Famous names in US automotive history...

[CDailey]

...That are dead.

I am going to have to do a research paper and it has to be on a famous, dead American. I want to do a report on someone that had an impact on US automotive/racing history. The only person I can think of off the top of my head would be Henry Ford.

Any suggestions?

 

[pimp racer]

...That are dead.

I am going to have to do a research paper and it has to be on a famous, dead American. I want to do a report on someone that had an impact on US automotive/racing history. The only person I can think of off the top of my head would be Henry Ford.

Any suggestions?

Jim Hall I think is the founder Chaparral and Gerald Weigert founder of company Vector Automotive I believe. Thats all I know let me do some googleing and research.

 

[CDailey]

Thanks for the suggestions, pimp! I'll look around for some more. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[Ev0]

You might want to consider John Lingenfelter. He was a famous tuner, primarily for Corvettes. We had a thread on his passing a while ago, here's a link.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=44864&highlight=lingenfelter

 

[Ghost C]

Harley Earl. If it wasn't for him, we'd probably all still be driving around in cars styled in the 1920's.

http://hnn.us/articles/1145.html

 

[Joey D]

Edit didn't see the dead part

 

[xcsti]

Harley Earl. If it wasn't for him, we'd probably all still be driving around in cars styled in the 1920's.

http://hnn.us/articles/1145.html

Yeah Earl is a good choice, didn't he design the first corvette?
If it were a couple years later then you could do it on Carrol Shelby, unfortunetly.

 

[Jmac279]

David Buick invented the conventional OHV engine design which was extremely popular until the oil crisis in the 70s, when SOHC engines gained popularity due to their fuel efficiency ... Many engines still use this design, such as the Viper V10, the new Corvette's LS6, and most truck engines ...

William Durant (founder General Motors) ... Walter Chrysler ... Henry Ford ... Louis Chevrolet ... The Dodge brothers ... Lee Iacocca ... Harley Earl ... John Platner ... Zora Duntov ...

 

[Ghost C]

Yeah Earl is a good choice, didn't he design the first corvette?

Basically.

He also started clay modelling, wraparound windshields, tailfins, concept cars, and many, many other things. Earl's impact on automobiles is so massive that he's regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

Basically.

He also started clay modelling, wraparound windshields, tailfins, concept cars, and many, many other things. Earl's impact on automobiles is so massive that he's regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

We really see those a lot on modern cars, don't we?

Haha, just messing.

 

[Ghost C]

We really see those a lot on modern cars, don't we?

Haha, just messing.

My '91 DeVille has them :/

 

[slimer90210]

Harley Earl.

Earl

Harley Earl ...

I'd say Harley Earl.

If it were a couple years later then you could do it on Carrol Shelby, unfortunetly.

Was that really necessary?

 

[xcsti]

Was that really necessary?

Well given Shelby's Heart trouble and old age he probably won't be with us for along time longer. I didn't say unfortunatly in reference to his project as in "if Shelby were dead the project would be easy", but meant it as it will be unfortunate if he dies.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

Ok, that makes more sense, I, too, sorta took it as "too bad Shelby's not dead, or you could do it on him"

 

[CDailey]

Thanks guys. I think I'll do Harley Earl.

 

[slimer90210]

Ok, that makes more sense, I, too, sorta took it as "too bad Shelby's not dead, or you could do it on him"

Thats the way I read it too...

Thanks guys. I think I'll do Harley Earl.

Good luck with that...