The Ford Mustang is currently celebrating 60 years of existence, and over those six decades, the popular pony car has certainly earned its place in automotive history. We can credit a handful of people for having the vision to make the Ford Mustang both a reality and a tremendous success, but sadly, some of those folks have passed away in recent years. That list includes the man known as the “father of the Mustang,” Lee Iacocca, who passed away back in 2019, as well as Gale Halderman, who drew the rough sketch that would eventually become the original pony car that passed away in 2020. Now, we’ve lost another important figure in Ford Mustang history.
That man is Hal Sperlich, as first reported by Automotive News, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95. Sperlich began his career at The Blue Oval in 1957 as an engineer fresh out of college, but quickly made a name for himself by showing the ability to quickly spot trends within the industry – such as the need to downsize vehicles, which eventually got him fired by CEO Henry Ford II himself.
Before that happened, Iacocca was the catalyst that Sperlich needed to make his vision become a reality, fighting back against bean counters that influenced product development heavily. The two were able to convince brass that the Ford Mustang was a machine that Americans wanted, and he was certainly correct, as the pony car proved to be an instant hit when it launched. Sperlich went on to become vice president of Ford of Europe, during which he played a big role in creating the Fiesta.
However, it was Sperlich’s next project – a small, front-wheel drive van – that would ultimately seal his fate at The Blue Oval. After pushing hard for that vehicle to become a reality, Ford II fired him on the basis of not wanting to spend money on an unproven segment at a time when the company was in dire financial straits. However, Sperlich moved on to Chrysler and wound up saving that company by creating not only a minivan, but also, an array of small cars. Today, we remember Sperlich as a truly revolutionary figure in the automotive world as a whole, as well as one of few people that were instrumental in bringing the Ford Mustang to life.
“We lost a product visionary in Hal Sperlich. He was also a friend and mentor to me, and many others. Hal was a dare-to-be-different product planner who had vision, passion and knowledge of a customers’ wants and needs. He didn’t play it safe, and he was always focused on the whitespace and improving the company’s capability. There are a lot of people who make great cars but so few who invent segments like Hal did with the Mustang and later the Fiesta. Fiesta was Ford’s first front-wheel-drive sub-compact car globally and a huge success that allowed Ford to compete in the fastest growing and hottest segment in Europe,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley.
This article has been updated to include a statement from Ford CEO Jim Farley
Comments
If Henry the Deuce had been more far sighted and less hard headed by listening to Sperlich and Iacocca’s concept Ford would have had the minivan almost 10 years before Chrysler. I often wonder he ever regretted getting rid of Sperlich and Iacocca. Likely not.
I hope that Bill Ford and Jim Farley accept the treatise that I learned when I started my flight training, “learn from the mistakes of others, you’ll never live long enough to make them all yourself”.
I have been a Ford owner/driver for almost 60 years and have driven some iconic ones from the original Capri to the Shelby GT500 to the Mach E. Loved them all and salute those folks that dreamed, designed and built them.
Look at it this way that Sperlich did accomplish his dream of a minivan through Chrysler. Maybe it should have been Ford but Ford turned Sperlich down but the minivan along with the K cars did save Chrysler and that was meant to be. Henry the Deuce was not a perfect human being and made his share of mistakes as most of us do but he had successes as well. It was meant to be that Iaccoca and Sperlich ended up at Chrysler at the right time they rescued Chrysler from extinction.
It’s about the shareholders…always and often times unfortunately.
Jim Farley is probably thinking; “We’ll honor everything you did by making a Mustang sedan to match the Mach E. You created a great Icon for us to use.” Crazy.
The Mustang changed automotive history as the origin of the “pony car” designation for small sports cars. I hope it does not grow again to need a new generation, as it did in the 1970s. Keep it as it is now!
The Deuce did not fire Hal, he made Iacococa fire him. He did not fire Lee either. He sent him to an office in the parts depot in Livonia, MI with his secretary. He lasted one day and quit, giving up a lot of money. Then he went to Chrysler.
His downfall was going to NY to convince outside board members to make him Chairman and CEO. HF II was in Europe touring Ford facilities when he was told of Lee’s scheme. Henry came home and pushed Lee out.
Hal Sperlich was a superb innovator for small cars and trucks. His downfall was to assume that large vehicles would disappear from the U.S. market. I saw that first hand as Hal’s signature was on one of my performance reviews.
I have owed 35 ford in my life now I am 84. When I got back from Germany in 64 from the army I got a new 65 mustang . Now I have 65 GT mustang . Loved all of them.