Richard Nesbitt

Richard Nesbitt is an American car designer best known for his work on the 1974 Ford Mustang II during his tenure at Ford Motor Company in the early 1970s.

In 1971, Lee Iacocca, then president of Ford, initiated a design competition among Ford styling studios for a new Mustang. The assignment was to return the Mustang to its roots as a small, sporty compact. The Lincoln-Mercury design was picked for the 1974 Ford Mustang II, with Nesbitt's sketch selected for the hardtop version​. "My proposal for the Mustang II coupe from 1971 was selected and approved for production in 1974," Nesbitt told Kustomrama in June of 2023. This design from 1971 shows a Mustang II with a 102 inch wheelbase. Photo courtesy of Richard Nesbitt.

A 1974 Ford Mustang II Ram Air Boss that Nesbitt designed in 1971. Photo courtesy of Richard Nesbitt.

Nesbitt's last assignment in the studio was to design a series of Mustang II "factory customs" to be fabricated and built by legendary Mike Alexander at ASC in 1972 for auto show exhibition by Ford around the United States in 1974. "It was canceled but would have helped promote the Mustang II a lot." This design shows a proposed Mustang II GT KR. Photo courtesy of Richard Nesbitt.

A T-Top Mustang II factory custom that Nesbitt designed for auto show exhibitions. Photo courtesy of Richard Nesbitt.

A Mustang II Mach II factory custom design proposal by Nesbitt. Photo courtesy of Richard Nesbitt.

In 1985 Dick authored and illustrated the book 50 Years of American Automobile Design 1930-1980 for Publications International.

Richard "Dick" Nesbitt is an American car designer best known for his work on the 1974 Ford Mustang II during his tenure at Ford Motor Company in the early 1970s.

Early Life and Education

Nesbitt was passionate about cars and car design from a young age. He would regularly pick up car magazines and read anything related to styling or design. Through these magazines, he learned about the Art Center College of Design in California and decided that's what he wanted to do. He applied to the college while still in high school and attended it in the fall of 1967 on a full tuition Ford scholarship. Nesbitt had Harry Bradley as an instructor at the Art Center College of Design in 1969. " I had the very first class he had at Art Center College in 1969 with legendary Pete Brock for that same time," Nesbitt told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in June of 2023. Nesbitt graduated with honors in 1970​.

Ford Motor Company

Nesbitt interviewed with Ford after his graduation. Despite an initial offer, his recruitment was delayed due to economic conditions, and he began working at the Dearborn design center in the middle of 1971. His first assignment was in the Lincoln-Mercury design studio, where he worked on models such as Cougar, Comet, and Montego​​.

The Mustang II Coupe

In 1971, Lee Iacocca, then president of Ford, initiated a design competition among Ford styling studios for a new Mustang. The assignment was to return the Mustang to its roots as a small, sporty compact. The Lincoln-Mercury design was picked for the 1974 Ford Mustang II, with Nesbitt's sketch selected for the hardtop version​. "My proposal for the Mustang II coupe from 1971 was selected and approved for production in 1974," Nesbitt told Kustomrama, adding that his last assignment in the studio was to design a series of Mustang II "factory customs" to be fabricated and built by legendary Mike Alexander at ASC in 1972 for auto show exhibition by Ford around the United States in 1974. "It was canceled but would have helped promote the Mustang II a lot." According to Richard, the project was canceled due to the 1973 OPEC crisis.

Later, Nesbitt moved on to Ford's truck and tractor studio, where he worked on a downsized van for use as a family vehicle. However, the fuel crisis in 1973 led to the cancellation of all new projects, including this one. Iacocca later took the small van idea to Chrysler, where it became the minivan​.

Nesbitt was laid off from Ford in 1974 due to worsening economic conditions​.

Post-Ford Career

After leaving Ford, Nesbitt found work with a model company called EMT for a couple of years. He then moved to Dallas after securing a job with Texas Instruments, a company that had found its niche with hand-held calculators and digital watches. He also authored and illustrated a book about American Car Design 1930-1980 for Publications International in 1985. As of 2014, Nesbitt was semi-retired, although he still did design proposals and concept work​.

Design Philosophy and Contributions

Nesbitt's design for the Mustang II hardtop was influenced by the need to return the Mustang to a smaller, sportier design. However, his original design underwent significant changes based on feedback from Iacocca and other decision-makers at Ford. Nesbitt felt that the revisions to the design, including a more upright roofline and the addition of a larger quarter window, detracted from the car's appeal. He also felt that the Mustang II lost some of its potentials as a performance car when Iacocca decided to give it more of a Thunderbird flavor​.