FORD MOTOR COMPANY STYLING CENTER 1961 PROMOTIONAL FILM "THE SECRET DOOR" 88464
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- čas přidán 6. 11. 2019
- This film is an adaptation of a 1961 episode, “The Secret Door,” from Jack Douglas’ series Keyhole for presentation by the Ford Motor Company. Jack Douglas greets the audience from the studio. Viewers see a security man open the door to the Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn, MI Styling Center. William Clay Ford joins Douglas on set for the episode (00:50). Douglas sits and talks with Ford, who is head of product planning and design at the company. The episode shows Greenfield Village (02:19), the first Ford Factory (relocated from Detroit), and the 1903 Ford model as it drives on a road. The episode also shows a 1910 Model T (03:13), a 1929 Model A, and William Clay Ford as he drives a Thunderbird along the Edsel Ford Expressway on his way to work (03:42). He drives through security at the Ford Styling Center. In the Advanced Styling Studio (04:35), men sketch new designs for cars. Ford and a styling executive, Gene Bordinat, look at sketches of new designs. Ford and other members of the Styling Committee review a new design dubbed the Astrion (05:48). A man builds a wooden skeleton for a full-scale clay model of the Astrion (06:10). Men apply warm clay and shape the new design. Inside one of the clay modeler’s homes, viewers see him design clay masks; viewers see inside another designer’s home as he paints. A man makes an interior appliance-a metal door handle-in the metal shop (08:15). Men add lights to the clay model of the Astrion. Mr. Bordinat looks at different fabrics for the car (09:12). Upholsters work on fabrics used in the interior of the car. Men put a thin film of plastic on the clay model to simulate glass windows. Sheets of painted DI-NOC are applied to mimic painting for the body. The Astrion model is presented to the Styling Board (10:40). A rejected model of a car is flipped over and destroyed. A man climbs into a model of a Futura (11:50). The car is tested for its aerodynamics in a massive wind tunnel named Hurricane Road. The Futura is frozen to test its response to sub-freezing temperatures (12:40). A man tests the car’s brake systems, while another tests the decibel levels of the engine. A test driver climbs into a Futura at the Dearborn Proving Ground and drives the car around the high-speed track (14:00). A man works on a delta-shaped model car, modeled after the delta wing (15:05). A toy train is used to test ideas for a compact radar scope (warning device). A man uses a small model of the Delta that features a gyroscope for stability. A man works on a model of the Volante (16:58). Men look at a model “dream” tractor called the Typhoon (18:15). The episode then takes viewers to “Dreamville” (18:48), where they see a number of advanced-design cars on display, including one that looks like a hovercraft and others that look like rockets and jet planes. Douglas and William Clay Ford talk about the future of the car design on the set of Keyhole, concluding the episode.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com
That Lincoln Futura was a concept car and was the original Batmobile in 1966 TV show.
Nice to see the Batmobile being put through its paces.
How far we have strayed. Instead of a new model evey year, we drive white/black/gray/silver crossover SUVs. Little boxes, and they all look just the same.
Starting in 2020, this design center in this video is being torn down. The secret door is no more. It's being replaced by something more elaborate and just as tightly secured. If your anywhere near Greenfield Village, just park in the parking lot, and look across the street, and see the new styling center go up.
All those concept cars and models, quite the pieces of art!
My Grand Dad had a 61 T Bird too, and worked a little way further at Engineering. This was right before Mustang planning. And my cousin worked at Design Center on Rotunda making prototypes until 08. Me, I drive a Dodge & Chevy.
Great to see some proven techniques, old but a few used today.
The future isn't what it used to be.
Ford always had the best taillights. While I was working for a Pontiac dealer, someone brought in a '70s Torino. When it went on the lift, we all gathered around. It was highly superior to the junk we had come accustomed to. Ford is a stand-up company. The only one that didn't go begging to Congress for distress money. I'm sorry to see them suffering and ready to leave the US market.
"KEYHOLE" was originally syndicated in the 1961-'62 season (distributed by Ziv-United Artists), and lasted 39 episodes. The original version of this episode was initially syndicated in early 1962.
Strange how they are testing the Futura long after they originally had it built.
Each manufacturer had their own details, but Detroit products followed the same general trends. There was the Inverted Bathtub Era (1938 -1955), the Rocketship Era (1955 -1963) followed by the Domed Slab or Aircraft Carrier Era (1963 - ? I think the Caprice Classic and Crown Victoria were the last of these). This remains true today, the most produced body style is the mid-size SUV, available in ten different marques and none really distinguishable from the others.
That old timer of a security guard watching the unwanted sketches burning up,looks like he doesn't know what he's looking at.
The host of "The Secret Door", Jack Douglas, looks and sounds like Eugene Levy, from SCTV, doing his Bobby Bittmann character.
19:36
Industrial espionage is a serious concern. That Astrion never made it past the prototype stage. Buick Division always got the lion's share of R&D money from GM. The Astrion might have competed with Buick's Riviera in its day.
I grew up a child of a Ford dealer executive and eventual owner. I was able to see and eventually drive many beautiful and different Fords. It's so sad to see how far this once premier automaker has fallen in quality and customer service.
11:48
They did eventually bring out radar at the front of the car but it was 45 plus years later
Automotive design is different nowadays because of CADD software. Also, at that time aerodynamics (exterior) and ergonomics (interior) did not have much importance in production cars...the shapes of surfaces were more limitless.