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| Earl Lucas |
Earl Lucas
Design Manager, Ford Motor Company
Shares How he Created the Ford Taurus SHO, the New ‘It’ Car
When the 2010 Taurus SHO appeared on platforms at auto shows around the country, people took notice. “It transitioned into something much more modern,” according to Earl Lucas, a design manager for Ford Motor Company. The Taurus traditionally has been described as a reliable, family car. But Lucas and his team of designers were aiming to garner a reaction greater than that trite description. “We wanted to make sure that this was a much more expressive ‘me’ car. ‘Me’ being the customer with much more style.”
Lucas, who attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and majored in industrial design with a concentration in transportation design, describes the rationale behind the design. “We wanted to develop a product that would be: comfortable and appropriate in any environment — big city USA or small town America; looks athletic and progressive; and we wanted the face to have an expression. This one happens to be [menacing]. This car completely redefines what Ford is capable of delivering.” The journey from conception to delivery wasn’t a race to the finish line — quality was always top priority.
Lucas describes his inspiration, “Alicia Keys … Anthony Hamilton. Designers have a creative spot. Music helps us to [express] our aspirations in the form of illustrations. Anthony Hamilton has a number of tracks that I connect with. He sings and tells stories where he talks about transforming oneself into something great.” If that was Lucas’ intent with his latest project, then mission accomplished. The new Taurus SHO is sporty and sleek. It has a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine that delivers 365 horsepower.
Lucas is a Southfield, Mich. resident and has been drawing since age three. He says the biggest lesson he learned during the design process, “Never fall in love with the first drawing, with the first idea.” –yvette caslin
