Earle Steele MacPherson, born on July 6, 1891 and died on January 26, 1960, was an American automotive engineer, most famous for developing the MacPherson strut in the 1940s. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, and a graduate of the University of Illinois, he served in World War I, worked for Chalmers and Liberty and joined Hupmobile in 1923. In 1934 he joined General Motors and became chief design engineer of the Chevrolet division in 1935, leading the Chevrolet Cadet project, a compact car meant to sell for under one thousand dollars, for which he developed a strut-type suspension. After the Cadet was cancelled he joined Ford in 1947, and the 1950 Ford Vedette became the first car to use a true MacPherson strut. He was chief engineer of Ford from 1952 until his retirement in May 1958.
Facts
FAQs
Which car was the first to use the MacPherson strut?
Sources disagree between the 1950 Vedette and the 1951 Ford Consul.
Accounts differ. This page records the 1950 Ford Vedette as the first car to use a true MacPherson strut. A detailed history of the strut instead says the first production cars with MacPherson struts were the 1951 English Ford Consul and the six-cylinder Ford Zephyr. The history adds that it is not known whether MacPherson had any involvement in the engineering of the Vedette, and that if he did, it was probably minor.
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Source Earle S. MacPherson (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph [nationality]Quote, Lead paragraph [nationality]
was an American automotive engineer
Sources
1. Earle S. MacPherson (Wikipedia)
Lead paragraph
July 6, 1891
Lead paragraph [death-year]
January 26, 1960
Lead paragraph [nationality]
was an American automotive engineer
In Group: Automotive Engineers and Designers, Lead sentence
Earle Steele MacPherson (July 6, 1891, January 26, 1960) was an American automotive engineer, most famous for developing the MacPherson strut in the 1940s.
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