GM Vs Ford from the 40's-70's

[mustang84]

I agree with a lot of what is said about GM of that period...Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell had some outstanding designs.

However, Ford has a long history of reinventing itself and moving the market in different directions. The 1949 Ford was the first new post-war design, and it's ponton styling completely eliminated the flared fenders and running boards that dominated other pre-war and post-war American automobiles. The 1949 Ford's radical styling seemed to shed the past and look toward the future after a long, destructive war.

The Corvette was lackluster until the 1955 Thunderbird's success pushed GM to make a better 'Vette for '56. The 1957 Ford Ranchero's car-truck concept sold well and led to the creation of the Chevy El Camino for 1959. The 1961 Continental ushered in a new era of clean, taut styling and signaled the end of the Bill Mitchell tailfin-era synonymous with the 1959 Eldorado.

The 1964 Mustang created a new vehicle segment that appealed to younger buyers and left GM scrambling to come up with an answer for 1967. Ford's 1980's aero styling (Mark VII, Tempo, Taurus) brought a renewed emphasis on aerodynamics, leading GM to ditch the boxy G-body for the more svelte W-body in 1988 and Chrysler would eventually follow with cab forward designs in the early 90's.

In more recent times, the 2005 Mustang's success saved the ailing pony car segment, brought the Camaro back from the dead, and encouraged Dodge to rejoin the fray after a 34 year hiatus. Even today, Ford seems to be leading the way with expressive styling, infotainment & voice command systems that were years ahead of competitors, and now the aluminum-bodied F-150 is shaking up the truck segment.

Truly, I don't think I could pick one or the other. It's true Ford has less "classic" designs from this era, but Ford did more to upend the market every time it started settling in and feeling a little too comfortable. In the end, I think I value that more.

[73-79 ford fan]

Toward the end of that time frame they are both pretty good. The 2wd Ford truck twin I beam front suspension started in 1965 and is a excellent front suspension that mimics the high strength of leaf sprung solid mono I beam axles found in earlier 2wd trucks and medium/heavy duty trucks built today, but incorporates softer riding coil springs with a independent front suspension. Here is where Gm went more toward gentle ride quality over strength in their 2wd trucks compared to Fords stronger and simpler twin I beam design.