Drove a 2010 Mustang GT today.

blodi

blodi

Legendary Member
Joined
6 June 2005
Messages
2,301
Location
Farmington Hills, MI
As some of you know I was a designer for Ford Motor Company for 5 years. Times being what they are in the auto industry I was let go last summer as about 50% of the designers were. But during my time there, one of the major highlights was getting to work on the 2010 Mustang. Love the Mustang or not, it was an honor to get to work on such and icon of the automotive world. I was on the Interior Design team.
Last night my former manager who I worked with on the Mustang called me up and let me know he just picked up his 2010 Mustang GT convertible and brought it by. It was the first time I got to sit in and drive a production version of the car. Its funny to sit in a "new" car that you have now seen for 4 years. I did the first sketches on the interior door panel back in the summer of 2005.
Driving wise, it felt the same to me as the 05-09 car. Certainly apples/oranges to the NSX, so I won't even bother with those comparisons.
The stang should be a whole different animal for the 2011 year with the new engines coming out for it though.
Anyways, here are some pics...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3428671583/" title="DSC01748-1 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3428671583_9ae467b76b_o.jpg" width="978" height="734" alt="DSC01748-1" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3428671821/" title="DSC01759-1 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3428671821_995afc2dec_o.jpg" width="978" height="734" alt="DSC01759-1" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3428674075/" title="DSC01757-1 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3428674075_5fcc0322b8_o.jpg" width="978" height="734" alt="DSC01757-1" /></a>

and my ugly mug next to my door.....
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3428674363/" title="DSC01756-1 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3641/3428674363_82caf7a110_o.jpg" width="978" height="734" alt="DSC01756-1" /></a>

Certainly the highlight of my career so far...but I'm only 28....:smile:
 
Yes, I did the door, the seats and lots of other little stuff. There is actually a lot of my 98 528i in the seat and door inserts on the premium package which this one didn't have...haha.
Strangely there is more NSX, I would say, in the door I did for the 2011 Ford Edge.
 
Last edited:
I have alot of respect for what you guys do. A customer of ours used to work in Ohio on the interior design team for Honda and Acura. He lives out here now and works for Boeing. When the 09 TL came out, he was one of the first people to come check it out. It was the last car he worked on before he quit the company years ago. He hadn't seen the TL since it was clay. I sat in the car with him for about an hour as he described several design features. I never knew what was involved to design an air vent that most people never give a second thought!
 
White92 said:
I have alot of respect for what you guys do. A customer of ours used to work in Ohio on the interior design team for Honda and Acura. He lives out here now and works for Boeing. When the 09 TL came out, he was one of the first people to come check it out. It was the last car he worked on before he quit the company years ago. He hadn't seen the TL since it was clay. I sat in the car with him for about an hour as he described several design features. I never knew what was involved to design an air vent that most people never give a second thought!
Click to expand...

So true, its amazing the amount of thought and time that goes into any part in a car. Not only does it have to look good to us designers and design management, it has to meet ergonomic requirements, safety requirements, cost requirements, and be feasible to build. Take that door for example, it adds yet another complexity, it is completely the same sheet metal underneath as the 05-09 car. Meaning all the "hard points"..speakers, release handle, door lock..etc, etc had to remain in the same place as before...
But thats what I enjoy about what I do, not just the designing, but the problem solving of it.
 
blodi said:
I know, but I got mine out for a bit before my boss showed up and did some "hot laps" up and down 96 a bit. Felt really good to get it out and open it up.
Click to expand...
Excellent!
The Bilsteins feel great, and we're getting the front tires scrubbed a little (and pressures sorted) before we get an alignment :wink:

Brian
 
So how does the future look for a young designer with a solid resume such as yours?
 
You are a cool dude. Sucks to hear about the layoffs. :frown:

I hope you keep coming out with great products for the community and you will have def have my support. :biggrin:
 
davidf said:
Sorry to hear your layoff. Since FoMoCo is'nt on the bailout list I figured they were doing better than most.:confused:
Click to expand...

I think they are doing better because they made such drastic cuts and have been very conservative about their spending for a while now.

docjohn said:
So how does the future look for a young designer with a solid resume such as yours?
Click to expand...
Hard to say. I have been working as a freelance designer through a local design firm since last summer doing commerical truck design. Its cool, but I don't know how long it will last. My hope it to be able to do it long enough until the auto industry turns around and I can get back into it. Maybe I am just asking for it again. :redface:

fourringpilot said:
You are a cool dude. Sucks to hear about the layoffs. :frown:

I hope you keep coming out with great products for the community and you will have def have my support. :biggrin:
Click to expand...

Thanks for all of your support Justin!

NeoNSX said:
That's awesome -- now you just need to buy a spare door and mount it on your livingroom wall. :D Well done
Click to expand...

Now that is an awesome idea! Might not go great in the living room, but would be perfect in my home office. I am going to think about who I can call to get one.
 
Ryan,

I can't tell you how awesome that is!
If you don't mind me asking, what degree do you have?
 
Daedalus said:
What tools do you use? I-DEAS? SolidWorks?
Click to expand...

I and most auto designers use Alias for 3D work. At Ford we had our own digital modelers though, so all of the final modeling was done by them. They use CATIA mainly.


myguitar said:
Ryan,

I can't tell you how awesome that is!
If you don't mind me asking, what degree do you have?
Click to expand...
Thanks, I have a BFA in Industrial Design from CCS (college for creative studies) here in Detriot. It and Art Centre in Pasadena, CA are probably the top two schools in the country for product/automotive design.
I went to engineering school for a year prior to that back home in Iowa before I figured out how to get into car design.
 
H-carWizKid said:
Soooo...

What can you tell us about design "easter eggs"? Subtle messages built into vehicle design. I like the vanity mirror covers on the new Stang. Who's idea was that?

I read about them over on Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/5249237/the-2010-ford-mustang-gt-has-a

P
Click to expand...

Ha, I never even knew about that. Must have been done after I had moved onto another program. I haven't seen any easter eggs while I was there, but I have heard of designers in years past putting their name or something into the back side of a panel they designed.
 
blodi said:
Ha, I never even knew about that. Must have been done after I had moved onto another program. I haven't seen any easter eggs while I was there, but I have heard of designers in years past putting their name or something into the back side of a panel they designed.
Click to expand...

Kind of like doctors who carve or burn their initials inside of a patient, but in a good way. :smile:
 
And did you hear about the new Camaro Easter Egg? It's all in the exterior design and shape. GM designers are paying homage to the classic brick. The popular tool used by camaro owners to "Safely" prop up their pride and joy while wrenching on it every sunday afternoon.

streetleftsidebricks.jpg


DSC_0035.JPG
 
KooLaid said:
And did you hear about the new Camaro Easter Egg? It's all in the exterior design and shape. GM designers are paying homage to the classic brick. The popular tool used by camaro owners to "Safely" prop up their pride and joy while wrenching on it every sunday afternoon.

streetleftsidebricks.jpg


DSC_0035.JPG
Click to expand...

I must have lived in a rich area. Everyone used cinder blocks there.:smile:
 
That Camaro is one sharp ride. It's getting great reviews (both the v6 and the v8) too.

I really hope Ford and Chevy sell a ton of these cars.

-J
 

Similar threads

N-Wing
TSW Nurburgring Custom Finished Wheels with Caps (CT Pickup)
Replies
0
Views
1K
N-Wing
N-Wing
blodi
10 years of ownership!
Replies
9
Views
1K
blodi
blodi
91 X
What non exotic car(s) are you currently drooling over???
2 3 4
Replies
99
Views
15K
BamaFan
BamaFan
91 X
H&R installed yesterday....
Replies
7
Views
2K
91 X
91 X
NSX69
New Patent Images Preview Baby NSX Interior
Replies
2
Views
2K
N Spec
N Spec
Back
Top