It was a windy autumn day in a very remote region of Southwest Oklahoma. I was in the USAF as an aircraft maintenance specialist and had nothing better to do on a Saturday than look at new cars that I couldn’t afford at a new car show. All the dealers in town were present including McPherson Ford of Altus, Oklahoma, where the all-new 1979 Ford Mustang was present.
I will admit to you I didn’t like it. It was just too different. All of the familiar Mustang nuances – the mouthy honeycomb Ferrari-like grille and simulated side scoops, tri-element taillights, and the traditional galloping pony were gone. We didn’t understand at the time we were getting a sneak peek at Ford’s future – a slippery aerodynamic pony car that set the stage for Ford and Mercury models to come in the 1980s.
The new Mustang and Fairmont/Zephyr sedans were but the beginning of a new generation of aero Fords with exceptional engineering improvements. It wasn’t only about styling, but also about quality. Fit and finish were vastly improved, with a long way to go on power and efficiency. That’s where Ford’s leadership and product planners had a lot of work ahead of them. There were huge hurdles to overcome.
Mustang enthusiasts at the time had never heard of an obscure Ford automotive designer-turned Ford Design VP – Jack Telnack – a design game-changer and trendsetter who would shape Ford’s future and get it back in the game. Telnack’s contributions cannot be overstated. What we didn’t know was, as a young stylist in the early 1960s, Telnack had a hand in the ‘65 Mustang’s styling under the tutorage of design bosses Gale Halderman and Joe Oros of the Ford Design Studio: Telnack designed the ‘65 Mustang’s five-spoke wheel covers.
Telnack has always, without apology, exuded confidence and has always been a passionate man in control of his destiny. From the time he was born in 1937 and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, Telnack was made of genuine Ford DNA and knew what he wanted. He wanted to work at Ford and design automobiles. He was a visionary who never had a doubt about what he wanted to do and how to get it.
Because Telnack’s father, who drove a ’41 Ford convertible, worked at Ford’s Dearborn Rouge complex for most of his career, the younger Telnack was able to see things most people would never see. His father took him to Ford Design for an intimate look at what went on behind the scenes – the secrets, successes, and failures of life in automotive design. Telnack saw the 1941 Lincoln and knew he wanted to become a designer at Ford. From then on, there was no stopping him.
By age 21, Jack had graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and was back home in Detroit with a new job as a designer at Ford in 1958. He walked into Ford Design as a young intern and made an immediate impression on Ford brass.
As Telnack molded his craft at Ford Design, his dreams began to unfold. He was handed design tasks that have become an integral part of the Americana. By 1965, he was running Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury design studio. A year later, he was at Ford Australia molding the legendary Aussie Falcon. By 1974, he was the Vice President of Design at Ford Europe.
Jack’s time in Europe further molded the way he viewed automobiles. He was deeply affected by the Audi Fox, which employed a lot of nice nuances he liked in an automobile. It wasn’t just about styling, but also about engineering – its four-link rear suspension and McPherson strut front suspension, interior ergonomics, seating, and creature comforts. He understood it was time for Ford to reinvent itself.
Telnack was so successful at Ford of Europe that he was shuttled home to Ford North America to help save Ford’s future – in particular the floundering Mustang line. From Telnack’s vision came the “Fox” platform, named for his Audi inspiration. On the Fox platform came the all-new Mustang, Capri, Fairmont, Zephyr, Thunderbird, Cougar, Lincoln Mark VII, and even the short-lived early 1980s Granada.
Telnack’s vision birthed a generation of Ford and Mercury automobiles that changed the direction of automotive styling and engineering. Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable for 1986 – slippery, enticing aero sedans – were smash hits. Tempo and Topaz were nice compact sedans for young families. The redesigned Escort and the sporty two-seat Escort EXP also came of Telnack’s vision.
It can be safely said the rare combination of both Ford President Donald Petersen and design chief Jack Telnack transformed Ford’s persona into a new generation of solid aerodynamic carlines that excited the senses. Petersen was determined to get car buyers back into the showrooms. He was a car guy who loved automobiles. Petersen’s “Have You Driven A Ford … Lately?” hit the airwaves with the energy of the 1980s. And Ford’s fortunes changed almost overnight.
As Ford segued into the 1990s, Telnack’s influence was felt there as well in the Ford Probe (which nearly became the next Mustang), redesigned Lincoln Town Car, slippery “DEW” platform Thunderbird, Cougar and Lincoln Mark VIII, and finally the redesigned “jelly bean” Taurus for 1996. By the time Telnack retired in the late 1990s, his influence on Ford had taken hold. Ford was back and was a force to be reckoned with.
I had the good fortune of sitting down with Jack Telnack during a visit to Ford in 2020. We spent a nice afternoon together. He could not have been more accommodating and was a remarkable human being who not only changed a car company, but the world around him. I had scripted questions, but went off script with a good heart-to-heart conversation with an automotive legend.
I’d find that Telnack was a kind, compassionate man who genuinely cared about humanity. His persona wasn’t just about the genius he exuded in his work, but in who he was. He cared deeply about education for all people and feeding the poor. The most solid impression I received from Jack Telnack was empathy and concern for others.
How his parents felt was of great concern to him. He wanted to drive out to Pasadena, California, to attend the Art Center College of Design. Grateful for their trust, he gave college his every effort and returned to a career at Ford. Easily the most anxious career moment for Jack was when he approached Henry Ford II about designing and building aerodynamic cars and trucks, which was a direction Ford had never taken. As the story is told, Mr. Ford was receptive to the idea, as was Donald Petersen.
Telnack is a free spirit who loves sailing along with designing virtually anything his imagination can muster. His talents transcend automotive styling – sculptures, architecture, painting, and free expression. He can be considered on a par with styling legends like Gale Halderman, Joseph Oros, Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, Larry Shinoda, Chuck Jordan, Tom Gale, Virgil Exner, E. Elwood Engel, and Ray Loewy, just to name a few exceptional designers.
Where Telnack stands out from the rest was his ability to change the buying public’s perception of Ford. Jack Telnack, with huge support from Ford management and a great engineering team, changed public perception, putting Ford in the spotlight at the end of the 20th century.
The 1979 Mustang was a radical change for the brand, employing styling nuances never before seen in the Mustang name. Although the ’65 Mustang had European styling, it was as all-American as the American West.
Jack Telnack (right) and his design team worked feverishly during the mid-1970s to conceive an all-new Mustang for the 1980s. It was time to reinvent the Ford pony car
Mustang Cobra for ’79 was striking to be sure. It’s carbureted 2.3L turbo four didn’t wow the crowds nor did its 5.0L-2V V-8. What did excite buyers was the Mustang’s styling and interior ergonomics. What’s more, it handled like Mustang had never handled before
Mustang GT returned for 1982 with cool body treatments and ground effects. Ford told us ‘The BOSS is Back!’ with the late Casey Kasem doing the energizing voiceover. The 1982 Mustang GT wasn’t a powerhouse, but it launched a new era of performance that would only become more pronounced with time
Telnack’s design team cleaned up the Mustang’s lines for 1983 with a pinch more power beneath the hood. Toward the end of the 1983 model year, Ford added the Thunderbird’s 2.3L Turbo Four and five-speed overdrive shifting to the option sheet. J. Walter Thompson, Ford’s ad agency, put Mustang GT in magazines, on billboards, and on television screens across the country
Donald Petersen conceived Ford’s Special Vehicles Operation (SVO) to create a special performance Mustang for the masses when Shelby wasn’t in the game at the time. Mustang SVO was an exotic pony car with competition suspension, intercooled turbo power, 16-inch wheels and Goodyear Gatorbacks, a unique interior with bolstered bucket seats, and SVO-specific body treatments
Ford’s Dearborn assembly plant built more than 6 million Mustangs throughout its production life. This was ‘Balance Out Day’ in September of 1986 before 1987 Mustang production began that fall
The 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra was undoubtedly the best the 1979-93 Mustang ever was and was the result of Telnack’s initial Fox Body vision
Ford Taurus was birthed via Telnack’s vision and imagination. This is the 1989 Taurus SHO (Super High Output), which was a high-performance sedan with exceptional road manners and brute V-6 performance, with comfort unmatched in an American sedan
Taurus was reinvented for 1996 with a slippery aero ‘jelly bean’ shell – disappointing for some, exciting for others. The 1986-95 Taurus was a crowd pleaser, but the radical change for ’96 was a mixed review, as buyers loved the first-generation Taurus.
Jack Telnack in the 1990s in the twilight of his career with Ford
FORD RACING PHOTOS / COURTESY JACK TELNACK & FORD MOTOR COMPANY
