Former Ford CEO Poling Dead at 86

Former Ford CEO Harold “Red” Poling died last weekend at his home in Pacific Grove, CA, at the age of 86.

Poling joined the auto maker in 1951 and quickly rose through the ranks, serving as president from 1985 to 1987, vice chairman from 1988 until 1989, and CEOand chairman from 1990 until 1993.

Upon his retirement Poling was succeeded by long time Ford veteran Alex Trotman.

Poling was known for his cost-cutting ability, helping guide the auto maker through a tough financial period in the mid-1980s, when it teetered toward bankruptcy, and on to record profits following the launch of the successful Taurus sedan in late-1985.

“I took over (North American Automotive Operations) in 1980,” Poling told WardsAuto in a May 1996 interview. “I'll never forget it. We were losing billions of dollars. We had to take sharp action to reduce our costs. We were in serious trouble.

“Fortunately, Chrysler got all of the (poor) publicity at the time. We were not far behind. We had to reduce our workforce over 20% and that was very painful. I didn't sleep well at night. We had to close plants.

“The high point I will remember most was 1983 when we turned from red to black for the first time in 16 quarters. The impact on the organization was fantastic.”

Chairman Bill Ford in a statement says Poling had a “profound impact” on Ford during his tenure.

“With a list of accomplishments that span 43 years, including leading the company through a remarkable turnaround during the 1980s and 1990s, Red was respected by all for his leadership, his passion for being the low-cost producer and his genuine affinity for people,” Bill Ford says.