Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Matthew Dresch

Lee Iacocca dead: Car industry icon who helped create Ford Mustang dies at 94

US car industry legend Lee Iacocca, who played a major role in the development of the Ford Mustang, has died aged 94.

Lee led two US car manufacturers in his life and was celebrated for his role in rescuing Chrysler from the brink of bankruptcy in the 1980s.

He served as the president of Ford Motor Company from 1970 to 1978, before taking up a role as the head of Chrysler in 1979.

The motor industry icon passed away on Tuesday from natural causes and is survived by two daughters and eight grandchildren, CNN reports.

Lee was fired from Ford in 1978 (Bettmann Archive)
The car manufacturing icon played a key role in the creation of the Ford Mustang (Getty Images)

Lee famously starred in Chrysler TV adverts and became known for his catchphrase 'if you can find a better car, buy it.'

When he was the head of Chrysler, he won a place in business history by cutting his salary to a dollar a year and securing $1.2billion (£952million) in federally guaranteed loans and persuading suppliers, dealers and union workers to make sacrifices.

He was born in Pennsylvania to Italian immigrant parents in 1924, joining Ford as an engineer after finishing university.

Lee died at his home in Bel-Air, California (Getty Images)
The former Chrysler chief in the front seat of his company's prototype LeBaron convertible (Bettmann Archive)

The car boss made the covers of Time, Newsweek and the New York Times Sunday Magazine in stories portraying him as the avatar of the American Auto Age.

One of the first celebrity U.S. chief executives, his autobiography made best-seller lists in the mid-1980s.

Iacocca was often described as a demanding and volatile boss who sometimes clashed with fellow executives.

"He could get mad as hell at you, and once it was done he let it go. He wouldn't stay mad," said Bud Liebler, vice president of communications at Chrysler during the 1980s and 1990s.

"He liked to bring an issue to its head, get it resolved. You always knew where you stood with him."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.