[DeTomaso] L Bumpers—the designer’s story!
Asa Jay Laughton
asajay at asajay.com
Mon Jun 3 23:38:48 EDT 2019
Mike,
Thanks for sharing. I personally think they did a great job on the
bumper designs. I was one of those folks, early in my ownership who
thought of the conversion to pre-L bumpers. After owning it for a
while, I really started to like the look of the front and rear bumpers.
I felt they were a bit more functional and forgiving to the front and
rear bodywork. The split bumpers are a definite statement and look
really good on an original car. I still like the L model bumpers and
think Chris and his team did a great job in design.
Asa Jay
Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
Spokane County ARES-RACES EC/RO
******************************
http://w7tsc.org
http://www.teampanteraracing.com
On 6/3/2019 19:41, Mike Drew via DeTomaso wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I was fascinated to receive this a few minutes ago. All this time
> people (mostly thanks to Wally Wyss's books) attributed the design of
> the L-Model bumpers to Tom Tjaarda, as unlikely as that was considering
> the timeline of its introduction and the relationship between De Tomaso
> and Ford at that time. Turns out it was a kid working in an unknown
> corner of the Ford design studio in Detroit that came up with it! He
> writes:
>
> Hello Mr. Drew.
>
> I recently saw a great review of Jay Lenos
>
> [1]Pantera with your sharing background
>
> Data and history. It was exciting.
>
> I believe Jay's [2]Pantera was a 72 which was
>
> Pre 74 75 federal impact requirments, concerning high low impact,
> corner hits etc.
>
> Well, I am the retired Ford Designer who
>
> Was responsible for the front black impact
>
> Bumper and Tom Holka our studio engineer
>
> Defined,the simple, functional rear black
>
> Horizontal bumper.
>
> We both worked in Larry Shinoda's Ford
>
> Design studio. Stephen Scheer was executive
>
> Ken Nelson was studio chief. Tom Land
>
> Was my Design manager and I was a little
>
> Over 3 years into my tenure as a Senior
>
> Designer.
>
> The assignment to federalize the [3]Pantera
>
> Happened pretty quick. Less than a week.
>
> We were moving fast as talk of canceling
>
> [4]Pantera, due to the new and restrictive
>
> High and low hit federal impact rules
>
> Were going to destroy the aesthetic
>
> Of the 72 DeTomaso, Tom Tjaarda
>
> Design.
>
> Basically nobody wanted to touch the
>
> Assignment as a no win corporate
>
> Political process, besides....their
>
> Was an internal battle going on to
>
> Design, engineer an all new 1975
>
> [5]Pantera with integrated body color
>
> Front and rear bumpers with Lasers to
>
> Ghilbi flying buttress pillars. It was
>
> Pretty cool but we still had to get
>
> The current [6]Pantera to that timeline
>
> So I was given the ( see what the kid can
>
> Do) and if the project went south
>
> It was on me. I didn't care as it was
>
> Just exciting anyhow.
>
> Clay modeler was Sam Borg. Outstanding
>
> Modeler and artist. I did a quick sketch
>
> And Sam just made the sketch look
>
> So much better. I mean.....the hi and low
>
> Hit began to define the form.
>
> Black color was cost saving and it
>
> Just evolved in a short 3 or 4 days.
>
> One week total.
>
> The rear number was a bar...extended
>
> From the body and defined by a section
>
> That would be as non controversial
>
> As possible....and Tom Holka, studio
>
> Engineer was mostly responsible as
>
> There really was nothing aesthetic we could
>
> Do. The rear bumper was defined solely
>
> On function, with a little sex to the shape
>
> And that was it.
>
> Of course nobody liked the results
>
> And the thought at the time was
>
> Ford would move forward with all
>
> New 75 [7]Pantera....and these impact
>
> Bumpers placed on the pure 72
>
> Shape would be temporary.
>
> However, 75 Design theme was never
>
> Approved. There was some serious
>
> Political fallout from DeTomaso
>
> And the bean counters.
>
> Larry Shinoda at this time actually
>
> Proposed a brand new [8]Pantera
>
> Design that would be a Ford in house
>
> Proposal and had the backing
>
> Of Bunkie Knudsen. However the
>
> Political battles going on were
>
> Much darker than any of us could
>
> See and Mr. Iacocca was able to
>
> Do an end run around both
>
> Knudsen and Shinoda...with the new
>
> Concept of Shinoda's [9]Pantera Design
>
> Being killed at the little stage.
>
> It was of course, an absolute thrilling
>
> Design that would be iconic today
>
> If It had ever evolved to production.
>
> Anyhow. I thought you might Enjoy
>
> Some background on [10]Pantera trivia.
>
> I am semi retired. Inventing a few
>
> Concepts. Painting automotive fine
>
> Art and freelance Design etc.
>
> My latest Design concept that I've
>
> Been able to bring to maker with
>
> help of investor is a new Truck Bed
>
> Cap called AERO X from MVS.
>
> Kind of a radical out of the box fastback
>
> Truck cap that so far has been well
>
> Received....of course also criticized.
>
> It's not for everyone hah hah.
>
> Anyhow, I enjoyed your [11]Pantera
>
> Passion, and knowledge. I wish
>
> You the best and keep in touch
>
> If I can share a few stories from that
>
> Era.
>
> I was actually laid off from Ford Design
>
> During Arab oil crisis and never went
>
> Back. Spent,7 years in California
>
> And then in 82 came back to Detroit
>
> And joined ASC Design working
>
> For Mark Trostle and Mr. Heinz Prechter.
>
> Take care and many blessings.
>
> Cheers
> Christopher Dowdey
> PS Tom Holka is correct spelling of studio
> Engineer in Larry Shinoda's studio.
> He also worked on Bricklin design
> With Herb Grass after hours.
> Talented engineer....
> ----
> Wow. Almost 50 years later and we are still learning things about these
> cars every day!
> Mike
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> References
>
> 1. x-apple-data-detectors://0/
> 2. x-apple-data-detectors://1/
> 3. x-apple-data-detectors://3/
> 4. x-apple-data-detectors://4/
> 5. x-apple-data-detectors://5/
> 6. x-apple-data-detectors://6/
> 7. x-apple-data-detectors://7/
> 8. x-apple-data-detectors://8/
> 9. x-apple-data-detectors://9/
> 10. x-apple-data-detectors://11/
> 11. x-apple-data-detectors://12/
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
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-------------- next part --------------
Mike,
Thanks for sharing. I personally think they did a great job on the
bumper designs. I was one of those folks, early in my ownership who
thought of the conversion to pre-L bumpers. After owning it for a
while, I really started to like the look of the front and rear bumpers.
I felt they were a bit more functional and forgiving to the front and
rear bodywork. The split bumpers are a definite statement and look
really good on an original car. I still like the L model bumpers and
think Chris and his team did a great job in design.
Asa Jay
Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
Spokane County ARES-RACES EC/RO
******************************
[1]http://w7tsc.org
[2]http://www.teampanteraracing.com
On 6/3/2019 19:41, Mike Drew via DeTomaso wrote:
Hi guys,
I was fascinated to receive this a few minutes ago. All this time
people (mostly thanks to Wally Wyss's books) attributed the design of
the L-Model bumpers to Tom Tjaarda, as unlikely as that was considering
the timeline of its introduction and the relationship between De Tomaso
and Ford at that time. Turns out it was a kid working in an unknown
corner of the Ford design studio in Detroit that came up with it! He
writes:
Hello Mr. Drew.
I recently saw a great review of Jay Lenos
[1]Pantera with your sharing background
Data and history. It was exciting.
I believe Jay's [2]Pantera was a 72 which was
Pre 74 75 federal impact requirments, concerning high low impact,
corner hits etc.
Well, I am the retired Ford Designer who
Was responsible for the front black impact
Bumper and Tom Holka our studio engineer
Defined,the simple, functional rear black
Horizontal bumper.
We both worked in Larry Shinoda's Ford
Design studio. Stephen Scheer was executive
Ken Nelson was studio chief. Tom Land
Was my Design manager and I was a little
Over 3 years into my tenure as a Senior
Designer.
The assignment to federalize the [3]Pantera
Happened pretty quick. Less than a week.
We were moving fast as talk of canceling
[4]Pantera, due to the new and restrictive
High and low hit federal impact rules
Were going to destroy the aesthetic
Of the 72 DeTomaso, Tom Tjaarda
Design.
Basically nobody wanted to touch the
Assignment as a no win corporate
Political process, besides....their
Was an internal battle going on to
Design, engineer an all new 1975
[5]Pantera with integrated body color
Front and rear bumpers with Lasers to
Ghilbi flying buttress pillars. It was
Pretty cool but we still had to get
The current [6]Pantera to that timeline
So I was given the ( see what the kid can
Do) and if the project went south
It was on me. I didn't care as it was
Just exciting anyhow.
Clay modeler was Sam Borg. Outstanding
Modeler and artist. I did a quick sketch
And Sam just made the sketch look
So much better. I mean.....the hi and low
Hit began to define the form.
Black color was cost saving and it
Just evolved in a short 3 or 4 days.
One week total.
The rear number was a bar...extended
From the body and defined by a section
That would be as non controversial
As possible....and Tom Holka, studio
Engineer was mostly responsible as
There really was nothing aesthetic we could
Do. The rear bumper was defined solely
On function, with a little sex to the shape
And that was it.
Of course nobody liked the results
And the thought at the time was
Ford would move forward with all
New 75 [7]Pantera....and these impact
Bumpers placed on the pure 72
Shape would be temporary.
However, 75 Design theme was never
Approved. There was some serious
Political fallout from DeTomaso
And the bean counters.
Larry Shinoda at this time actually
Proposed a brand new [8]Pantera
Design that would be a Ford in house
Proposal and had the backing
Of Bunkie Knudsen. However the
Political battles going on were
Much darker than any of us could
See and Mr. Iacocca was able to
Do an end run around both
Knudsen and Shinoda...with the new
Concept of Shinoda's [9]Pantera Design
Being killed at the little stage.
It was of course, an absolute thrilling
Design that would be iconic today
If It had ever evolved to production.
Anyhow. I thought you might Enjoy
Some background on [10]Pantera trivia.
I am semi retired. Inventing a few
Concepts. Painting automotive fine
Art and freelance Design etc.
My latest Design concept that I've
Been able to bring to maker with
help of investor is a new Truck Bed
Cap called AERO X from MVS.
Kind of a radical out of the box fastback
Truck cap that so far has been well
Received....of course also criticized.
It's not for everyone hah hah.
Anyhow, I enjoyed your [11]Pantera
Passion, and knowledge. I wish
You the best and keep in touch
If I can share a few stories from that
Era.
I was actually laid off from Ford Design
During Arab oil crisis and never went
Back. Spent,7 years in California
And then in 82 came back to Detroit
And joined ASC Design working
For Mark Trostle and Mr. Heinz Prechter.
Take care and many blessings.
Cheers
Christopher Dowdey
PS Tom Holka is correct spelling of studio
Engineer in Larry Shinoda's studio.
He also worked on Bricklin design
With Herb Grass after hours.
Talented engineer....
----
Wow. Almost 50 years later and we are still learning things about these
cars every day!
Mike
Sent from my iPad
References
1. x-apple-data-detectors://0/
2. x-apple-data-detectors://1/
3. x-apple-data-detectors://3/
4. x-apple-data-detectors://4/
5. x-apple-data-detectors://5/
6. x-apple-data-detectors://6/
7. x-apple-data-detectors://7/
8. x-apple-data-detectors://8/
9. x-apple-data-detectors://9/
10. x-apple-data-detectors://11/
11. x-apple-data-detectors://12/
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References
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2. http://www.teampanteraracing.com/
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