Re: observations on car design

[dave weil <dweil2@telesouth1.com>]

It was written:

"Bubble Cars! I think it started with the Ford Taurus,

"actually it was the tempo/topaz (83? 84?) that introduced ford's
jellybean look...

frank"

Nope.  'twas the Taurus.  Check out the book "Reinventing The Wheels -
Ford's Spectacular Comeback" by Alton F. Goody and Rod Bingaman (isbn
0-06-097293-9) for the gory details.

Here's the first bit from the chapter "Taurus - A Bright New
Constellation"

Some called it a "jellybean," a "flying potato"-and worse.  some said it
was merely a copy of Germany's aerodynamically styled Audi 5000.  Others
predicted it would never win the hearts of citizens in America's
heartland.  But Ford was to have its new car, the distinctively
different car-the *unique* car-that Philip Caldwell had hoped for.
<snip>
It was the Taurus.  And it was, in the opinion of most qualified
automotive observers as well as that of many ordinary car buyers, the
freshest, most imaginative and carefully thoughtout product to emerge
from Detroit in practically anyone's memory.  No American car had ever
been conceived as purposefully, planned as painstakingly, or produced as
intelligently and efficiently."

This  book documents the turnaround of Ford, and they make the case that
the Taurus (the idea and the planning and execution)  is the one thing
that did the trick (Team Taurus got its name in 1980 and a whole new
concept in autos was started.)

Here's what you were probably referring to:

"We've also seen that Ford began easing the new aero look into the
American public eye in 1983 with the Thunderbird, Cougar, Tempo, Topaz,
and Lincoln Mark VII."  <snip> "...but Ford was concerned about the
*mass* market, where big volume sales were at stake.  That's where the
Tempo and Topaz compacts played an important role in helping to
condition the public for what was to come later.  The 1983-84 Tempo and
topaz were aerodynamically styled, but not nearly to the degree that was
planned for the Taurus and Topaz."

This is a very interesting book about the hinging of the future of an
American car company on bold thinking, long-range planning, and a bit of
daring do.  And a single car.  A must-read (and a read that should take
you all of about a day and a half.)

...and lots of Audi mentions too...<g>

d(just thowing a little documentation into the mix)weil