| Ref#: |
31 |
| Artist: |
Ben J. Smith |
| Place of Birth: |
Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Education: |
He was the first to graduate from the Henry Ford Engineering School |
| Biography: |
After working for Nash, Smith moved to GM's Fisher Body Division as a body engineer, and worked in Fisher Body's hardtop and convertible section. In 1953, because of his experience with convertible tops, Smith was recruited by Ford's Special Projects Division to work on the Continental retractable program. Later, as a Continental Division employee, Smith engineered the 1957 Ford Hide-Away-Hardtop.
In March 1956, Smith was promoted to Lincoln advanced engineer. From late 1959 until early 1964, he was chief engineer at Ford of Argentina, where he helped redesign the U.S. Ford Falcon for Argentine production. In 1964, Smith was appointed executive engineer for Ford International and, in 1965, at Bill Ford's request, he was placed in charge of advanced package department at the Design Center. In 1966, Smith developed a manually retractable hardtop for the Mustang, but it was not produced.
From 1967, until his early retirement in 1968 because of his wife's declining health, Smith was product director at Ford of Brazil. |
| Work History: |
| Ford Motor Company | 1939-1943 | | Willow Run | 1943-1944 | | Navy | 1944-1946 | | Light Ford program | 1946-1949 | | Nash | 1949 |
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