ former home, in January 1982.

‘‘It’s an honor that the league has shown this kind of faith in us,’’ he said. ‘‘A northern site is always tough to sell, and since we’ve had the game before, we knew the odds were against us.’’