Is it a rumor?

[556063]

As I recall the story without consulting reference, Ford had everyone in it's design department under great pressure to come up with something new, fresh and different. Bourke was contacted by a friend in design at Ford to help brainstorm. The two and some others met at his home in Mishawaka, and they worked on the basics together unknown to almost everyone else. Their design was presented by the friend through the Ford design protocol, and it ended up being the one chosen.

I'm not familiar with all the others who claim credit, but Bourke's influence is pretty clear when looking at the design.
Especially the understated bullet nose and clean, uncomplicated lines. The story was broken by the friend who worked for Ford, not by Bourke. I don't think Bourke tried to ever claim credit for it. It seems highly likely, though, that the work done on Bourke's kitchen table by the group in Mishawaka, IN really did become the '49 Ford. Someone on here probably knows more than me, so I'll leave it to them to speak to it or start another thread.

Kevin Wolford
Plymouth, IN

55 Champion
60 Lark VI Conv.
63 Avanti R1

[jnewkirk77]

I think the whole premise behind Bourke and friends getting in on the act was that Loewy had to let a few people go due to budget cuts, one being Dick Caleal. Caleal thus needed a new job, and George Walker, who had just started consulting for Ford, offered him work if he could produce a design quickly.

With time being of the essence, and Caleal needing some help in certain areas, Bourke and a few other guys helped out, designing most of the car with only a little input from Caleal himself, and no one at the time knew who the car was for (Walker wasn't working only for Ford at the time). All they were given was that the name had four letters. I read somewhere that Bourke suspected the car was for Nash, as Walker had a contract there at the time as well.

It wasn't long, though, before it became obvious, as the car went into production with only minor detail changes (the vertical taillights on the model were turned to the horizontal, with the well-known windsplits added).

Jacob Newkirk - Owensboro, KY

KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL! Drive a Studebaker!