Jack Telnack
Encyclopedia
Jack Telnack was the former global Vice President of Design of the Ford Motor Company
from 1980 to 1997. After his training at the Art Center College of Design
, Telnack began working as a designer for Ford in 1958, and became the head stylist of the Lincoln-Mercury
Division in 1965. In 1966, he became the chief designer of Ford's Australian branch and served as the Vice President of Design for Ford of Europe in 1974. Telnack retired from his post at the end of 1997, and was replaced by J Mays
.
Telnack and his team of designers were responsible for ushering a new era of aerodynamic design to America's mainstream marketplace. Cars like the 1979 Ford Mustang
, 1983 Ford Thunderbird
, 1984 Ford Tempo
and Lincoln Mark VII were moderate successes that showed Ford's intention to change their traditional design language for a more contemporary, European style.
Telnack's team of designers, known collectively as "Team Taurus", were responsible for the 1986 Ford Taurus
: a car widely acknowledged as the main reason why Ford Motor Company's turnaround strategy was successful during this period. The Taurus' wind cheating design language influenced everything from the Ford F-150 to the Lincoln Town Car
in the 1990s.
Lesser known cars like the 1986 Mercury Sable
boasted a wind cheating drag coefficient of 0.29. The Sable's light bar grille continued to be a Mercury design hallmark for the next decade. Telnack also helped shape the 1989 Ford Probe
and 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII
.
Toward the end of his career, Telnack worked on the ovoid themed Taurus from 1996. While criticized widely and deemed too radical for the market's tastes, Telnack also created the "New Edge" style that brought about cars like the 1996 Ford Ka
, Ford GT90
concept car and influenced the design of the 1998 Ford Focus.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
from 1980 to 1997. After his training at the Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
, Telnack began working as a designer for Ford in 1958, and became the head stylist of the Lincoln-Mercury
Lincoln-Mercury
Lincoln–Mercury was a collective name for the Lincoln and Mercury divisions of the Ford Motor Company, whose vehicles were typically sold side-by-side in a single dealership....
Division in 1965. In 1966, he became the chief designer of Ford's Australian branch and served as the Vice President of Design for Ford of Europe in 1974. Telnack retired from his post at the end of 1997, and was replaced by J Mays
J Mays
J Mays, born in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, U.S., is Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company. His name is simply "J", named after his grandfather, S J Mays.-Background:...
.
Telnack and his team of designers were responsible for ushering a new era of aerodynamic design to America's mainstream marketplace. Cars like the 1979 Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
, 1983 Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
, 1984 Ford Tempo
Ford Tempo
The Ford Tempo is a coupe/sedan car model that was produced by Ford Motor Company for model years 1984 to 1994. It was a downsized successor to the boxy Ford Fairmont that introduced "jellybean" styling, which would later be shown on the larger 1986 Ford Taurus. and was replaced in 1994 by the...
and Lincoln Mark VII were moderate successes that showed Ford's intention to change their traditional design language for a more contemporary, European style.
Telnack's team of designers, known collectively as "Team Taurus", were responsible for the 1986 Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
: a car widely acknowledged as the main reason why Ford Motor Company's turnaround strategy was successful during this period. The Taurus' wind cheating design language influenced everything from the Ford F-150 to the Lincoln Town Car
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan that was sold by the upscale Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; it was produced from 1981 to the 2011 model years...
in the 1990s.
Lesser known cars like the 1986 Mercury Sable
Mercury Sable
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
boasted a wind cheating drag coefficient of 0.29. The Sable's light bar grille continued to be a Mercury design hallmark for the next decade. Telnack also helped shape the 1989 Ford Probe
Ford Probe
The Ford Probe was a coupé based on the Mazda GD platform, and powered by a 2.2 L SOHC 4 cylinder Mazda F2 engine.The first generation Probe appeared in 1988 and lasted until 1992 in the United States. In some markets the model years were from 1987 to 1991...
and 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII
Lincoln Mark VIII
The Lincoln Mark VIII is a large, rear-wheel drive grand touring luxury coupe built from 1993 to 1998. It was the successor of the Mark VII. The Mark VIII was built at Ford's Wixom, Michigan assembly plant and was based on the FN10 platform, a relative of the MN12 platform which underpinned the...
.
Toward the end of his career, Telnack worked on the ovoid themed Taurus from 1996. While criticized widely and deemed too radical for the market's tastes, Telnack also created the "New Edge" style that brought about cars like the 1996 Ford Ka
Ford Ka
The Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere.The current European version is produced by Fiat Auto in Tychy, Poland, while the model sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina....
, Ford GT90
Ford GT90
The Ford GT90 is a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar"...
concept car and influenced the design of the 1998 Ford Focus.