Vale Gale Halderman, designer of the Mustang.
DESIGNER OF the original Ford Mustang, Gale Halderman, died today at the Upper Valley Medical Center, a family spokesman has said. The last surviving designer of the iconic Pony car was 87.
Halderman is known as the man behind the scenes of the Mustang, having penned the original shape of a model that would be produced continuously across six-generations and for more than five decades. While it was Lee Iacocca who was known as the father of the Mustang, Halderman is its creator. The Mustang went on to sell more than 8 million units.
Appointed family spokesperson and author of Mustang by Design: Gale Halderman and the Creation of Ford’s Iconic Pony Car, Jimmy Dinsmore, said: “To have lived 87 years and to have designed something that is part of pop culture and automotive history, he had such an impact.
“He did it in such a humble way that has touched the heart of every Mustang enthusiast out there. As great of a designer as he was, he was an even better human being. The most striking thing about the 40-year Ford employee was Halderman’s humility. For many years, Halderman did not receive much attention for being the Mustang’s original designer, preferring to let others take the credit.
“When he went back to their Christmas dinners and such, he would be seated at the table with Mr. Ford,” Dinsmore added.
Born in 1933, Halderman was to be a Ford employee for forty years. The designer completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dayton and a further Industrial Design degree from the Dayton Art Institute. He went on to serve positions as the director and executive director of the Ford Design Studio, Advanced Design Studio, Interior Design Studio, and Lincoln-Mercury Design Studio.
Ultimately, the designer of the Mustang was to lose a brief battle with liver cancer, said a family spokesperson. Halderman is survived by his three daughters, and his life’s collection of drawings, designs, sketches, and Mustang memorabilia can be viewed by appointment at the Halderman Barn Museum on his family estate in Tipp City, Ohio. Halderman is a member of the Mustang Hall of Fame.
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