Ford Mustang Architect Hal Sperlich Dies At 95: 'Lot Of People Who Make Great Cars But So Few Who Invent Segments Like Hal Did,' Says Jim Farley

Hal Sperlich, the automotive genius behind the Ford Mustang, passed away on Monday at 95.

What Happened: Sperlich is best known as the chief architect behind the Ford Mustang and the Chrysler minivan. A Detroit and Saginaw native, Sperlich trained to be an engineer at the University of Michigan. He joined Ford in 1957 as a product planner and went on to develop the Mustang.

After leaving Ford, Sperlich joined Chrysler in 1977 and directed the company’s engineering personnel to develop a front-wheel-drive platform that became the “K-Car” which later gave rise to the company’s minivans. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2009.

The news of his passing was first reported by Automotive News.

Ford CEO Responds: Ford CEO Jim Farley expressed his condolences on Tuesday in a post on social media platform X.

“We lost a product visionary in Hal Sperlich. He was also a friend and mentor to me, and many others.  Hal was a dare-to-be-different product planner who had vision, passion and knowledge of a customers' wants and needs,” Farley said. The CEO noted that Sperlich was behind the Ford Fiesta in addition to the Mustang.

“He didn't play it safe, and he was always focused on the whitespace and improving the company's capability. There are a lot of people who make great cars but so few who invent segments like Hal did with the Ford Mustang and later the Fiesta,” Farley said. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”

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Photo courtesy: Ford