The promo for the book, which was published in the fall of 2018, does a great job of explaining what you should expect once you start reading, so yes, the publisher, Car Tech, does a nice job of setting the stage for the reader:

“Without question, the 1964-1/2 Mustang is one of the most important and influential cars in automotive history. When Ford launched the Mustang, it created an automotive revolution. Award-winning designer and stylist Gale Halderman was at the epicenter of the action at Ford, and, in fact, his initial design sketch formed the basis of the new Mustang. He reveals his involvement in the project as well as telling the entire story of the design and development of the Mustang.

“Authors and Mustang enthusiasts James Dinsmore and James Halderman go beyond the front doors at Ford into the design center, testing grounds, and Ford facilities to get the real, unvarnished story. Gale Halderman offers a unique behind-the-scenes perspective and firsthand account of the inception, design, development, and production of the original Mustang. With stinging losses from the Edsel fresh in minds at Ford, the Mustang project was an uphill battle from day one. Lee Iacocca and his assembled team had a herculean task to convince Henry Ford II to take a risk on a new concept of automobile, but with the help of Hal Sperlich s detailed market research, the project received the green light. Henry Ford II made it clear that jobs were on the line, including Iacocca s, if it failed.

“The process of taking a car from sketch to clay model to prototype to preproduction and finally finished model is retraced in insightful detail. During the process, many fascinating experimental cars, such as the Mustang I two-seater, Mustang II prototype, Mustang Allegro, and Shorty, were built. But eventually the Mustang, based on the existing Ford Falcon, received the nod for final production. In a gala event, it was unveiled at the World’s Fair in New York. The Mustang received public accolades and critical acclaim, and soon it became a runaway hit. After the initial success, Ford designers and Gale Halderman designed and developed the first fastback Mustangs to compliment the coupes. The classic Mustang muscle cars to follow, including the GT, Mach 1, and others, are profiled as well.

“The Mustang changed automotive history and ushered in the pony car era as a nimble, powerful, and elegantly styled sports coupe. But it could so easily have stumbled and wound up on the scrap pile of failed new projects. This is the remarkable and dramatic story of how the Mustang came to life, the demanding design and development process, and, ultimately, the triumph of the iconic American car.”

In this book you’ll find much of Gale’s own firsthand perspective, as well as so many of those wonderful stories that Halderman had shared personally with those lucky enough to have met him. Gale’s respect for Ford product guru Sperlich, Ford Design chief Gene Bordinat and his deep friendship with his studio boss and co-designer Oros, can be felt at each turn of the page, and rightfully so. Plus, there are plenty of interesting sidebars in the book about the people and projects that any real Mustang fan would want to know about.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any other book that tells the story of a car from inside of the design studio quite like this one does – and all from the very man who made Mustang magic happen. And unlike what happened to Gale – where for years the media reports had overlooked him to give full Mustang design credit to David Ash or Oros – Gale gave due credit to those who styled Mustangs under his watch. The fact that Gale heaped praise on Ken Spencer, the stylist on the 1969 Fastback, for example, prove that point.

Dinsmore and James Halderman show a knack for letting Gale’s views come shining through in this book, without trying to temper his opinions. It’s refreshing to see they were able to capture the spirit of the same Gale Halderman that so many fans have come to know and respect over the years. Ford Performance was glad to support the effort by securing historical photos from the Ford Archives from our files, and by penning the book’s Foreword. Beyond the visuals and the use of Gale’s own storytelling, the authors also did a nice job of putting Mustang in the proper context, both from the industry and the consumer side of things.

All in all, Mustang By Design provides a treasure trove of insight on the design story behind the iconic Ford Mustang, as well as a close look into the life of one of Ford’s most iconic designers, Gale Halderman. There is much for you to enjoy on each and every page, and even if you wind up paying the full list price of $42.95, it’s worth every cent. It can likely be had from Amazon for less, but the smart buy would be to get an author-signed copy from Gale’s daughter, Karen (lawnnut@yahoo.com), who is still operating the Halderman Museum on Gale’s homestead in Tipp City, Ohio, as an ongoing tribute to her late father.

Mustang By Design: Gale Halderman and the Creation of Ford’s Iconic Pony Car

By Jimmy Dinsmore and James Halderman

Published by Car Tech

Hardbound, 176 pages and 250-plus photos
ISBN-10 : 1613254075 / ISBN-13 : 978-1613254073



FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JOHN M. CLOR and FORD MOTOR COMPANY ARCHIVES