Lee Iacocca Who Gave Us the Minivan and the Mustang, Dies at 94

I drive a Honda, I've never owned a Ford or Chevy. I've had a couple of Dodges, Plymouths, a Buick, Jeeps, and a bunch of Japanese cars. I love to look at classic cars from the 60's and early 70's, and would have at least one if I had the garage to keep it in. Parking in Seattle is akin to warfare, and it is a blessing if you return to your vehicle and find it without injury.

My dad had a 1966 Mustang (similar one pictured at the bottom of this post), and it was the car that brought me home from the Hospital when I was born. Yesterday, Lee Iaccoca, the man who brought the Mustang (and Pinto) to us passed away- but he left behind his fingerprints on American car history:

SOURCE

On Tuesday, former US auto executive Lee Iacocca died at the age of 94 from Parkinson's disease. He was an iconic figure in the business world, at separate times running the Ford Motor Company and later the Chrysler Corporation. His autobiography was required reading for men in suits in the 1980s, and he was even mooted for President. And along the way, he was responsible for some legendary cars, including the Ford Mustang and Chrysler Minivan.

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1924, Iacocca was the son of working class immigrants from Italy. He graduated high school during World War II, earned a degree in industrial engineering at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, then found time to study politics and plastics at Princeton before joining Ford as an engineer in 1946. However, he quickly shifted into sales and marketing, where his true skills lay. In 1960, he was promoted to general manager of the Ford Division. By 1970, he was named president of the entire company.

During his time at Ford, Iacocca was instrumental in bringing a number of vehicles to market, including the Mustang. Clever use of the corporate parts bin meant this sporty looking car was actually highly affordable in 1964, costing $2,400 at the time. It was an outrageous sales success, prompting rivals General Motors and Chrysler to create "pony cars" of their own.

a reply to: seattlerat

I think is nice that he lived a long life. He was a smart and very talented man.
Side story, I have eaten many times at the restaurant chain that his Uncle Theodore Iococca founded in Allentown, PA .... Yocco's Hot Dog King. The name was originally Iococca's, but the PA Dutch members of the community pronounced it 'Yocco's' and the name stuck.

Don't forget the K car!

He was one of the first celebrity CEOs of the modern era.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

The K cars might have been crappy, but they did pull Chrysler out of a hole.
Line them up against the likes of a Chevy Chevette... K cars weren't that crappy.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: jtrenthacker

The K cars might have been crappy, but they did pull Chrysler out of a hole.
Line them up against the likes of a Chevy Chevette... K cars weren't that crappy.

Agreed. I'd definitely drive that woody wagon in the pics above.

a reply to: seattlerat

Minivan ? He was a bit late with that one.

Minivan's where being produced in England from 1960.

One of his famous ad lines was:

"If you can find a better car, buy it"

And millions of people did 😆

That is more of a delivery van than a minivan. It's unsuitable for human occupation, though I'm sure it could haul small packages

He also gave us the Ford Pinto.

POOF!


R.I.P., Mr. Iacocca.

I still remember seeing him on all the TV ads. He seemed like a pretty cool guy.

a reply to: schuyler

But...it's a Mini. You just can't get around that.

originally posted by: TheTruthRocks
He also gave us the Ford Pinto.

POOF!


R.I.P., Mr. Iacocca.

Yeah the Pinto was a real blast 😆

originally posted by: schuyler
That is more of a delivery van than a minivan. It's unsuitable for human occupation, though I'm sure it could haul small packages

If you want one to carry passengers then here you go.

a reply to: alldaylong

And that's a small station wagon, not a minivan.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

I had a burgendy K car! Drove it from Seattle to Powell River BC and back- only car I've had torn apart by Canadians at the border. The agents removed EVERYTHING from the vehicle and piled on the sidewalk, then let their K-9 units do their thing. They found nothing, but turned me around and told me to go back to the USA. I did that, went and got a cup of coffee, got back in line and went through again. This time they didn't even look twice at me. This was before 9/11, so I would hope that there are now better methods now to prevent returns after being denied entry as I did back then.

Powell river is a beautiful place, I've written about my adventures to a secret cemetery and the ghost photos I was able to capture.

The K car wasn't very beautiful, but it was kind of like driving a slow giant comfy couch compared to my quick little Honda.

a reply to: TheTruthRocks

I was never too fond of the Pinto, and I rarely see them on the road anymore. Here's a couple I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in, the 2nd one in particular looks liked something a reptilian would drive.

Good for England’s powerful design teams. Muscle cars abound in the streets of Londonstain. reply to: alldaylong

I'm always like the Mustang especially the vintage ones.