(first posted 4/17/2018) Unquestionably, Henry Ford was one of the greatest pioneers in automotive history. Henry was able to build highly successful cars for a low price; yet he didn’t have much of an eye for style. It was his son Edsel who saw the importance of automotive styling. Edsel, a man of impeccable taste and style, was able to turn around the well-engineered but stodgy Lincoln into a beautifully designed automobile after Ford took ownership from Henry Leland. After Henry’s Model T was still on the market well past its expiry date, it was Edsel’s classic Model A design that helped turn around the Ford Motor Company.
Edsel had a vision to make Ford a leader in automotive design and searched for the talent to execute his vision. He had noticed the highly talented E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, who at only 22 years old already had experience designing yachts and had briefly worked under Harley Earl at General Motors. Edsel hired him in 1931, and by 1935, when Edsel created a styling department, he named Gregorie its head.