The October issue of Collectible Automobile has a wide-ranging profile of Ford design chief Eugene Bordinat. Writers Jim and Cheryl Ferrell (2014) include a number of provocative details about Ford President Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen’s role in the design of the 1970 Thunderbird.
I’ve suitably updated an essay here that discusses a Ford design film from the late-60s. However, I’d like to make a point that I only hint at in the previous post. In the film, a lead designer — Homer LaGassey, according to Dean’s Garage (Smith, 2013) — advocates for an aggressive front-end design for the Thunderbird that is in sync with Bunkie’s infamous beak.
Did the footage accurately reflect LaGassey’s views? Or was he conforming to the company line because this film was released while Knudsen was still president?
Alternately, was the film released after Knudsen’s firing but Ford decided to try to create a positive buzz for the Thunderbird despite its apparent unpopularity within the company?
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RE:SOURCES
- Ferrell, Jim and Cheryl; 2014. “Eugene Bordinat Jr.: Durable Design Executive.” Collectible Automobile. October: 76-83.
- Smith, Gary; 2013. “The Design Makers — Inside Ford Design.” Dean’s Garage. Posted June 27; accessed July 20.
Frankly, the full-size Pontiac “beak” began to get out-of-control after 1965, although the 1969 Wide-Tracks are my favorites. I understand why Ford needed to make a styling “statement” for 1970, but did not want to change the basic 1967 body shell fron the cowl back, hence the “beak”. I would have preferred a “nose job” with a clean grill, but I was not Knudsen, and Hank the Deuce hired Bunkie to shake things up.
Although some of the Ford version beaks (don’t forget that Mercury had some too) were not particularly pleasant, I can understand some level of thinking from Knudsen. The Pontiac split grill gave them a distinctive nose that could be designed in multiple ways yet keep the Pontiac identity. The alternative nose identity at GM was the Buick “W” in plan view.
Since Knudsen had been the head of Pontiac when it went from nowhere to an extremely hot brand inside GM with the wide track and split grill, it might not be too surprising that he took one of the cues for Ford going back to that success.