[JudisStang]

2005 Ford Mustang Chief Designer Gallops Into Academia


DETROIT — Larry Erickson, 51, the chief designer of the 2005 Ford Mustang who got to know the personalities of Detroit's muscle cars by prowling around his dad's used-car lot in Northern California, has made the shift to academia. Erickson will lead Detroit's College for Creative Studies transportation design department, it was announced on Monday.

Most recently, Erickson was chief designer in Ford's Strategic Design Group, working on advanced vehicle development. He also is known in the industry for his collaboration with the late Boyd Coddington. Erickson designed Billy Gibbons' Cadzzilla, Hogzzillas and Aluma Coupe.

But Erickson may be best known for his work on the redesigned Mustang.

"My dad had a used-car lot in Northern California, and I got to know the personalities of the muscle cars," he said in a 2004 interview. "The old [Pontiac] Firebird had more bits of chrome while the Mustang was more down-to-earth and fundamental. In the redesign, it was important to study the original Mustang and get the proportions right."

Erickson, a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, also worked for a time at General Motors. He was an exterior designer on the 1992 Cadillac Seville/STS/Eldorado program.

What this means to you: More top Detroit design talent heads to the ivory towers — where, presumably, job security is assured. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

[tripleblack]

Ford has approached GM about pooling R&D in the future - coincidentally, after laying off and demoralizing most of their own talent, of course.

This fellow was more stubborn than most.

Ford stripped the cupboard bear a few years back when they totalled out SVT - and then laid off entire departments.

THEN oil got expensive, CAFE standards got a lot tougher, and EPA is making noises about cabon footprints...

Oops.

My prediction: GM says "Thanks for the offer, but we'll keep our Volt technology to ourselves for now".