Mike Parris wrote two books about Ford, Fords of the Fifties, and Fords of the Sixties, both published by California Bill’s Automotive Handbooks. They are collections of historic information about Ford’s 1950 and 1960 decades. The books include many photos from Ford Motor Company Archives, including dream car photos, and Mike’s photos of restored Fords owned by collectors. Many of Mike’s shots are of cars in motion, adding a great deal of interest to the book. Mike has an online portfolio.
The first chapter,“Laying the Foundation,” is the history of what the climate was like at Ford in the years prior to 1950 and the events that led to the design of the 1949 Ford. The full-color book has 182 pages, softbound. ISBN 1-931128-14-6. By the way, yours truly designed both books and covers.
Every chapter includes a timeline, pricing, and model information. There are many two-page photo spreads in the book. The gallery in this post is a collection of photos from Fords of the Fifties.
Thanks to Mike Parris and Howard Fisher.
Great pictures, thanks. Just for information. It is Don Frey in the picture with Lee Iacocca. Stewart was his brother and also worked at Ford in engineering.
Yes, that is Don Frey with Iacocca. I dug the photo out of the Ford Archives in the basement of World Headquarters.
I must have missed it the first time around, but the photo of George Walker holding a styling rendering must have been inside the studio of Alex Tremulis. The upper left is Tremulis’ “Lady in Red”, a TG180-powered jet drawn in 1943! The one next to it is his concept for a streamlined dual jet engine, like the B-52. The three cars on the wall directly behind Walker also appear to be unnamed Tremulis illustrations. I’m fairly certain that the bottom of the three was used in a full-scale drawing mock-up with styling students, a rendering similar to the Mystere. But I can’t make out the name on the rendering in Walker’s hand. It doesn’t appear to be Tremulis’.
The “Lady in Red”
The Jet Engine
The “Lady in Red” also appears on the styling studio wall while Tremulis was at Tucker. Two 1949 photos of him are attached. One of Tremulis and Jim Gaylord, designer of the 1955 Gaylord Gladiator, and one of the Tremulis renderings on the Tucker styling studio wall:
Offutt-Tremulis
Tremulis Tucker Studio
Al Ornes mentions Stu Frey as a Ford engineer.I remember him as a liaison engineer in the design office. As you can imagine, there were ongoing discussions about what could and couldn’t be done, and why and why not.
He took his fair share of ribbing but it was always good natured. We all liked him.
Interesting pix here…. Correct me if I’m wrong but in pic #50, which shows the Lincoln or Continental X-100 show car…. Isn’t that Edelgard Bordinat modeling in front of the car??? I have seen her modeling in other Ford still shots. I think it was Carl Cameron or Dick Avery or Jack Telnack that told me that Gene spotted Edelgard in the lower ranks of the company, in the secretarial pool, and was quite smitten with her and moved her up the ranks quickly until she became Mrs Gene Bordinat. Does anyone know if she is still alive today???
thanks
Scott Anderson
Grosse Ile, Mich.
And 73 of 80, that is not Stu anybody. Its Donald Frey, designer of the Mustang.
Don Frey was a product planner, not a designer. Design manager was Joe Oros. Don’s research backed Lee’s idea of a sporty car for the masses. Great photos here. My dad’s first new car was a ’49 “shoebox” Ford fordor. I was a little kid but still remember the aero trim piece on the interior door panels. The radical design (for the late 40s) of that Ford launched my love of cars for the rest of my life.