Exclusive Interview: John Najjar
10/2/04, 08:29 AM
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John Najjar was an executive stylist for the 1962 Mustang I concept car and proposed the name "Mustang". I have been granted a rare, exclusive interview with Mr. Najjar in the coming weeks. Please post your questions here!
10/2/04, 08:37 AM
#2
Sweet!
My Questions -
Did he ever think that the so called 'secretarys car' would turn out to be so big?
How much of the Stang that he worked on actually made it to the '64?
Can you clear up where the name came from, i.e. P-52's, the horse etc?
Will you be purchasing an '05?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will be awesome Brad!
My Questions -
Did he ever think that the so called 'secretarys car' would turn out to be so big?
How much of the Stang that he worked on actually made it to the '64?
Can you clear up where the name came from, i.e. P-52's, the horse etc?
Will you be purchasing an '05?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This will be awesome Brad!
10/2/04, 09:08 AM
#3
Things I would like to know . . .
Why a 4-cylinder instead of an 8-cylinder?
Were they trying in emulate European cars (a la Lotus, MG, etc.) as opposed to the Corvette here in America with the I?
Was there EVER any thought about production?
Why a 4-cylinder instead of an 8-cylinder?
Were they trying in emulate European cars (a la Lotus, MG, etc.) as opposed to the Corvette here in America with the I?
Was there EVER any thought about production?
10/2/04, 10:05 AM
#4
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Some of the questions I'll be asking:
In a recent interview with Mustangs Monthly, Lee Iacocca said that the Mustang was named after the wild horse by Ford advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, but the story we all hear is that it was named after the P-51 airplane and that the name was settled after a 1963 Michigan Wolverines vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs college football game. What's your side of the story?
Several other names other than Mustang were proposed (Puma, Cheetah, Colt, Cougar, T-Bird II, Bronco, T-5, Special Falcon, and Torino). What were your thoughts on these names, and what was your reaction when you found that "Mustang" had been chosen?
I've been in recent contact with Holly Clark, Phil Clark's daughter. (Phil Clark designed the original Mustang logo.) Mr. Clark died when Holly was three. She didn't know until recently finding his photos in an attic that her father was involved with Mustang at all. What was your relationship with Mr. Clark? Did you agree on the Mustang logo at first? If not, what were your propositions for the design?
In a recent interview with Mustangs Monthly, Lee Iacocca said that the Mustang was named after the wild horse by Ford advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, but the story we all hear is that it was named after the P-51 airplane and that the name was settled after a 1963 Michigan Wolverines vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs college football game. What's your side of the story?
Several other names other than Mustang were proposed (Puma, Cheetah, Colt, Cougar, T-Bird II, Bronco, T-5, Special Falcon, and Torino). What were your thoughts on these names, and what was your reaction when you found that "Mustang" had been chosen?
I've been in recent contact with Holly Clark, Phil Clark's daughter. (Phil Clark designed the original Mustang logo.) Mr. Clark died when Holly was three. She didn't know until recently finding his photos in an attic that her father was involved with Mustang at all. What was your relationship with Mr. Clark? Did you agree on the Mustang logo at first? If not, what were your propositions for the design?
10/2/04, 09:27 PM
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A question I always wanted to know the answer to is:
Were you mad when Foed wanted to make the Mustang a FWD car (Probe)? I could probobly answer this myself but I am just curious as to what the creator of the first Mustang thought of this.
Were you mad when Foed wanted to make the Mustang a FWD car (Probe)? I could probobly answer this myself but I am just curious as to what the creator of the first Mustang thought of this.
in the late 70's?? :scratch: 
How did it make you feel to see such a lack of engineering judgement ?
10/4/04, 02:06 PM
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Yeah, it sold but it looks like a pinto/maverick that swallowed a mid 60's mustang. The only part of it that hints at it being a mustang are the headlight/grille area and side indentations, the rest of it is screaming pinto. And those taillights...?
10/5/04, 12:00 AM
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I would be curious to know what his thoughts are on the living legacy the mustang has grown into, and what he contributes to its success. I understand that because of the success, he prob wouldnt want to change much at all, but what kind of changes would he have made in 20/20 hindsight and/or what would he like to see from future designs of the Mustang.
Off topic.. thanks a ton for setting up this incrediable site Brad. Your keen attention to detail and rumor control have led this site to be the foremost web destination for all things Mustang. You deserve a grand thanks and just about everyone I serve with in the 437th AMXS (Shark Flight) Charleston Air Force Base, SC can't wait to see whats to come. Thanks again Brad.
:flag2: :usa: :usa:
Off topic.. thanks a ton for setting up this incrediable site Brad. Your keen attention to detail and rumor control have led this site to be the foremost web destination for all things Mustang. You deserve a grand thanks and just about everyone I serve with in the 437th AMXS (Shark Flight) Charleston Air Force Base, SC can't wait to see whats to come. Thanks again Brad.
:flag2: :usa: :usa:
10/5/04, 05:55 AM
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First: thank you very much Brad for this fantastic (to be) interview :worship: :worship:
Second: my questions "Have you owned any mustangs, if yes which ones ?" "Which mustang is your favourit ?" "What is according to you the reason why the mustang was and still is such a succes, in comparison to the Camaro for instance. In 67 the mustang outsold it 2 to 1, why ?"
Third: to 98GT, the mustang II maybe not the most beautiful or the fastest, but it did make the mustang servive....after all it IS a mustang and part of the hobby, no ?
Second: my questions "Have you owned any mustangs, if yes which ones ?" "Which mustang is your favourit ?" "What is according to you the reason why the mustang was and still is such a succes, in comparison to the Camaro for instance. In 67 the mustang outsold it 2 to 1, why ?"
Third: to 98GT, the mustang II maybe not the most beautiful or the fastest, but it did make the mustang servive....after all it IS a mustang and part of the hobby, no ?
10/11/04, 07:10 AM
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Why did they named best Mustang after snake (Cobra)? Why not something horse-related (Stallion maybe)?
Now, I know Mustang Stallion existed, but why did they got rid of that name? Why didn't they kept it instead of Cobra?
Now, I know Mustang Stallion existed, but why did they got rid of that name? Why didn't they kept it instead of Cobra?
10/22/04, 12:37 PM
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Here is the interview!
The Mustang Source: What was your role in the 1962 Mustang I’s design?
John Najjar: I was the Executive Stylist in charge of the Advanced and Pre-production Vehicles Studio, one of the many styling studios in the Design Center. My assignment was to provide the design for Canadian Cars, Tractors and Exploratory Vehicles. In February 1962 while participating in the Design Centers competition of creating a possible sports car, my side view layout proposal caught the eye of E. Bordinat, Head of the Design Center and Dan Gurney, a professional racing car personage.
They were touring the various Lincoln, Mercury and Ford studios assigned to the project. They reviewed a full size side view layout of my concept and liked what they saw. Mr. E. Bordinat gave me permission to drop the alternate clay models in the studio and to concentrate solely on this proposal.
Mr. Lee Iacocca, the Ford Division Vice President was appraised of the unique proposal and told that a model for viewing would be forthcoming. I contributed Designs for and Design direction to my Design Staff, headed by Jim Dardin, my Engineering staff headed by Ray Smith and my modeling staff headed by Joseph Seibold. The clay model of the Mustang was completed for showing within three weeks!
TMS: Working on that early prototype, could you have possibly foreseen Mustang’s success?
JN: No, not in my wildest dreams did I foresee the Mustang’s future! I only saw the initial success that came from within the Design Center’s competition for a sport car.
TMS: I've been in recent contact with Holly Clark, Phil Clark's daughter. (Phil Clark designed the Mustang logo.) Mr. Clark died when Holly was three, and she didn't know until recently finding his photos in an attic that her father was involved with Mustang at all. What was your relationship with Mr. Clark? Did you two agree on the Mustang logo at first? If not, what were your propositions for the design?
JN: Phil Clark was one of the designers assigned to Jim Dardin for the purpose of creating designs for our studio. He was given the task of rendering an emblem for the “Mustang”. He combined the running pony with the vertical tri-colored bars. It was a natural because the hard vertical straight lines of the bars counterbalanced the movement and fluidity of the horse! In addition the red, blue and white bars gave color contrast to the emblem. We made bas-relief cardboard drawings of the emblem and mounted them on the clay model. The emblem established the identity of “Mustang” for the vehicle.
TMS: I have a sketch by Phil Clark of a hardtop Mustang I concept. I believe it was called Project 2+2. Was the first concept originally slated to be a hardtop/fastback? How far did that idea go?
JN: The studio designers made many sketches showing the original Mustang I in different configurations. Only the open driver’s compartment was considered for our model. Later, when the project developed in the Ford Studio as a production vehicle, alternate designs were considered. The first production Mustang was always shown as a hardtop. The design for a fast back addition was developed later.
TMS: Why did that showcar feature a 4-cylinder engine instead of an 8-cylinder?
JN: We wanted to keep the engine compartment as small as possible. The Cardinal engine program was sent to Germany for their production. It was produced as the Taunus 12/15 M. some 2.5 million units were sold in the European market between 1962 and 1970. So we had an immediate small size engine available and used it in the Mustang proposal! Ironically, I had worked on the Cardinal program and was familiar with its engine.
TMS: How many Mustang Is were produced?
JN: Troutman and Barnes of California made the one operable Mustang. The Design Center fabricated a fiberglass for display and photography. The Design Center also created two 1/0 sized Mustang models, one was for Mr. E. Bordinat and the other one was made for presentation to various colleges around the country to show Ford Motor’s interest in the future.
TMS: How much of your work on Mustang made it into production in 1964? What were some of your ideas that didn’t make it?
JN: Only the Name and the logo made it into production! In the summer of 1963 I was transferred to the Interiors of the Ford Design Studio where I led the interior design of the production Mustang. I was responsible for the 1964 ½ Mustang Interior as well as all the other Ford car line interiors. In the normal course of the designing, several proposals are shown for every item and only a few of the designs are selected. A Tonneau Shield to cover the rear seat was rejected.
TMS: What Mustangs do you own or have owned?
JN: I do not own a Mustang at this time. I have owned ten Mustangs in the past. One, I had modified by installing straight exhaust pipes. My interest faded with the advent of the 1964 Thunderbird.
TMS: Was Ford trying to emulate European cars (i.e. Lotus, MG, etc.) as opposed to the Corvette here in America with the Mustang I?
JN: Herb Misch, VP of Engineering assigned Roy Lunn, Vehicles Concept Department as the lead man for the engineering development of the “Mustang”. Mr. Roy Lunn had been recently imported from Europe and he immediately took charge and studied the field of probable competitors for the proposed Mustang. The Corvette was not one of them.
The competition he listed was: The Alfa Romeo, Giuletta Spyder, The Fiat, 1500 Cabriolet, The MG, 1600 Mark II, The Porsche, 1600N, The Sunbeam, Alpine Mark II and The Triumph, TR4.
The Mustang was developed to meet both the SCCA and FIA sports car road racing requirements of the day and also incorporated everything necessary for street driving!
TMS: Was there ever any thought about mass-producing the I or II?
JN: No, it was never considered for production, it was too narrow a market.
TMS: In a recent interview with Mustangs Monthly, Lee Iacocca said that the Mustang was named after the wild horse by Ford advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, but the story we all hear is that it was named after the P-51 airplane and that the name was settled after a 1963 Michigan Wolverines vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs college football game. What's your side of the story?
JN: I dreamed up the name for the special vehicle being developed in our studio. It was named after the famed Mustang P-51 fighter aircraft. In a studio meeting, R. H. Maguire, (my boss) and I were discussing a list of names, he objected to the use of the fighter plane as an emblem on a car! I immediately countered with the wild horse description from the dictionary. All debating ceased and the Mustang name and emblem became a natural for the car!
TMS: Several other names other than Mustang were proposed (Puma, Cheetah, Colt, Cougar, T-Bird II, Bronco, T-5, Special Falcon, and Torino). What were your thoughts on these names, and what was your reaction when you found that "Mustang" had been chosen?
JN: I was elated! Of course everyone became the father of the idea since that time!
The Mustang name on the concept vehicle established its primacy in the Design Center. When it came time to select a name for the Production car, “Mustang” was only one of the names up for decision.
TMS: What were your thoughts when you heard Ford was considering making Mustang a front-wheel drive car for the 1994 model year?
JN: I was well into my own interests and didn’t consider what affect the front wheel drive would have on the appearance of the Mustang or its road advantages.
TMS: What are your thoughts on the "retro" design of the 2005 model, and do you plan to purchase one?
JN: Although I still dream about the look of cars and I would do things a little differently if I were to design the “retro” design for 2005.
I will not be buying one for myself, my aging body permits me to drive the conventional four door sedan! At age 86, I am lucky to still be driving!
It was a pleasure to answer the questions about the Mustang from my vantage point after all these years. It is quite rewarding to hear of the interest in the Mustang, the magic of its name borne by the horse, the airplane and the automobile is still exciting.
Joseph Oros was the Chief Stylist of the Ford Exterior Design studio encompassing the Mustang and would have a personal slant on the creation of the production Mustang. He may be interested in some of the questions you may pose. I participated in the evolution of the "Mustang" and was involved in the concepts for the original Mustang I, Mustang II and the interiors for the production Mustang.
The Mustang Source: What was your role in the 1962 Mustang I’s design?
John Najjar: I was the Executive Stylist in charge of the Advanced and Pre-production Vehicles Studio, one of the many styling studios in the Design Center. My assignment was to provide the design for Canadian Cars, Tractors and Exploratory Vehicles. In February 1962 while participating in the Design Centers competition of creating a possible sports car, my side view layout proposal caught the eye of E. Bordinat, Head of the Design Center and Dan Gurney, a professional racing car personage.
They were touring the various Lincoln, Mercury and Ford studios assigned to the project. They reviewed a full size side view layout of my concept and liked what they saw. Mr. E. Bordinat gave me permission to drop the alternate clay models in the studio and to concentrate solely on this proposal.
Mr. Lee Iacocca, the Ford Division Vice President was appraised of the unique proposal and told that a model for viewing would be forthcoming. I contributed Designs for and Design direction to my Design Staff, headed by Jim Dardin, my Engineering staff headed by Ray Smith and my modeling staff headed by Joseph Seibold. The clay model of the Mustang was completed for showing within three weeks!
TMS: Working on that early prototype, could you have possibly foreseen Mustang’s success?
JN: No, not in my wildest dreams did I foresee the Mustang’s future! I only saw the initial success that came from within the Design Center’s competition for a sport car.
TMS: I've been in recent contact with Holly Clark, Phil Clark's daughter. (Phil Clark designed the Mustang logo.) Mr. Clark died when Holly was three, and she didn't know until recently finding his photos in an attic that her father was involved with Mustang at all. What was your relationship with Mr. Clark? Did you two agree on the Mustang logo at first? If not, what were your propositions for the design?
JN: Phil Clark was one of the designers assigned to Jim Dardin for the purpose of creating designs for our studio. He was given the task of rendering an emblem for the “Mustang”. He combined the running pony with the vertical tri-colored bars. It was a natural because the hard vertical straight lines of the bars counterbalanced the movement and fluidity of the horse! In addition the red, blue and white bars gave color contrast to the emblem. We made bas-relief cardboard drawings of the emblem and mounted them on the clay model. The emblem established the identity of “Mustang” for the vehicle.
TMS: I have a sketch by Phil Clark of a hardtop Mustang I concept. I believe it was called Project 2+2. Was the first concept originally slated to be a hardtop/fastback? How far did that idea go?
JN: The studio designers made many sketches showing the original Mustang I in different configurations. Only the open driver’s compartment was considered for our model. Later, when the project developed in the Ford Studio as a production vehicle, alternate designs were considered. The first production Mustang was always shown as a hardtop. The design for a fast back addition was developed later.
TMS: Why did that showcar feature a 4-cylinder engine instead of an 8-cylinder?
JN: We wanted to keep the engine compartment as small as possible. The Cardinal engine program was sent to Germany for their production. It was produced as the Taunus 12/15 M. some 2.5 million units were sold in the European market between 1962 and 1970. So we had an immediate small size engine available and used it in the Mustang proposal! Ironically, I had worked on the Cardinal program and was familiar with its engine.
TMS: How many Mustang Is were produced?
JN: Troutman and Barnes of California made the one operable Mustang. The Design Center fabricated a fiberglass for display and photography. The Design Center also created two 1/0 sized Mustang models, one was for Mr. E. Bordinat and the other one was made for presentation to various colleges around the country to show Ford Motor’s interest in the future.
TMS: How much of your work on Mustang made it into production in 1964? What were some of your ideas that didn’t make it?
JN: Only the Name and the logo made it into production! In the summer of 1963 I was transferred to the Interiors of the Ford Design Studio where I led the interior design of the production Mustang. I was responsible for the 1964 ½ Mustang Interior as well as all the other Ford car line interiors. In the normal course of the designing, several proposals are shown for every item and only a few of the designs are selected. A Tonneau Shield to cover the rear seat was rejected.
TMS: What Mustangs do you own or have owned?
JN: I do not own a Mustang at this time. I have owned ten Mustangs in the past. One, I had modified by installing straight exhaust pipes. My interest faded with the advent of the 1964 Thunderbird.
TMS: Was Ford trying to emulate European cars (i.e. Lotus, MG, etc.) as opposed to the Corvette here in America with the Mustang I?
JN: Herb Misch, VP of Engineering assigned Roy Lunn, Vehicles Concept Department as the lead man for the engineering development of the “Mustang”. Mr. Roy Lunn had been recently imported from Europe and he immediately took charge and studied the field of probable competitors for the proposed Mustang. The Corvette was not one of them.
The competition he listed was: The Alfa Romeo, Giuletta Spyder, The Fiat, 1500 Cabriolet, The MG, 1600 Mark II, The Porsche, 1600N, The Sunbeam, Alpine Mark II and The Triumph, TR4.
The Mustang was developed to meet both the SCCA and FIA sports car road racing requirements of the day and also incorporated everything necessary for street driving!
TMS: Was there ever any thought about mass-producing the I or II?
JN: No, it was never considered for production, it was too narrow a market.
TMS: In a recent interview with Mustangs Monthly, Lee Iacocca said that the Mustang was named after the wild horse by Ford advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, but the story we all hear is that it was named after the P-51 airplane and that the name was settled after a 1963 Michigan Wolverines vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs college football game. What's your side of the story?
JN: I dreamed up the name for the special vehicle being developed in our studio. It was named after the famed Mustang P-51 fighter aircraft. In a studio meeting, R. H. Maguire, (my boss) and I were discussing a list of names, he objected to the use of the fighter plane as an emblem on a car! I immediately countered with the wild horse description from the dictionary. All debating ceased and the Mustang name and emblem became a natural for the car!
TMS: Several other names other than Mustang were proposed (Puma, Cheetah, Colt, Cougar, T-Bird II, Bronco, T-5, Special Falcon, and Torino). What were your thoughts on these names, and what was your reaction when you found that "Mustang" had been chosen?
JN: I was elated! Of course everyone became the father of the idea since that time!
The Mustang name on the concept vehicle established its primacy in the Design Center. When it came time to select a name for the Production car, “Mustang” was only one of the names up for decision.
TMS: What were your thoughts when you heard Ford was considering making Mustang a front-wheel drive car for the 1994 model year?
JN: I was well into my own interests and didn’t consider what affect the front wheel drive would have on the appearance of the Mustang or its road advantages.
TMS: What are your thoughts on the "retro" design of the 2005 model, and do you plan to purchase one?
JN: Although I still dream about the look of cars and I would do things a little differently if I were to design the “retro” design for 2005.
I will not be buying one for myself, my aging body permits me to drive the conventional four door sedan! At age 86, I am lucky to still be driving!
It was a pleasure to answer the questions about the Mustang from my vantage point after all these years. It is quite rewarding to hear of the interest in the Mustang, the magic of its name borne by the horse, the airplane and the automobile is still exciting.
Joseph Oros was the Chief Stylist of the Ford Exterior Design studio encompassing the Mustang and would have a personal slant on the creation of the production Mustang. He may be interested in some of the questions you may pose. I participated in the evolution of the "Mustang" and was involved in the concepts for the original Mustang I, Mustang II and the interiors for the production Mustang.
