(first posted 9/7/2018) When Lee Iacocca was promoted to Ford Division General Manager in 1960, his disdain for the boxy and dull Falcon was palpable. It was eating big Ford sales and generating compact profits. Meanwhile Chevy was on a hot roll with its sporty Monza that didn’t cannibalize big Chevy sales. He couldn’t wait to turn the Falcon into something with a lot more sex appeal and higher margins.
When Lee took over Chrysler in 1978, there were some similarities, as the boxy and decidedly not sexy K-cars were in the final stages of their development. But this time Lee had to show some love for them, as the K-Cars were the only hope of saving Chrysler, which would then allow him to do what he really wanted to do: Sell cars with some audible sizzle. Soon enough…