The 1949 Ford: Politics, drama, & mystery!

As a designer and a car guy, I have always loved the 1949 Ford for the paradigm shift it brought to the automobile styling word. Super ahead of it's time with it's stark simplicity, it pioneered a new era in surfacing. What I didn't know, however was how much drama and conspiracy theory surrounds the conception of the design.

I found this old Ford PR video on YouTube, which outlines the design process as it is supposedly went.

But when you read the attached article, you will find that something entirely different went down, and it's crazy to think about how explosive or damaging  a secret like this would have been had it gotten out back then.

The Hemmings Article: "Styling Simulation-Did the 1949 Ford really begin life as a Studebaker design?"

Granted, this isn't new information. In fact, the article in hemmings is from '05, but I just came across it yesterday for the first time, so it's news to me! :) Whether or not you believe it all is up to you, but regardless the story is a very interesting piece of automotive design history!