(EXPANDED FROM 1/17/2024)
More than two years ago we pointed out that the Automotive Hall of Fame posted remarkably inaccurate information about former Ford Motor Company executive Robert McNamara. Their fact errors still haven’t been fixed. This is particularly problematic at a time when people increasingly rely on artificial intelligence that draws from sources such as the Hall of Fame.
McNamara was inducted way back in 1995, so I wonder how long these inaccuracies have been hanging out there — and whether other inductees have received similarly sloppy treatment. But even if this represents an unusual editorial lapse, how could such basic fact errors be published by an organization that is supposedly devoted to honoring automotive history?
This is not some random car blog produced by a volunteer. The Automotive Hall of Fame has a fancy website, a big building and lots of very important people on its board of directors. In asking for donations, the group states that its mission is to “honor and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals in the global motor vehicle industry through awards and educational programs that challenge young and old alike to higher levels of personal achievement.”
Presumably the Hall of Fame could better accomplish that mission if it got basic facts correct about its inductees. I do not expect them to be perfect, but I do expect that errors will eventually get caught and fixed. That hasn’t happened in this case.
Timeline of McNamara’s tenure at Ford is screwed up
Consider this whopper: “McNamara retired from Ford in 1963 to accept President John F. Kennedy’s invitation to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of Defense” (AHF, 2024). McNamara actually joined the administration on Jan. 21, 1961 (OSD, 2024). And why say that he “retired” when he was in his 40s (Weiner, 2009)?
Is there no one at the Hall of Fame old enough to remember the year that Kennedy took office — and that McNamara was one of his first appointees?
Also see ‘How might McNamara have influenced Ford if he had stuck around longer?’
But wait — there’s more. “McNamara encouraged the development of Ford’s first compact cars, the reliable Falcon and Comet.” This is true, but here’s where things go south: “The successes of these two models paved the way for the 1957 Fairlane, which was primarily responsible for Ford outselling Chevrolet for the first time in 30 years” (AHF, 2024).
Of course, the Falcon and Comet were introduced three years after the 1957 Fairlane. And since we’re nitpicking, an Automotive News reporter stated that Ford had last outsold Chevrolet 22 years earlier (Sherefkin, 2009) while other sources point to 20 years (auto editors of Consumer Guide, 1993; Wikipedia, 2023).
Career summary leaves out a key role at Ford
The Hall of Fame is all about resume polishing, so you’d think that it would at least thoroughly cover an inductee’s career arc within the auto industry. That wasn’t the case here. The website states, “McNamara was appointed Controller in 1949 and advanced to General Manager of Ford division in 1949. In 1960, he was selected to serve as President” (AHF, 2024).
Aaron Severson (2008, 2013) has offered a more complete — and accurate — overview: McNamara became Ford’s controller in mid-1948, the Ford Division’s general manager in January 1955, vice president of the Car and Truck Group in May 1957, and president in November 1960. Severson’s timeline aligns with that of Thomas Bonsall’s (2002).
It’s odd that the Hall of Fame doesn’t mention VP of the Car and Truck Group because there McNamara arguably had his greatest impact on the Ford Motor Company, such as by opposing the Edsel and championing compact cars (MacKenzie, 2009). And how much could McNamara have accomplished as president when he reportedly held that position only five weeks before accepting an invitation to join the Kennedy administration (OSD, 2024)?
It doesn’t take an automotive historian to fact check
In the original version of this story I wondered why the Hall of Fame did not draw upon someone to edit the content of their website for factual accuracy. As a case in point, an automotive historian would likely have caught all of these errors.
That said, I don’t subscribe to the idea that historians have a better lock on the truth than journalists. For example, I think that one of the best books about Ford was written by journalist David Halberstam (1986). Meanwhile, Indie Auto has pointed to fact errors in books written by established automotive historians.
What most matters is whether there are quality-control mechanisms in place to catch errors. There is nothing exotic about having a skilled copy editor on tap — and to update and improve older content every once in a while.
So my final question: When we check in again in a few years, will the McNamara entry still be riddled with basic fact errors?
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- AHF; 2024. “Robert S. McNamara: Inducted 1995.” Automotive Hall of Fame. Accessed Jan. 17.
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, Ill.
- Bonsall, Thomas E.; 2002. Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel. Stanford General Books, Stanford, CA.
- Halberstam, David; 1986. The Reckoning. William Morrow & Co., New York, NY.
- MacKenzie, Angus; 2009. “Robert McNamara: Before Vietnam, There Was Ford.” MotorTrend. Posted July 7.
- OSD; 2024. “Robert S. McNamara.” Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense. Accessed Jan. 17.
- Severson, Aaron; 2009. “The Salesman and the Statistician: Robert McNamara, Lee Iacocca, and the Ford Falcon.” Ate Up With Motor. Posted Nov. 2.
- ——; 2013. “A Historical Note: Ford General Managers.” Ate Up With Motor. Posted March 13.
- Sherefkin, Robert; 2009. “The rise of the bean counter: Robert S. McNamara.” Automotive News. Posted July 6.
- Weiner, Tim; 2009. “Robert S. McNamara, Architect of a Futile War, Dies at 93.” The New York Times. Posted July 6.
- Wikipedia; 2023. “U.S. Automobile Production Figures.” Page last edited Sept. 5 (no longer online).
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES
- oldcaradvertising.com: Ford (1957); Ford Falcon (1960)
PHOTOGRAPHY:
- Banner image: Official portrait of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara dated Jan. 12, 1961 via Wikipedia (public domain).
- fordheritagevault: Ford Edsel (1958)
I know I am preaching to the choir here, but I am for honesty, warts and all. I have a very good friend who is a great media reporter, writer and racing circuit historian, except for some very ugly truths, which he chooses to keep hidden to himself and upon which he will never share. On some observable facts, many local sports journalists know the score, but are truly of an older generation and never report or judge in public. (Some may share this information aloud when well-lubricated, however.) Having worked in and around Indianapolis media for over 45-years, I too have witnessed many local people in less than their optimal condition, making poor decisions and representing themselves and their organizations in less-than-ideal circumstances, especially in conversations with professional sports franchise owners “on-the-record”.
There are raging debates, for example, among local historians about Indianapolis automobile dealer, Prest-o-lite owner, co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and real-estate entrepreneur (Miami, FL) Carl G. Fisher. One of the best historians locally refuses to discuss his years-long research about the more alleged sordid aspects of Fisher’s life. Fear of retaliation from vested, established interests is one of those fears. (Just ask any serious biographer who tried to interview Henry Ford the First and Hank the Duece !)
I am a student of histories: Civilization, science, radio, mechanical contrivances and conveyances, politics and people. I want honesty and detail. I want to look into the eyes and hearts of the souls. I don’t necessarily need the gory details on one’s sexual peccadilloes, but I want understanding, if at all possible.
When it comes to historical subjects, l’ll “vote” for more historians and fewer journalists. Journalists can put forward many inaccuracies and make them sound good – and in a very entertaining way, too – kind of like some politicians. And both those professions often make big messes.