A fascinating time capsule late ’60s look inside Ford Design. Interviews with designers. We even get to join a group during a executive review and eavesdrop on the discussion. Well worth the watch. Homer LaGassey appears at 2:03, 2:08, and 6:47 (thanks, Suzanne). Gene Bordinat is also in the video.
Thanks to Larry Wood.
Great watch.. thank you Larry for posting..
What fun that was watching my Dad in this great video! I spent quite a few evenings down at CCS when he was teaching. He had so much passion for design and life, it was hard to keep up with him. Loved seeing him enjoying his second passion… sailing! What times we had on his sailboats. Thank you so much Larry!
It was very enjoyable watching my father with his smooth patter. I went down to CCS a number of times, when I was attending Wayne State, just to watch him rip up students drawings. He was a hell of a teacher. Of course, he taught his children so many lessons about life that have stead us all in good fashion over the years. Sailing with my father was always so much fun. Thanks, Larry. I loved it.
Great video. Always fun watching Homer. Reminds me of school. It’s like the Mad Men of the auto design business.
From a time when car styling was way more courageous and way less clinical. Great to see Homer in action (when I taught at CCS in 1984, I recall him being perhaps somewhat less diplomatic during crits). There must be enough followers of this blog to identify (or self-identify) everybody in this film (recognized Don DeLaRossa and Gene Bordinat) and it would be great if someone can describe the car programs being sketched, clayed and critiqued. Thanks for sharing this!
This film has been on many sites recently. A real trip back in time for many of us, I arrived at the Design Center in 1963 and have worked with just about everyone pictured. Sure brings many memories flooding back.
The direction of the safety regulations was a bit over the top, as shown on the models and the resulting vehicles starting in early ’70s. Not a fun time for Design to add huge bumpers and extra overhang to most everything.
Thanks for sharing this. I was part of the last class to receive Homer LaGassey’s teachings at CCS as he retired with us. I can still hear his exuberant voice booming across the studio floor as we discussed and implemented great design! Lessens that I still utilize. Great fun!
My Father (the late) George Rogers, who was the first black clay modeler designer in Ford History, was also in the Video. He was also one of the designers of the Mustang 2, did the Scale Model to the Renaissance Center, Fairlane City, and the Expo Center in Spokane, Washington. Creating and selling Abstract art was one of my fathers hobby. He was building a wax sculpture in video. Also, a Ford designer in the video had one of his sculptures on his desk.
Many thanks Gary for this. It brought back memories of my early days with Ford in 1963. FYI, the man with the silver hair and mustache is Buzz Grissinger, who was my boss in the Lincoln Studio. A talented designer and taste expert, we used to refer to him as the “Silver Fox”.
Does anyone here know of or indeed worked with Al MacNea.
I am putting a book together which features Al and his work and would welcome any personal insights whilst he worked at Dearborn and then onto Ford Australia in early 1972.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.