The designer of the iconic Ford Mustang has died. Gale Halderman, of Tipp City, was 87. It鈥檚 been reported that he had been battling liver cancer.
Halderman was born in Tipp City, and graduated from Bethel High School in 1950. He studied design at the Dayton Art Institute, before getting hired by the Ford Motor Company in 1957. Halderman鈥檚 first assignment was with the Ford design team.
In a , Halderman told the story of how his design for the iconic 65 Mustang was selected by Ford鈥檚 Vice President at the time, Lee Iacocca.
鈥淚acocca gave us 10 days to do a car,鈥� Halderman said. 鈥淲e worked day and night and we designed the car, even though we had to do it on a Falcon body. I did one side of the car and my boss did the other side of the car. I was the one who sketched the scoop on the side and the long-hood, short-deck proportion and that was favored by Iacocca. Mr. Ford said 鈥業鈥檓 not approving it but I鈥檓 not gonna tell you to stop,鈥� and so that was the beginning of the Mustang.鈥�
Halderman said he was proud of the work he did for Ford, especially his work on the Mustang. The car鈥檚 history is on display at the Halderman Barn Museum in Tipp City. The museum contains thousands of Mustang-related artifacts, and even several red Mustangs - three of them dating back to the 1960鈥檚.
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