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Sad news...
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:45 am
by bruce
John Herlitz, designer of our beloved '71s and one-time VP of Design for Chrysler has passed away:
http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php?ac ... ws&id=1333
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:20 pm
by Eric
bummer
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:37 pm
by Smellslike1974
Didnt he have to do with the 74 plymouths also?I remember a guy having a sundance and it used to be a Herlitz Rentable car.
Or is that a different herlits?
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:41 pm
by bruce
Are you thinking of Hertz Rent-A-Car?
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:43 pm
by Smellslike1974
bruce wrote:Are you thinking of Hertz Rent-A-Car?
yeah thats probably it,
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:28 pm
by bruce
I think he had gotten promoted OUT of hands-on design before '74. I think he said others handled the updates for the '72 model year...
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:35 pm
by billzilla
The father of one of the best looking muscle designs from the era.
I'll drink a toast to him tonight.
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:43 pm
by bruce
Unfortunately his retirement from Chrysler left Trevor "Mr. Retro Is Dead" Creed in the position of VP of Design.
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:14 pm
by 1971SSP
sad news is right, but we all drive his work...... A guy here in Detroit with a 72 RR, had John sign the inside of his trunk a some years back when he was at some event.
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:32 pm
by mopar71
That is sad news! I always wanted to meet him and find out about our cars from a designers standpoint.
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:29 pm
by Dave
A sad day indeed. He was an awesome designer, a true car guy, and a genuinely nice person. I'm even more thankful now for the afternoon I was able to spend with him before he retired. Here's a picture of Mr. Herlitz and myself with the 71 Road Runner he owned at the time. This was taken at a Chrysler owned garage, where they store a lot of the factory concepts, and a few classics owned by corporate execs.
And as a bit of a teaser, I have the transcript of my interview with him about the 71s. It's part of what I have in process for the next generation of the Road Runner Nest.
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:30 pm
by landon1
AWESOME Dave!
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:36 pm
by fourforty6pac
Sad indeed. In my opinion he designed the best looking muscle car when he did the 71 b body?
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:47 pm
by landon1
you guys ever see this...the 75 cuda...i think the 71 is the best lookin cuda...even better if it had the round taillamps like the later ones...anyway, here she is
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:57 pm
by Dave
fourforty6pac wrote:In my opinion he designed the best looking muscle car when he did the 71 b body
Matter of fact, Mr. Herlitz would have agreed with you. The 71s were his favorite of everything he ever worked on.
The more I think about it, I think it would be a fitting way to honor Mr. Herlitz to go ahead an publish that interview ahead of having the rest of the new site done. I have it all on my workstation at the office. I'll take a few minutes in the morning to get it put together as a single, stand alone page, and put it online.