The automobile industry legend, Lido Anthony Iacocca or “Lee”, as many would know him as, died at the age of 94 on Tuesday morning (2nd July, 2019) at his home in Bel Air. A family spokeswoman said, “He had complications from Parkinson’s disease.”
He was a child of Italian immigrants who was born on October 15, 1924 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His cunning ingenuity and swagger made him one of the most successful and powerful executives and salesman of Detroit.
In December 1970, Lee became the President of Ford Motor but he was fired in a dispute with the company heir Henry Ford II so, lacocca joined the then-struggling Chrysler Corporation.
He revived Chrysler Corporation from potential bankruptcy in 1980 using his skills and his abilities by winning federal loan guarantees.
During his career, Lee was popularly associated with three iconic vehicles that are now considered classics. He was known as the father of Ford Mustang and the K-Car, that really helped Chrysler to come back on track.
During that time, Lee was fired by the Chrysler board, after which, he joined hands with billionaire Kirk Kerkorian in a failed hostile takeover attempt in 1995. A decade later, he was called back to Chrysler as a pitchman where he was seen in a TV commercial with rapper Snoop Dogg.
Later, he worked with his former Ford colleague Hal Sperlich who joined him at Chrysler, to make mini-vans that went on to become quite popular at that time.
Apart from being a successful businessman, Lee also spent time doing charitable work. He made efforts to restore the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the immigration port in New York Harbor.
In 1999, locacca tried to form an electric vehicle company, EV Global Motors, but he spent a majority of his time on writing and doing charitable work.
By this time, he had already been married three times and his last marriage to Darrien Earle, ended in 1994. In his final years, he lived in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles.
Here’s what Twitter had to say on his demise:
All hail Lee Iacocca, who gave us this: pic.twitter.com/1NUcCvi8yh
— xmaximus (@congakitty) July 3, 2019
I’m devastated by the passing of an American icon, my dear friend Lee Iacocca. In addition to his contributions to our nation, he was a founder of EIHS and served as vice-chairman for many years. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/KEn6DCl7ba
— Nasser J. Kazeminy (@NasserJKazeminy) July 3, 2019
I had the high honor to meet the genius Lee Iacocca at the Talking Straight book tour in 1989:
— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) July 3, 2019
“You can have brilliant ideas but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere”
He was an inspiration cut from a block of wood that is no longer made.
RIP sir. pic.twitter.com/nVES6wSBDQ
#LeeIacocca changed cars with the @Ford #Mustang and the @Chrysler K-Cars. My folks had a K-Car in the 70’s, a #Plymouth Valiant. Drove that car in high school. It was so uncool, but at least it was a car!
— Mike Schiller 🌵 (@MichaelSchiller) July 3, 2019
RIP Mr. Iacocca.
There are VERY few executives in the auto industry who become household names. Lee Iacocca is one of a handful. Changed the game. https://t.co/dyz19SWR1r
— Seth Kaplan (@Seth_Kaplan) July 3, 2019
Lee Iacocca was larger than life. Truly. And he left a mark on his industry like few others. People thought he might be President someday. https://t.co/X0qHPSaV34
— Don Gonyea NPR (@DonGonyea) July 3, 2019
This man was truly an inspirational figure who did so much for the automobile industry and we can’t thank him enough. May his soul rest in peace.
