RIP, father of the Chrysler Mini Vans.

 

So long good sir.

 

Lost a good guy. RIP Hal.

 

I don't know of anyone who didn't like him.
I was unaware until researching this story that the Mustang idea was his, not Iacocca's.
The minivan idea was not his, though he pushed for it, and the Reliant, to be front wheel drive, and convinced Iacocca to OK it.
(I think the original team also wanted minivans to be FWD. Not sure about Reliant, I suspect the original thought was RWD. Using FWD was incredibly risky but paid off.)

 

Quote from Hal Sperlich:

When Sperlich was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2009, the organization called him the “godfather of the mustang and the minivan” and “the chief architect behind two of the most significant American cars ever built.”

“Every guy here knows how hard it can be to please even one woman at times,” Sperlich said in his acceptance speech, “but 20 million satisfied soccer moms, that’s why I’m in the hall of fame.”