[FWDLK] Exner & misc.

Hi, FLers,

I must repeat that you all have made this ex-auto writer most welcome to your group. I've received lots of e-mail, and have answered many of the msgs as best I could. Some stuff that seems of general interest, however, I'll address to the entire group. Most of you know by now that I was Detroit Editor of Motor Life (1955-59), Auto Editor of Popular Science (1959-61) and worked for Dodge's Ad Agency (BBDO, 1962-66), then was editor of Petersen's Wheels Afield (1966-75).

I also worked for all of the Big 3 at one time or another: Chrysler, Highland Park (1948) & Dodge Main ('49) plants Ford, reported for Rouge News (1951-52, worked in the old Rotunda) and editor Ford Engineering & Research Center News (1952-55), where I also wrote speeches for Earle S. MacPherson & did some PR; GM, was a sr. tech editor specialist & computer-aided publishing consultant at Huges Aircraft (1977-89), which became part of GM while I was there. I took early retirement in a special program and set up my own small publishing & editorial consulting company.

Many of you have asked me about Virgil Exner. I confess that I did not know him as well as some of the other stylists (Alex Tremulis, Dick Teague, Bill Mitchell, Gordon Buehrig, Frank Hershey, among them). I did meet him at press functions on several occasions & I believe I interviewed him briefly once at a long-lead preview for either the 1957 or 58 models. My take on him was that he was a real gentleman, somewhat reserved but neither aloof nor condescending. I much preferred him to George Walker, Ford Styling VP during the '50s, who was more of an exhibitionist. Exner had a solid background in auto styling. I believe Exner studied art in the midwest (Un. of Michigan or Nortre Dame, I think) and was in advertising before joining Harley Earl's Art & Color Section in the '30s. Exner left to join Raymond Loewy just before WWII (1938?) and was responsible for the radical post-war Studebakers. He went to Chrysler in 1949, recruited by K. T. Keller himself, as I recall.

Exner's first design was the 1951 K-310 (K for Keller, 310 for the 310hp hemi) built by Ghia in Italy. K. T. Keller liked the car so much there were plans to put it into limited production -- but it would have been too expensive. Reportedly, it would have taken a special facility set up just for the K-310. Oddly enough, I remember that the car itself (the prototype) was not terribly expensive. Seems to me it was somewhere around $20,000.

I recall some of the other Exner-styler show cars of the '50s, and seem to remember that Exner himself picked the (1953?) DeSoto Adventurer 1 4-seat coupe as his favorite. In fact, In fact, I'm sure he drove it as his personal car for 2 or 3 years. I believe it had a Firedome V-8 (don't remember the displacement or HP rating) and it definitely had external exhaust pipes & mufflers. It was a neat-looking car, not as far-out as some of the '50s show cars from Chrysler & the other car companies. (Does anyone remember the wheelbase? It was a reasonable size, I know.) I wonder if it still exists? And what it would be worth today?!? Sure would be an interesting (& hugely expensive) resotration project.

Gotta get back to work. Back atcha later,

Ken

Ken Fermoyle, columnist (Ken's Korner) & publisher
Fermoyle Publications, (818) 346-9384
22250 Capulin Court, Woodland Hills, CA 91364-3005
Newsletters, Editorial Services, Graphics & Web Design
"In the beginning was the Word..." And don't you forget it!