He was the first executive outside of the Ford family to hold the post
Philip Caldwell, the first head of Ford Motor who wasn't a member of the Ford family, died at his home in New Canaan, Conn., from complications of a stroke.
Caldwell, who died at 93, is known for having won control of Ford over rival Lee Iacocca, who was famously fired in 1978 by Henry Ford II and moved to Chrysler. Until Caldwell, the company has been under continuous control of a Ford family member, starting with the original Henry Ford and then his son Edsel.
In a statement, Bill Ford, the executive chairman of the namesake automaker, said:
"Philip Caldwell had a remarkable impact at Ford Motor Co. over a span of more than 30 years. Serving as CEO and later as Chairman of the Board of Directors, he helped guide the company through a difficult turnaround in the 1980s and drove the introductions of ground-breaking products around the globe.
"His dedication and relentless passion for quality always will be hallmarks of his legacy at Ford. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
Caldwell spent 37 years at Ford, where he developed a reputation for being able to fix troubled divisions. And he was decidedly low key, in sharp contrast to the effervescent Iacocca, whose flamboyant salesmanship skills made him legendary for saving Chrysler from the auto industry's junk yard of famous brands.
In the definitive 1995 book Comeback: The Rise and Fall of the American Automobile Industry, authors Paul Ingrassia and Joseph B. White paint Caldwell as a competent executive who felt he didn't get proper credit for some of his big decisions that moved Ford to the fore. In particular, he made a huge bet on a radical design for a new family car that would become one of Ford's biggest-ever hits, the Taurus.
In contrast to Henry Ford II, Caldwell didn't smoke, drink or cuss.
Caldwell stayed at the helm of Ford until his 65th birthday, then continued to serve on its board.
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