Richard Parry-Jones, the Welsh item progress boss who helped rework Ford Motor Co.’s European lineup in the nineties and early 2000s, died Friday. He was sixty nine.
Parry-Jones was associated in an accident on his farm in Wales, in accordance to British media studies.
In his 38-year career with Ford, he was instrumental in the engineering of the Ford Mondeo sedan, the Puma subcompact and the very first-technology Focus.
He would rack up plenty of miles on the rural roadways all-around his house in England, focusing on the very small aspects of ride, dealing with, steering, noise, vibration and sense. Some referred to him as the CEO of driving dynamics.
In 1999, he shipped a lecture — “Engineering for Corporate Results in the New Millennium” — at London’s Royal Academy of Engineering.
Parry-Jones retired from Ford in 2007 as the firm’s main technical officer but ongoing to provide on corporate boards and seek the advice of. He joined the board of Aston Martin previous year.
“Richard Parry-Jones was a uncommon expertise who still left an indelible mark on Ford and the sector,” Ford Govt Chairman Monthly bill Ford explained in a assertion Friday afternoon. “As an engineer, he was a virtuoso with an uncanny sense for making cars that had been dynamic and incredibly entertaining to travel. I can tell you that going on a check travel with him was not for the faint of heart. His passion for great cars and appreciate of motoring inspired legions of engineers and enthusiasts in Europe and all-around the environment. Richard will be deeply missed, and our heart goes out to his family members and loved types.”
Al Kammerer, Jaguar Land Rover’s previous item progress main when Ford owned the makes, termed Parry-Jones a genius.
“His contribution to car excellence, especially driving dynamics, was remarkable,” Kammerer explained. “He was a tireless worker and he was all in it for the team.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley wrote on Facebook: “Unhappy news, we will honour him in the appropriate way!”