L. David Ash

L. David Ash was an automotive stylist who worked variously in the Lincoln, Continental, Edsel and Ford studios at Ford Motor Company. He is known for his contributions to the styling of the Ford Mustang, Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental Mark III — and his innovative work on the Plexiglas skylights of the 1954 Ford Victoria Skyliner and Mercury Monterey Sun Valley — forerunners of today's moonroof. Ash, who ultimately received the title of Chief Stylist at Ford, died July 2, 1991.

At Ford, Ash worked with other interior and exterior Ford stylists and executives, including Joe Oros, John Najjar, Eugene Bordinat, John J. Nance, Bob Thomas, John Reinhart, Roy Brown, Ken Spencer, Larry Doyle, Dick Krafe, Bob MacGuire, Virginia VanBrunt, Helen Vincent — as well as designers outside Ford including George Barris and Gene Winfield. With Ford of Germany, he worked on the Ford Taunus project. Ash also worked on the styling of the Presidential Parade car — the vehicle in which U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

As Lee Iacocca's assistant general manager and chief engineer, Donald N. Frey, was the head engineer for the Mustang project — supervising the development of the Mustang in a record 18 months — while Iacocca himself championed the project as Ford Division general manager. The Mustang prototype was a two-seat, mid-mounted engine roadster, later remodeled as a four-seat car styled under the direction of Project Design Chief Joe Oros and his team of L. David Ash, Gale Halderman, and John Foster — in Ford's Lincoln–Mercury Division design studios, which produced the winning design in an intramural design contest instigated by Iacocca. Ash's styling exercise, originally internally named the Cougar, was the winning styling exercise.

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