The Legacy Of Lee Iacocca

[Palumboism]

Lee Iacocca is the most important person in the American automotive industry in the last forty years.

Iacocca joined Ford Motor Company in August 1946.  1960 Iacocca was named vice-president of Ford in 1960 and president in 1970.  In 1978 he was fired a Ford and took up the position of CEO of Chrysler.

Some of his important cars include:
Mustang
Maverick
Pinto
Mustang 2
Ford Fairmont
K-Car
Chrysler minivan
Dodge Ram
1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee

[Prudence]

"I am changing my name to Chrysler
I am going down to Washington D.C.
I will tell some power broker
What they did for Iacocca
Will be perfectly acceptable to me "

[dan18]

Lee Iacocca is the most important person in the American automotive industry in the last forty years.

Iacocca joined Ford Motor Company in August 1946.  1960 Iacocca was named vice-president of Ford in 1960 and president in 1970.  In 1978 he was fired a Ford and took up the position of CEO of Chrysler.

Some of his important cars include:
Mustang
Maverick
Pinto
Mustang 2
Ford Fairmont
K-Car
Chrysler minivan
Dodge Ram
1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee

My mother had that car

[Palumboism]

"I am changing my name to Chrysler
I am going down to Washington D.C.
I will tell some power broker
What they did for Iacocca
Will be perfectly acceptable to me "

I'm not there yet.  The Chrysler bailout is really the middle of the Iacocca book.  Start with his days at Ford then go to Chrysler and the bailout.

[Palumboism]

Iacocca: From '56 for '56' to company president
By Ralph Kisiel

Iacocca's first big splash came in 1956, as an assistant sales manager in the Philadelphia district, when he came up with "56 for '56," a marketing program to combat flat Ford sales.

Under "56 for '56," customers made a 20 percent down payment followed by three years of monthly payments of $56 for a 1956 Ford.

The concept and the catch phrase clicked with consumers. It was so successful that his Philadelphia sales district shot from last to first place in the nation in units sold.

"I became an overnight success," Iacocca wrote in his autobiography.

Strict timetable

Iacocca kept a chart of dates on his bedside table showing when he thought he was due to reach another rung on the corporate ladder. Wyden wrote that Iacocca felt diminished when his vice presidency came 18 days after his 36th birthday, not at 35, the deadline he had set.

https://www.autonews.com/article/20030616/SUB/306160757/iacocca-from-56-for-56-to-company-president

[Palumboism]

The Original 1964 Mustang.

[ratherbebig]

i get the feeling getbiggers are not quite as excited as you are about this.

[IroNat]

So...Iacocca designed the Mustang all by himself?

And all those other cars too?

Even the Pintos that blew up?

[SOMEPARTS]

I had a K-car with the Mitsubishi-made 2.6L "HEMI". Blew it up. 

[Hypertrophy]

So...Iacocca designed the Mustang all by himself?

And all those other cars too?

Even the Pintos that blew up?

In a large corp, nothing ever gets done unless there is a powerful figure driving the agenda. Without Lee there most likely would never been the Mustang or minivan or whatever. So yes, he gets the credit.

BTW, the Pinto was actually a great car and didn't “blow up” - no more than any other car that has a gas tank. The design flaw was, in retrospect, in certain collision events the ruptured gas tank could ignite, burning the occupants. If you read about the entire history of the legal actions and hype, you will find the Pinto met NHSTA regulations but the legal action was based on as much politics as anything else.

[Coach is Back!]

Lee Iacocca is the most important person in the American automotive industry in the last forty years.

Iacocca joined Ford Motor Company in August 1946.  1960 Iacocca was named vice-president of Ford in 1960 and president in 1970.  In 1978 he was fired a Ford and took up the position of CEO of Chrysler.

Some of his important cars include:
Mustang
Maverick
Pinto
Mustang 2
Ford Fairmont
K-Car
Chrysler minivan
Dodge Ram
1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee

I remember when I started my first business and reading "Iacocca" back in the early 80's. Great book and an extremely smart businessman

[tres_taco_combo]

The Original 1964 Mustang.

the greatest american car of all time IMHO  - FORD MUSTANG 1964 to current

[Chadwick The Beta]

was he saved?

[6 Reps]

The Original 1964 Mustang.

A note of history:  The Mustang was introduced to the world 55 years ago today (April 17,1964) at the New York World’s Fair.

[tres_taco_combo]

A note of history:  The Mustang was introduced to the world 55 years ago today (April 17,1964) at the New York World’s Fair.

amazing.

I cherish my ford mustangs ive owned. my mother is in her early 70s and had a red v8 GT coupe (2008 red/grey)

[Palumboism]

Launched in 1970, Ford Maverick rode on the same platform as the Falcon and was a replacement for the Falcon.


The Maverick competed with the Chevrolet Nova and Dodge Dart and sold quite well.
From a old 1975 Ford Annual Report:
1969 Maverick-288,342.
1970 Maverick-340,214, Comet-27,577.
1971 Maverick-251,047, Comet-65,842.
1972 Maverick-230,322, Comet-66,236.
1973 Maverick-282,818, Comet-82,716.

[Palumboism]

Lee Iacocca wanted the Pinto to weigh less than 2,000 pounds and cost less than $2,000. The Pinto product development, from conception through delivery, was completed in 25 months, when the automotive industry average was 43 months.  Iacocca ordered a rush project to build the car, and the Pinto became known internally as "Lee's car."

The Pinto was a sales hit at the time.
1970 sales 352,402
1972 sales 480,405
1973 sales 484,512
1974 sales 544,209





I personally think the Pinto is the ugliest car ever made.

[Hypertrophy]

Lee Iacocca wanted the Pinto to weigh less than 2,000 pounds and cost less than $2,000. The Pinto product development, from conception through delivery, was completed in 25 months, when the automotive industry average was 43 months.  Iacocca ordered a rush project to build the car, and the Pinto became known internally as "Lee's car."

The Pinto was a sales hit at the time.
1970 sales 352,402
1972 sales 480,405
1973 sales 484,512
1974 sales 544,209





I personally think the Pinto is the ugliest car ever made.

My cousin had a Pinto and we rode around in it a lot. It wasn't that bad looking a car. Certainly nothing as bad as the AMC Gremlin 

[Palumboism]

Ford Mustang II was introduced in September 1973, in time for the 1973 oil crisis.  It was based on the same platform as the Pinto and was another car known as "Lee's car".

Lee was quoted as saying it had a jewel like interior.  My personal opinion is the Mustang 2 was the worst Mustang.


According to this video the Mustang 2 saved the Mustang from extinction?

[Palumboism]

My cousin had a Pinto and we rode around in it a lot. It wasn't that bad looking a car. Certainly nothing as bad as the AMC Gremlin 

The Gremlin was just an AMC Hornet station wagon chopped in half.  Talk about corner cutting in car development. 

[denarii]

In Confederate states he used the business card name of Iacocca Lee.

[Coach is Back!]

Lee Iacocca wanted the Pinto to weigh less than 2,000 pounds and cost less than $2,000. The Pinto product development, from conception through delivery, was completed in 25 months, when the automotive industry average was 43 months.  Iacocca ordered a rush project to build the car, and the Pinto became known internally as "Lee's car."

The Pinto was a sales hit at the time.
1970 sales 352,402
1972 sales 480,405
1973 sales 484,512
1974 sales 544,209





I personally think the Pinto is the ugliest car ever made.

That was my very first car when I turned 16. Had the reputation of exploding if it got rear ended

[Palumboism]

In 1969, Ford began research predicting the emergence of the luxury compact segment, driven by gasoline prices.  In 1970, Ford began design work on a prototype vehicle, later becoming the production Granada.  Ford benchmarked the Mercedes-Benz 280 (W114), using it as a basis for styling and dimensions.  This makes sense, the Mercedes Benz 280 was an amazing car why not try to repicate it's size and comfort.  While not intended as a direct competitor for European luxury sedans, Ford intended for the Granada to be sold to buyers downsizing from full-size car while wanting to retain the same comfort and features.

The Granda was based on the same Falcon platform the Mustang was built on and replaced the Maverick. 

It actually sold quite well.
 
Sales by year:
1975    302,658
1976    548,784
1977    390,579
1978    249,786

[Palumboism]

 In 1973 Lee Iacocca approved development of the Fox platform.  The name Fox is derived from the Audi Fox a revolutionary car when it was launched.

1965, Volkswagen had acquired Auto Union GmbH (Audi) from its parent company Daimler-Benz.  This was a very important moment for Volkswagen because with Audi they acquired the Audi F103 platform.  Which was the basis for the Passat (Dasher in America) and the Audi 80 (Fox in America).  The Fox was launched in 1973 and the Dasher was launched in 1974.  What made these cars so revolutionary was their weight, handling, and fuel economy.  Iacocca realize Ford needed to create a new car body which was lighter.  The result was the Fox body, a car body that Ford used from 1978 to 2003.

It was used on the Mustang, Fairmont, Thunderbird, Cougar, Lincoln Mark 7, Granda, LTD, and more.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fox_platform#Background_and_development

[IroNat]

Maverick's were advertised at the price of $1,995 if I recall.

My sister had a new 1976 Maverick.

My grandfather had a '64 Falcon.  That thing was held together with pie plates and bailing wire.