Giuliano Zuccato was part of the team of design modelers who crafted the original 1964½ Mustang.  Affectionally called ‘The Mustang Man’, we were together in episode 172 and you heard his story to include his emigration from Italy to his job in the Ford Design Center. (Picture above Giuliano and Deborah Skoll)

After he retired from Ford, Giuliano worked on some projects for Chrysler and received the bid to build a full-size wind tunnel model of the Crossfire in a record time frame. This is that story.

Since our interview in November 2016, Giuliano discovered he has a Glioblastoma in his brain. He’s a fighter and continues to beat the odds. He celebrated his 85^th birthday on July 22, 2017, and shared his story on creating the Horse Of Destiny Foundation to help people in need.

His life’s work is far from over and he has great plans. Giuliano continues as a keynote speaker during special events and speaks about his life and experiences in the automotive design world.

He calls his inspirational stories on life “Overcoming Obstacles and the Creation of a World Icon” to inspire, inform, and entertain.  He believes that by enriching others we enrich ourselves. Giuliano shares his personal obstacles when he was a very young man in our first interview: episode 172.

The Horse of Destiny Foundation is a non-profit Section 501(c)(3)  organization, run by volunteers, created to receive, administer, and distribute funds for the purpose of reviving and rebuilding the spirit of individuals experiencing physical or emotional pain.  No part of the net earnings of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its directors, officers or other private persons.

How it Works: A volunteer can advocate for a particular person where he or she can take responsibility to gather all necessary information on the person’s needs, to submit to the board for review and approval. Each submission will be a “project” that the advocate takes up and follows through.

His Favorite Quote: If you keep the spirit young you will never die old.

Horse Of Destiny Foundation Website

Giuliano Zuccato Original Episode ‘Mustang Man’ LISTEN HERE

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.co

For Giuliano Zuccato, a native of Italy, it was a serendipitous path from a river-powered sawmill near Venice where he cut raw timber for the locals, to the pristine design studio of the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.

Fate.

Shortly after leaving his country to seek a better future, he contracted a rare form of tuberculosis that put him in a full body

cast for 18 months. As he lay imprisoned by his cast, able to only move his arms and almost bored to the point of insanity, he began to carve the shape of a human face on a bar of soap.

His Craft.

He then further developed his new-found talent by using clay as his medium. His work was brought to the attention of a local newspaper and, as a result, a patron/reader suggested that he look at car design as a way to make a living.

The Story.

Giuliano had the opportunity to work in the Ford Design Studio at the time the seeds of the iconic 1964 Mustang was to be born. Giuliano brought his gift as a clay sculptor to help shape the look of the original ‘pony car’. Giuliano brings you inside the design studio, his memories of Henry Ford II, Lee Iacocca, and other project leaders, designers and sketch artists. It was a team effort and you will get a sense of how it all came together.

The Process.

Listen to Giuliano speak to the talent of the sculptors as they took the engineering drawings and design sketches, created in two dimensions, and turned them into a three-dimensional model.

He references:

• The code name of the project.
• Joe Oros: Chief Designer.
• Gale Halderman (Theme Designer)
• The car platform Ford used as the base for the 1964 Mustang.
• How he got his job at the Ford Design Center.
• The use of hot clay in the process.
• The GT40.
• That he is a very musical person, enjoying opera in his own music room.
• His idea of materializing concept vehicles by the use of computer data and liquid polymer and ultraviolet light, he named the idea ‘Liquid to Solid’.

Motor Press Guild Best Audio 2017

‘Where the spirit is young there is no calendar’ Giuliano Zuccato

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Sculpting & Music.

Zuccato retired from the Ford Motor Co. in 1988 as a master sculptor after 31 years of service. In the following years, he owned and operated a successful automotive development business. He now devotes a great deal of time to sculpting portraiture and his love for Opera.

Future Plans.

Giuliano also discusses his current plans to create a road rally on Route 66 and stopping at VA hospitals along the way sharing his story of ‘Overcoming Obstacles’. He also has a dream to recreate a clay model of the Mustang in a movie on his life.

There is no slowing down this 84-year young automotive hero. Enjoy the story about one of America’s most iconic automobiles and one of the sculptors who helped it take shape.

The sketch was given to Giuliano at a recent speech he made.

Horse of Destiny Foundation

RR 243: Giuliano Zuccato – Chrysler Crossfire & Horse of Destiny Foundatiom

Tedx Talk

Listen to the episode on the Chrysler Crossfire and the Horse of Destiny Foundation

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:

Facebook  Twitter  Linked In  Phone 716-320-1567  Email

This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust. For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com and fmgaragegurus.com