The Enigma of an American Icon: 2nd Interview with Jerome Malinowski

Jerome Malinowski, a member of the original Ford Mustang design team in the early 1960s, shared his Ford expertise with a group of students at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. In Part 1 of Jerome’s interview with Autobytel, he discussed the history of the Mustang with Jason Mosery. For Part 2, Jerome and Jason head outside, where there were some great vintage and modern Fords for audio-visual aids. Jerome picked up where Part 1 left off, talking about his personal inspirations for designing cars. He wasn’t impressed with the trend of larger and heavier cars, and he wanted to keep the Mustang’s size and weight under control. Jerome was also a big fan of the side scoop, which helped bring fresh air into the car’s cabin. These design elements helped shape not only the first Mustang, but the direction for years to come, even though the car would inevitably evolve. Jerome was particularly fond of the lines and curves found in the 1965 version of the Mustang. He also helped design the Mustang’s emblem, with the red, white and blue stripes, which was a challenge because the car didn’t yet have a name. That emblem, though, is familiar to generations of Mustang fans, even as the car goes into a total redesign for 2015.

See Part 1 of the our series with Mustang deisgner, Jerome Malinokski.

Also, see the video interview with Jerome about the DNA of the Ford Mustang.