The Story of Jack Telnack – Father of the Fox Body

It was a windy autumn day in a very remote region of Southwest Oklahoma. I was in the USAF as an aircraft maintenance specialist and had nothing better to do on a Saturday than look at new cars that I couldn’t afford at a new car show. All the dealers in town were present including McPherson Ford of Altus, Oklahoma, where the all-new 1979 Ford Mustang was present.

I will admit to you I didn’t like it. It was just too different. All of the familiar Mustang nuances – the mouthy honeycomb Ferrari-like grille and simulated side scoops, tri-element taillights, and the traditional galloping pony were gone. We didn’t understand at the time we were getting a sneak peek at Ford’s future – a slippery aerodynamic pony car that set the stage for Ford and Mercury models to come in the 1980s.

The new Mustang and Fairmont/Zephyr sedans were but the beginning of a new generation of aero Fords with exceptional engineering improvements. It wasn’t only about styling, but also about quality. Fit and finish were vastly improved, with a long way to go on power and efficiency. That’s where Ford’s leadership and product planners had a lot of work ahead of them. There were huge hurdles to overcome.

Mustang enthusiasts at the time had never heard of an obscure Ford automotive designer-turned Ford Design VP – Jack Telnack – a design game-changer and trendsetter who would shape Ford’s future and get it back in the game …

https://www.fordracing.com/articles/enthusiasts/newsroom/2026/1/jack-telnack.html

(photo credit: Ford)