1950 Ford. Only minor changes from the new post war slab side styling first introduced by Ford in 1949. In 1950, the Coat of Arms Herald replaced "F-O-R-D" chrome letters centered on the front of the hood above the chrome spinner nose grille. The new grille Ford was using bears a very strong resemblence to the 1950-51 Studebakers. It is believed that this design was "stolen" from Studebaker by new Ford stylists hired away from Studebaker. These stylist had been on the Studebaker Team headed by Raymond Loewy that had developed the first new post war car for Studebaker, and who were working on the next design, a bullet nose theme, later successfully introduced by Studebaker in 1950-51, when they were hired away by Ford. The 1949 Ford has been credited with saving Ford Motor Company who badly trailed GM and Chrysler when Henry Ford Senior died in 1947. The original post war design for Ford eventually became the 1949 Mercury and Junior Lincoln, after the new smaller design proposal brought over largely by the former Studebaker Stylist gained acceptance with Henry Ford II, who took over at Ford with the death of his father.
