Dec. 10, 1970: Future author, pitchman and rock ‘n’ roll muse Lee Iacocca is appointed president of Ford Motor Co. Iacocca made his name at Ford as an advocate for the Mustang, helping to make it one of the company’s most popular cars. He later worked the same magic at Chrysler on behalf of government bailouts.
Continue reading below
Most recently, he has become a pop culture icon. Two years ago he reprised his role as Chrysler’s chief spokesman by co-starring in ads with rapper Snoop Dogg (“If the ride is more fly, then you must buy”). And this year Iacocca shows up in the lyrics of Neil Young’s latest album, Chrome Dreams II.
In “Ordinary People,” Young’s 18-minute paean to the working man, the singer laments the plight of autoworkers turning out vehicles nobody wants: “They try like hell to build the quality in/They’re working hard without a doubt/Ordinary people/But the dollar’s what it’s all about/Lee Iacocca people/But the customers are walking out.” The song was actually written in 1988, when Iacocca was being seriously promoted as a potential Democratic presidential candidate. He resisted those entreaties and become something better: A working class hero. — Jeffrey Kanige
