Lee Iacocca. RIP

[683760]

Father of the Mustang.  R.I.P.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/automotive-exec-icon-lee-iacocca-dies-age-94/ar-AADLTTs?li=BBnbfcL

[FL SAAC]

R. I. P. Chief

[GT350Lad]

Just heard, what a life and legacy
RIP

[Side-Oilers]

Another legend passes.
I met and talked with him a few times, back when I was in the business.  Always had respect for him, and he was always pleasant to me. 
Have a personal story to tell...maybe later.

[67 GT350]

Class act!

[deathsled]

What??  That caught me by surprise.  He is now with the automotive gods and goddesses burning high octane in a 64.5 Mustang convertible.

[Bigfoot]

94 is a good number. I'll take that number.
RIP

[68countrysedan]

He had quite a career. I'm glad most of it was with Ford. As Father of the Mustang, he got his image on both Newsweek and Time covers, which was the analog equivlent of a couple of million of today's Twitter followers.

Besides the Mustang, he also championed the Mustang II. Save the scoffs, this model maintained Mustang's unbroken mechcanical lineage.  And consider the Lincoln Mk. III, which put Lincoln on the map for personal luxury car buyers.

And don't over look that Iacocca hired Shelby to breathe performance into the Chrysler vehicle line-up. Chrysler/Shelby interjected turbocharging into the performance environment decades before it was fully embraced by manufacturers. Iacocca wasn't done yet. In 1990 he approved Dodge Viper production.

If there was a career downside, not of his making, it was getting bounced from Ford. Ultimately, he was living proof of not getting mad, but getting even.

[Side-Oilers]

Agreed.  I was at the press conference when he announced Viper production.

True story:  When I handled PR for CS at '91 Indy 500, on the Pace Car program, Iacocca asked me to get General Schwarzkopf there (on short notice) as his guest on race day and to ride in the pre-race parade.  Those were my marching orders. No contact info for the general, nothing.

I don't recall that Iacocca even knew him personally.  With no internet to assist me, I somehow managed to pull it off, old-school.  Even was authorized to sign Lee's name on the letter.  Kinda cool.