The automotive industry has lost one of its leading figures of the last 30 years in Richard Parry-Jones, following his death from a heart attack on 16 April, aged 69.
Winner of the Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy in 1998 – the prestigious honour awarded by Welsh Motoring Writers – as well as numerous other awards and accolades, it is still possible to underestimate the impact Richard had on the automotive industry in Europe and beyond.
His philosophy in developing automotive dynamics was to achieve a sense of a vehicle’s behaviour during the first 50m of a drive rather than driving flat out on a test track. It would be these subtleties and nuances that would matter more to the majority of car owners than any behaviour at the limit.
Winner of the Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy in 1998 – the prestigious honour awarded by Welsh Motoring Writers – as well as numerous other awards and accolades, it is still possible to underestimate the impact Richard had on the automotive industry in Europe and beyond.
His philosophy in developing automotive dynamics was to achieve a sense of a vehicle’s behaviour during the first 50m of a drive rather than driving flat out on a test track. It would be these subtleties and nuances that would matter more to the majority of car owners than any behaviour at the limit.
Working in product development at Ford, he transformed the driving dynamics of a new generation of Ford models in the 1990s, beginning with the Mondeo, launched in 1992, as well as influencing the Galaxy, Puma, Ka, Fiesta, Focus and successors.
Before the launch of the Galaxy, a sister product of the Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra in 1995, it is said Richard mandated a reengineering of the Volkswagen-led trio as the development vehicle he tried did not meet his handling requirements.
And because these cars were so highly regarded, many of Ford’s rivals were forced to follow. Indeed, it’s said that Ferdinand Piëch, then chairman of Volkswagen Group, tried to lure him to the manufacturer as head of product development.
Born in Bangor in September 1951, Richard enjoyed rugby at school and at a young age was inspired to become an automotive engineer as a spectator of the RAC Rally – later Wales Rally GB – in North Wales.
He joined Ford as a undergraduate trainee in 1969 and qualified with a degree in mechanical engineering at Salford University in 1973.
During the 1980s he oversaw various projects in Europe. He was appointed director of vehicle concepts engineering at Ford’s US headquarters in 1988 before taking charge of manufacturing at Ford’s Cologne plant in Germany.
He became vice-president of the product development group between 1994 and 1998 before his appointment as group vice-president.
Later, as chief technical officer, Richard led a global team of 30,000 technical staff involved in vehicle production at a time when Ford owned a number of premium car brands, including Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.
Before the launch of the Galaxy, a sister product of the Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra in 1995, it is said Richard mandated a reengineering of the Volkswagen-led trio as the development vehicle he tried did not meet his handling requirements.
And because these cars were so highly regarded, many of Ford’s rivals were forced to follow. Indeed, it’s said that Ferdinand Piëch, then chairman of Volkswagen Group, tried to lure him to the manufacturer as head of product development.
Born in Bangor in September 1951, Richard enjoyed rugby at school and at a young age was inspired to become an automotive engineer as a spectator of the RAC Rally – later Wales Rally GB – in North Wales.
He joined Ford as a undergraduate trainee in 1969 and qualified with a degree in mechanical engineering at Salford University in 1973.
During the 1980s he oversaw various projects in Europe. He was appointed director of vehicle concepts engineering at Ford’s US headquarters in 1988 before taking charge of manufacturing at Ford’s Cologne plant in Germany.
He became vice-president of the product development group between 1994 and 1998 before his appointment as group vice-president.
Later, as chief technical officer, Richard led a global team of 30,000 technical staff involved in vehicle production at a time when Ford owned a number of premium car brands, including Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.
L to R – Tim Williams (WAF); Huw Thomas (WMW); Quentin Willson; Ken Skates AM (Welsh Government); Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE (WAF); Dr Andy Palmer (Aston Martin Lagonda); Mark Tennant (INEOS Automotive); Colin Barnett (WMW) He retired from Ford at the end of 2007 after 30 years with the company, but he soon deployed his leadership and management skills in other areas, advising both the Welsh government and the Westminster government, and became chair of the Automotive Council.
He spent almost three years as chair of Network Rail, held non-executive directorships of utility company Kelda Group as well as automotive and aerospace company GKN and Cosworth Group Holdings. Richard was a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Richard also found time to indulge in rallying as a driver, with some success too.
More recently, he was chair of the Welsh Automotive Forum, non-executive chair of Marshall Motor Group and earlier this year had joined the board of Aston Martin Lagonda, a company for whom he had overseen technical development in the 1990s – now it has a manufacturing base in Wales.
He ran a luxury bed and breakfast accommodation in Barmouth, North Wales, with his wife Sara.
As a patron of Welsh Motoring Writers, he opened doors for our group that would otherwise have remained closed and has been a huge supporter of ours since our foundation in the 1990s.
We will miss his presence at our annual awards events, his wit and intelligence in conversation at dinner. Our thoughts are with Sara and the rest of his family and friends.
Simon Harris
"Richard Parry-Jones was a rare talent who left an indelible mark on Ford and the industry. As an engineer, he was a virtuoso with an uncanny feel for creating cars that were dynamic and incredibly fun to drive. I can tell you that going on a test drive with him was not for the faint of heart. His passion for great cars and love of motoring inspired legions of engineers and enthusiasts in Europe and around the world. Richard will be deeply missed and our heart goes out to his family and loved ones."
Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company
"I was greatly saddened to hear of the death of Richard Parry-Jones. He touched many of our lives in the car world, particularly the Ford world. He had a very special genius in him that cut through the problem to the solution. He will be missed. RIP Richard."
Ian Callum CBE, vehicle designer
"I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of our chairman, professor Richard Parry-Jones following a tragic incident. He was quite simply an industry legend. He was an inspiring mentor to me and I am so proud that we became close friends. I will miss him deeply."
Daksh Gupta, CEO Marshall Motor Holdings
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