The business of automotive design was undergoing tremendous change in the 1970s. This 1973 Ford Motor Company film explores some of the challenges.

Motor City natives will recognize the host and interviewer in this 1973 Ford Motor Company film entitled Change By Design. The tall man is Dave Diles (1931-2009), a well-known sports journalist for the ABC network and its local affiliate WXYZ-TV. Meanwhile, the familiar Ford faces in the movie include vice president of design Gene Bordinat, Don Kopka, Romeyn Hammond, Homer LaGassey, Dick Petit, Klaus Arning, and director of safety design David Wheeler. Fortunately, they are introduced on screen so everyone can follow along.

Produced by the noted TV writer, producer, and director Al Wasserman, Change By Design is focused on the challenges faced by the Motor City carmakers in the 1970s, including foreign competition and rising fuel prices, but especially the rapidly expanding list of government safety regulations. At this point, shoulder harness design was in its infancy and the crude air bag technology was still years from ready. At around the 15-minute mark, there’s a rare and detailed look at the 1972 Ford Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV), built in part to explore potential advances in crash impact absorption—check out the corrugated frame rails and other features. Courtesy of King Rose Archives, video below.