Ford offers $1 million in automotive design scholarships

After the passing of William Clay Ford Sr., Ford has announced that they will honor his memory and his contribution to the automobile with the creation of scholarships for automotive design students. William Clay Ford Sr., the last grandson of Henry Ford, died last week at the age of 88. Ford worked at the company that bears his name for 57 years, serving as chairman of the design committee for 32 of those years.

"Design was Mr. Ford's passion, and his creative vision transformed vehicle design at Ford," said Jim Vella, president of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "We are honoring William Clay Ford's legacy by encouraging and supporting the next generation of innovative automotive designers through this scholarship."

The scholarships created to commemorate Ford's legacy will award $1 million during the next 20 years, at a rate of $50,000 per year. That amount will be split up into five $10,000 scholarships that will be awarded to outstanding college sophomores or juniors pursuing a degree in automotive design.

When it comes to Ford Motor Company cars, William Clay Ford Sr. will perhaps be most remembered for his influence during the development of the Continental Mark II. Continental was its own marque at that time, positioned separately from its predecessor which bore the Lincoln name. The Mark I model was actually developed under the direction of Ford's father, Edsel Ford, and debuted in 1939. The younger Ford would later tell the Henry Ford Museum that in developing the exterior design of the Continental Mark II he wanted to follow the design of the original Lincoln Continental as closely as possible. Ford sought to recreate the ratio of window glass to sheetmetal, the feel of the controls, and the positioning of the spare tire in an impression in the trunk.

"I wanted the spare tire in the back. That was the trademark of a Continental," Ford said at the time. "We took most of the basic proportions of that car and tried to keep those same proportions in the Mark II, and I think we did pretty well at it."

Ford would go on to take on the job of vice president of product design in 1973, though he continued to chair the design committee until his retirement from the company in 1989.

More information on the scholarships will be available from Ford in the coming months.

By Jay Ramey