Lee Iacocca passes away at age 94

N54Yankee · 07-02-2019, 11:12 PM

A giant in the American Automotive world. RIP Lee.

Efthreeoh · 07-03-2019, 06:21 AM

Indeed. Arguably the father of the "Pony" car (Mustang), which led to the American Muscle Car. Father of the front drive Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, etc.), and lastly father of the front-drive American mid-sized sedan (Chrysler K platform). And father of the controversial US Government-backed loan guarantee.

MADBMWX5MC · 07-03-2019, 01:21 PM

Interesting...I thought he was gone a long time ago....

N54Yankee · 07-03-2019, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Indeed. Arguably the father of the "Pony" car (Mustang), which led to the American Muscle Car. Father of the front drive Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, etc.), and lastly father of the front-drive American mid-sized sedan (Chrysler K platform). And father of the controversial US Government-backed loan guarantee.

Not forgetting He also was CEO and gave the final ok to go forward with the Viper, a pretty bold move at the time and a huge marketing success as well as a terror on the Road/Track. He certainly had the golden touch there for quite some time.

thebmw · 07-03-2019, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

Not forgetting He also was CEO and gave the final ok to go forward with the Viper, a pretty bold move at the time and a huge marketing success as well as a terror on the Road/Track. He certainly had the golden touch there for quite some time.

Yes. He was a good auto leader and took chances. Not many like him anymore.

thebmw · 07-03-2019, 06:41 PM

I will always be appreciative of him because I won the Lee Iacocca Scholarship for college!!

Efthreeoh · 07-04-2019, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N54Yankee

Not forgetting He also was CEO and gave the final ok to go forward with the Viper, a pretty bold move at the time and a huge marketing success as well as a terror on the Road/Track. He certainly had the golden touch there for quite some time.

If there was one flaw in his career it could be pointed at development of the Ford Pinto. The Pinto got an undue bad rap for it's fuel tank design flaw (which was corrected). I owned four Pintos over time and thought it was a great car. The number of fuel tank fire deaths in the Pinto were actually less than other Japanese small cars of the same era, the Corolla being one. And statistically the Pinto was no less safe than any other car of the era too. It's just Ralph Nadar got the Corvair shitcanned, so he needed a new vehicle to go after.

But again, Iacocca was leading the American auto industry with the Pinto development rather than lagging behind.

RS DAVE · 07-04-2019, 02:05 PM

Not forging, Carroll shelby went to him for the engine's for the Cobra!!

N54Yankee · 07-04-2019, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

If there was one flaw in his career it could be pointed at development of the Ford Pinto. The Pinto got an undue bad rap for it's fuel tank design flaw (which was corrected). I owned four Pintos over time and thought it was a great car. The number of fuel tank fire deaths in the Pinto were actually less than other Japanese small cars of the same era, the Corolla being one. And statistically the Pinto was no less safe than any other car of the era too. It's just Ralph Nadar got the Corvair shitcanned, so he needed a new vehicle to go after.

But again, Iacocca was leading the American auto industry with the Pinto development rather than lagging behind.

Just goes to show, Nobodies perfect.
I had a pinto also, in the mid 80’s it had a mildly worked carbed 302 underhood. It was a rocket but handled like shit and was a serious death trap thrill ride. I quickly sold it for the price of the engine as a friend grenadec his mustangs 302.

Efthreeoh · 07-04-2019, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RS DAVE

Not forging, Carroll shelby went to him for the engine's for the Cobra!!

And he was at the helm when Ford kicked Ferrari's butt...

07-02-2019, 11:12 PM	#1
N54Yankee Lieutenant Colonel 2708 Rep 1,916 Posts Drives: N54 135\|Cobb\|M3 control arms Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Lee Iacocca passes away at age 94 A giant in the American Automotive world. RIP Lee. __________________ __________________ "The Constitution was never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.” Samuel Adams
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07-03-2019, 06:21 AM	#2
Efthreeoh General 19149 Rep 19,707 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Indeed. Arguably the father of the "Pony" car (Mustang), which led to the American Muscle Car. Father of the front drive Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, etc.), and lastly father of the front-drive American mid-sized sedan (Chrysler K platform). And father of the controversial US Government-backed loan guarantee. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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07-03-2019, 01:21 PM	#3
MADBMWX5MC Colonel 1569 Rep 2,188 Posts Drives: 2023 BMW X5MC Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	Interesting...I thought he was gone a long time ago.... __________________ 2023 BMW X5MC Tanzanite Blue II Metallic 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Black 2006 Ford Mustang GT Convertible (show car)
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07-03-2019, 06:41 PM	#6
thebmw Post Advisor 1889 Rep 1,804 Posts Drives: More Manuals than Automatics Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Illinois iTrader: (10)	I will always be appreciative of him because I won the Lee Iacocca Scholarship for college!!
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07-04-2019, 02:05 PM	#8
RS DAVE Banned 100 Rep 145 Posts Drives: E91 335D M SPORT Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: WIGAN iTrader: (0)	Not forging, Carroll shelby went to him for the engine's for the Cobra!!
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