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Donald N. Frey, Designer of the Mustang, Dies at 86
WSJ ^ | March 28, 2010 | Douglas Martin

Posted on 03/29/2010 4:06:06 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy

Donald N. Frey, the engineer who spearheaded the design and development of the Mustang, the spunky, stylish, affordably priced “pony car” that the Ford Motor Company rolled out in the mid-1960s in one of the most successful car introductions in automotive history, died March 5 in Evanston, Ill., where he lived. He was 86.

/...../

Though much of the Mustang was borrowed from other Ford vehicles, including a Falcon chassis, the car developed an identity all its own for a younger generation in search of new looks and experiences. It was designed to appeal to both men and women, had a dash of elegance copied from European sports cars, and featured a galloping steed in the middle of its grille that buyers thought was, well, really cool.

Steve McQueen was almost upstaged by the souped-up Mustang he drove in the movie “Bullitt.”

Mr. Frey and his team created the car — from approval by top management to the showroom — in just 18 months, and expectations were modest when it was introduced on April 17, 1964, at the New York World’s Fair. Ford figured it would sell 80,000 Mustangs in its first year. It sold more than a million in its first two years.

Mr. Frey (pronounced fry) would go on to other achievements. He was chairman and chief executive of the Bell & Howell Company, recipient of the National Medal of Technology and a member of the executive board of the World Bank. He was proudest, he said, of helping to introduce safety improvements like disc brakes and radial tires to Ford cars.

But to automotive cognoscenti and just plain car lovers, the Mustang was his defining accomplishment. At gatherings of Mustang enthusiasts, Mr. Frey was often besieged by autograph hunters in the manner of a rock star.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: automakers; ford; fordmotor; frey; mustang; obituary; ponycars
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To: Loud Mime
OOPS....wrong Mustang!

That's okay, a classic is still a classic!!!

Might as well post a P-51 pic, eh?

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

41 posted on 03/29/2010 5:30:02 PM PDT by alfa6
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To: Loud Mime; Richard Kimball
Re: Greatest Mustang commercial ever...

What a pity that the ad agency wasted the Bullitt footage on that damned Puma ad. Yeah, it's cool when the car backs into the garage next to the '68 Mustang and the WWII-period motorcycle, but it *should* have been a Mustang ad.

42 posted on 03/29/2010 5:31:38 PM PDT by Charles Martel ("Endeavor to persevere...")
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To: Richard Kimball
I was partial to the '60~73 Birds. In HS I did own a '70 Formula RAMAIR III 400. A GOAT motor coupled to a Muncie M-22 Rock Crusher. Sucker cooked. Speedo went to 160 and I observed 150 in it back when I465 was relatively sparse of traffic. Lord I miss that car. Even if it suck down the guzzoline. I liked all the F-Body's, but only had one Camaro, an '80 Z-28.

I would also love an old GOAT!

Here's a particularly nice one I wouldn't mind. I was seven when the made her.


43 posted on 03/29/2010 5:37:57 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: Czar
Great toy—when I was still driving it to the office it got far more attention than my BMW.

That is so true. People will follow you and hang halfway out of their car window to shout purchase offers at you. When I trailered the car during a move, I had people pace me for dozens of miles at a time, just so they could stare at the car.

44 posted on 03/29/2010 5:40:25 PM PDT by Charles Martel ("Endeavor to persevere...")
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To: Loud Mime

Awesome commercial! Have you ever seen a commercial for an American car that had the driver speeding toward a bridge and they showed the shocks of the car automatically lower a couple of inches and not hit the bridge? I cant remember the make or model of car but remember it being American and that the shocks had a technology to them that would lower the car the faster the car went.


45 posted on 03/29/2010 5:43:14 PM PDT by FreeManWhoCan (I like dogs better than I like most people.)
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To: Ready4Freddy

Rest in great peace sir!

Our 04 Cobra Terminator was so badass... and the last of the SVT Cobras.....


46 posted on 03/29/2010 5:44:45 PM PDT by Danae ( The sleeping Giant is awake)
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To: Ready4Freddy

My first car was a 65 Mustang I bought from my father.

It had a manual transmission and I used to sit in the driveway practicing shifting in preparation for learning how to drive.

I adored that car.
Until a drunk driver turned in front of me on the way to school one morning and my sister went through the windshield.
It did one heck of a number on the front end and went to the scrap heap. Damn.


47 posted on 03/29/2010 5:54:31 PM PDT by freds6girlies (many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Mt. 19:30. R.I.P. G & J)
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To: Charles Martel
I have a few similar stories.

Once, I was on the way home and casually noticed someone a moderate distance behind me most of the way. Once I get to the bottom of our foothills, I usually goose it a bit just to wring it out a little. I went through our "windys" and got to my street and pulled up into my driveway and garage. As I got out of the car, I looked back down the driveway to see a car had just pulled up--a woman got out and said to me: "I've been trying to flag you down from the time you turned toward the foothills but you were going so fast I couldn't catch up". Turns out she was a mom helping plan and organize the senior prom at our high school. She said the theme of the prom was the 60s and asked me if she could take a photo of the Mustang to work up into an oversized poster for the prom. I told her to go ahead and that I was honored to have my own personal stalker.

48 posted on 03/29/2010 5:55:18 PM PDT by Czar (NRA Life Member)
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To: Ready4Freddy

My dad bought me a 1967 Mustang when I was 17. It had a horrible paint job but it ran pretty good. Loved that car...but it would have been nice to have had some air conditioning in it. With the windows down, I always got my hair messed up. lol


49 posted on 03/29/2010 8:05:34 PM PDT by TNdandelion
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To: freds6girlies

OK....we know about the car. What about your sister?


50 posted on 03/29/2010 9:17:55 PM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberalism is a Socialist Disease)
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To: Loud Mime
Adrenaline pumping, I wanted to hit the guy who turned in front of us, only to discover my wrist was broken.
I was screaming to wake the dead.
It occurred kitty corner to a fire station, so help was instant.
My sister had major dental damage otherwise she was o.k.
We had a great dentist who managed to put to mouth back together.
There were also friends in the back seat who escaped damage but I was freaked out over who's fault the accident was.
The guilt factor was horrendous.
We had some neighbors who worked at city police and they got a copy of the report that stated the other driver was drunk.
51 posted on 03/29/2010 11:30:34 PM PDT by freds6girlies (many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Mt. 19:30. R.I.P. G & J)
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To: Ready4Freddy

RIP.


52 posted on 03/30/2010 1:48:06 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Amber Lamps !"~~)
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To: freds6girlies

I’m glad that you both could heal.

My older brother had a Boss 302. He totaled it when someone turned in front of him. The seat belt system kept his and my other brother’s injuries to a minimum.


53 posted on 03/30/2010 4:52:00 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberalism is a Socialist Disease)
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To: Richard Kimball

Here’s a great link...lots of photos:
http://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=isfnjdnv5t5f3l4al1og18sf26&board=16.0


54 posted on 03/30/2010 5:03:38 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberalism is a Socialist Disease)
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To: jessduntno

Aaahhh - I saw one of those beauties at a car show last year.

I left a puddle of drool so large fishermen were dropping lines into it.


55 posted on 03/30/2010 5:07:45 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Entitlements will do to America what drugs eventually do to addicts)
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