DEARBORN — Richard Caleal will be the first Arab American to ever be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on Oct. 6, an achievement and honor that is not easily received.

Richard Caleal

The Automotive Hall of Fame, in Dearborn, Mich., is the only industry-wide means to honor the men and women of the global motor vehicle and related industries. It is dedicated to preserving the history of mobility by celebrating the creativity, toil and genius of the individual.
Caleal, the son of Lebanese immigrants, will be honored and celebrated for his creativity and design of the 1949 Ford that “saved Ford.” Caleal began drawing automobiles at the age of seven. Self-taught and passionate about automotive design, Caleal worked at Hudson, REO, General Motors and Packard before going to Studebaker and becoming a member of the famed Raymond Loewy Design Team. In 1946, he began working as a freelance designer for George Walker, who had been awarded the design contract for the 1949 Ford. Within a three-week timeframe, working on his kitchen table in his small bungalow in Mishawaka, Ind., Caleal designed and completed his prototype quarter-scale model which was personally selected by Henry Ford II to become the 1949 Ford.

The 1949 “car that saved Ford”

Caleal’s model went into production, virtually unchanged, except for the spinner grille and horizontal taillights. Often referred to as, “The Car that Saved an Empire,” the 1949 Ford rocketed Ford Motor Company from its bleak financial depths. So well was Caleal’s 1949 Ford received, its basic design was used in the two model years to follow and, moreover, set the trend for all automobile design of the future. Even before it officially appeared in the dealership showrooms, the 1949 Ford attracted 1.3 million orders and made Ford Motor Company an unbelievable $177,000,000 profit that year. It also received the prestigious Fashion Academy Award in 1949 and was given that distinct and coveted honor again in 1950.
Caleal was then appointed Head of Advanced Styling for Ford Motor Company. From Ford he was hired by Chrysler Corporation as a Studio Director and went on to head the Dodge Truck Studio, ending his career in Body Ornamentation. Throughout the years, many people tried to take credit for the design of the 1949 Ford and to discredit Richard Caleal. Ford Motor Company officially recognized Mr. Caleal as the designer of the 1949 Ford on December 10, 2003 when he received a joint award from Ford Motor Company and the American Arab Chamber of Commerce. He is represented in exhibits in both the Henry Ford Museum and the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Richard Caleal was truly the last of the greatest automotive design generation. He worked with all of the automotive greats such as Gordon Buehrig, Harley Earle, Raymond Loewy, Vince Gardner, Bill Mitchell, K.T. Keller, John Rhinehart and others. Although Caleal died in 2006, his contributions and impact to the automotive industry have made its mark in history as he will be officially inducted, posthumously, into The Automotive Hall of Fame and become the first Arab American ever to be accorded the highest place of honor in the international motor vehicle industry.

The induction will take place at p.m., Tuesday, October 6 at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased by contacting the Automotive Hall of Fame at 313.240.4000.