How Ford responded to safety issues with the original Econoline van

Indie Auto reader James E. Duvall recently commented about how the Falcon-based Econoline van and truck had such a front-end weight bias that they could flip on their front end under intense braking unless there was heavy enough cargo in back. Former Ford Motor Company executive Donald Frey talked to David Crippen (1986) about how this issue was addressed in the development of the next-generation Econoline. That van, which was introduced in January 1968 as a 1969 model, moved the front wheels and engine ahead of the driver (Wikipedia, 2025). Frey described how future Ford CEO Phil Caldwell managed that project.

“Phil made superb decisions, but he certainly agonized over them. I remember when it came time to do a new Econoline — remember that little van? — and we’d had some trouble in the latter years — the original Econoline van’s life — from a safety point of view. And I, for one, was always bothered by that vehicle.

As you may remember, the engine was upside the driver, so between where the driver sat and the accident is one layer of sheet metal. So loss of legs or a few other things was not out of the question. I said to Phil one day, ‘You’ve got to do a new Econoline. You’ve got to figure out how to put that engine to help the driver.’

Because the key to most cars is the front. If you’ve got that mass to absorb the energy on an impact, at least it helps. That was early in the planning era, I don’t remember the date, but let’s say it was the 1966 model year with the plan, and this might have been the Spring of ’63, and we had to get ready to start releasing production drawings by that fall. I saw Phil in the hall, and I said, ‘How are you coming along on the van?’ ‘Well, we’re starting this, and we starting that.’

Finally, it’s July or August, and I said, ‘Where are you in that van?’ I said, ‘Wait a minute. Let’s go over to the truck center, and we’ll get this thing settled.’ So I walked in this big room over in the truck engineering department — four lengths; four widths of this room — and all along the wall are full-scale drawings of various van configurations with the engine front, turned on its side, mid-ship, you name it. There must have been thirty variations in there.

‘Which one?’ ‘Well, we’re starting….’ ‘It’s August, Phil! We’re not leaving this room until we decide. Now you collect all the data: cost, weight, whatever comparisons you’ve got.”

I don’t know how long we were there, but it was a long time. I said, ‘Phil, that’s the one we’ll put in production unless you’ve some other.’

Did he have an exhaustive consideration? Sure as hell, I knew more about van configurations than I’ll ever want to know. He had them all, but we had to get to the point. I guess we picked the right one.”

---

RE:SOURCES

• Crippen, David; 1986. “Donald N. Frey Oral History.” the Henry Ford. Interview recorded Jan. 28.
• Wikipedia; 2025. “Ford E-Series.” Page last edited March 14.

ADVERTISEMENTS & BROCHURES:

• oldcaradvertising.com: Ford Econoline (1970)
• oldcarbrochures.org: Ford Econoline (1967); Ford Club Wagon (1969)