Ford Performance Head Moves Into Mainstream Models

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Ford’s former head of performance car manufacturing, Dave Pericak, is now the engineering director for the automaker’s North American unibody vehicles. While in charge of Ford Performance, the division launched the Raptor, Focus RS, Shelby GT350, and GT. Prior to taking the helm in 2014, he was also the chief engineer of the 50th anniversary Mustang.

Now responsible for mainstream models from both Ford and Lincoln, Pericak’s previous duties will be split between Mark Rushbrook and Hermann Salenbauch. Rushbrook will handle the company’s racing efforts as Salenbauch runs Ford’s production vehicle development.

“All the stuff we’ve been doing for the past three years has been pretty impressive, I think, personally, and I’m proud of it,” Pericak told Autosport in an interview from earlier this year. “Now, it’s time for me to go and take this global approach and bring it to the mainstream, where we can start affecting the way that we do production cars and trucks on a larger scale.”

Along with Raj Nair, the automaker’s executive vice president, Pericak oversaw Ford’s successful return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in the GTE division and the development of several well-received performance models. Ford confirmed Pericak’s new responsibilities came into effect at the start of December.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Tylanner Tylanner on Dec 09, 2017

    "Quite simply, Ford needs better engineers and more of them." Me, Nov. 2017 Bravo Ford...

  • EBFlex EBFlex on Dec 09, 2017

    So we can expect even lower quality in the mainstream products then? Because Ford Performance vehicles are pretty unreliable.

    • See 1 previous
    • JohnTaurus JohnTaurus on Dec 11, 2017

      @raph His claim is based on the fact that they are Ford products. Because its not like, say, GM (Corvette Z06) or Honda (Civic Type R) have had issues with their high performance cars. Its *only* a Ford problem.

  • Shawnski Shawnski on Dec 09, 2017

    And your experience is? I daily drive and track monthly a GT350, that has been outstanding save for tire wear...so goes my oldest son with his Focus RS. What do you are anyway?

    • EBFlex EBFlex on Dec 10, 2017

      First couple of years of the GT350 were awful and the 16-17 Focus RS has been a nightmare.

  • Pwrwrench Pwrwrench on Dec 14, 2017

    This is a Ford GT: http://gt40.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/GT40-P1031-4.jpg That thing in the photo ain't.

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