All this news about Camilo


dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
I just wanted to make the post on this topic because rampant speculation does nobody any good.

Yes, Autoweek and Jalopnik have run stories saying that Camilo is no longer an employee at Ford, etc etc. Here's what I'm gonna tell you: Camilo is currently employed by Ford Motor Company. Camilo was employed at FMC as of Tuesday, which was the last day he worked before he left the country. On Wednesday, he flew to India to be part of a documentary on the Maharajahs Road.

Will Camilo be with Ford when he gets back on the 31st? He's been discussing his situation at Ford for two years. He's had 10 million things he wants to do that don't fit the corporate situation at FMC. That includes things like the Camilo Heffner TT GT that was sold in Vegas a few months back (for which he was formally reprimanded, go figure). With the rigors of a 9-5 M-F job, he was what you might call less-than-proficient at meeting the demands for his talents outside of FMC, a demand which has certainly been more lucrative and been infintely more satisfying. Since I started handling his art business, it's been a tremendous mountain of art work to dig out from under in his spare time. While we set up the building all last week for Designer's Night, just looking at the wall I could name painting after painting after painting done for GT Owners. It's been a difficult balancing act for him. They knew it, and he knew it, and there was clearly internal discussion on if that would work. Likewise, they knew he rued ever having to design some piece of an SUV again.

So confirming or denying anything is silly because I think that it's bad form to be making comment on what other people do for a living, especially when nothing is official. That said, there is no denying that massive staff reductions are occurring at Ford very shortly, and Camilo is 8000 miles away in India for 17 days. When he gets back or when Ford says something, that would be an appropriate time to comment, and he will definitely have something to say.
 

dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
p.s, one of the things the forum has always tried to cultivate is the connection to the real world and not just a bunch of internet b.s. I think it's safe to say at least 500 Ford GT owners on this site have met Camilo. A few hundred have partied at his studio. Dozens have paintings, and hundreds have giclees. Every single on has a car that will forever be done by "Ford GT Chief Designer Camilo Pardo". It's nice to think that Camilo is just another GT owner in the crew, that loves to haul some ass and party. So I'd ask that people not make other people's employment public spectator sport.
 

scode

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2006
399
Plymouth, MI
Thanks for the update Dave.
 

Shelby#18

GTX1 Owner/Moderator
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 15, 2006
1,623
Nev./So. Cal./Minn.
Dave, thanks for this. I hope everything works out amicably between those involved. Except maybe the press. I've been fortunate to have met Camilo, see him drive, and own one of his paintings. As for the partying from all of the photo's I've seen of the studio, he lacks the one bottle in the group I'm looking for. (and it's not "Polygamy":lol) Perhaps one day.....:beer2:

All the best....
Rick
 

shelbyelite

PERMANENTLY BANNED
May 10, 2007
1
I could not agree with you more DBK. :thumbsup
 

Superfly

HERITAGE GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 23, 2008
2,210
Edmonton, Alberta
Nice post Dave. I can't wait to meet Camilo, shake his hand, and thank him profusely for creating the GT!!!
 

Indy GT

Yea, I got one...too
Mark IV Lifetime
Jan 14, 2006
2,526
Greenwood, IN
Thanks Dave for a very informative post.
We all wish the best for Camilo, in all his endevors...
 

skyrex

FORD GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 11, 2008
2,115
Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV
Well said and I wish him the best where ever the road takes him. :cheers
 

OCPETE

GT Owner
Nov 20, 2006
490
Killer Dana, CA
-Camilo Pardo-
What an approachable down to earth regular guy :thumbsup
 

STORMCAT

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 25, 2006
7,549
Ft. Lauderdale
Dave, Thanks for the personal insite.
 
H

HHGT

Guest
You know how sometimes you wake up from a dream and wish you could fall back to sleep to be in that dream again. Well, for me having been too young to own a GT40 in the 60's and then to be able to buy The One in my golden years is the dream and for that Camilo gets :thumbsup:thumbsup Talent like his will do well regardless. Best of luck...
 

soroush

Ford Gt Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 8, 2007
5,256
India hummm, wonder what he's up too there, Im sure we wont see the pictures:biggrin maharajahs road?, more like maharajah's women.
 

dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
They are over there filming a documentary about driving across the entire country of India in a dozen bad ass Mustangs. KR's, GT500s, etc. Old school cars.
 

Jones

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 11, 2007
267
Orange County, CA
What the media is saying Camillo is doing is speculative. What he plans to do is his biz. What he has done, has added a little spark to everyone's life that is a part of this community.
 

PeakCompletions

Boost is an addiction...
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 6, 2007
1,414
West Texas
Great post Dave, and good job!

Camilo is incredible as most of you know... what he does is his business and I am sure he will get a lot of support with whatever path he choses...

Good luck Camilo!!! You have a lot of really good friends and support!!

:cheers
 
Last edited:

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
When I 1st heard that Camilo has worked for Ford over 20 years, I was amazed because of how young Camilo is. Now I know that is because he started working at for when he was only 21 years old!

I wish Camilo all the best in his new endeavours and hope to still see him at the FGT rallies. After 21 years, it is time for CHANGE, some would say after 8 years.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

pauleddy

Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 14, 2007
306
Newport/Boca Grande
Suggestion: Camillo for Key Note Speaker/Rally IV

Dave,
An amazing guy like Camillo would surely make an incredible, IMO, Key Note Speaker, especially in a "Town Meeting", informal setting-type format for the FGT Rally IV, presumably in Texas.
 

Nardo GT

Well-known member
Jul 15, 2006
2,300
Texas
Dave,
An amazing guy like Camillo would surely make an incredible, IMO, Key Note Speaker, especially in a "Town Meeting", informal setting-type format for the FGT Rally IV, presumably in Texas.

Shucks.......I hope you ain't sayin' that weuns Texuns ain't got no citified folk here. We got them there big ole cities like Cut and Shoot, Daingerfield and Gun Barrel City bein a few. That there Camillo feller could sure draw one heckuva crowd at the local Shriner's Hall. I got some of them there fancy eatin' utensils and a full length paper table cloth I could get out just fern him (if the local elementary school will let me borrow their foldin' eatin' table).
 

Cyclenirvana

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 7, 2006
596
Winston-Salem, NC
Very thoughtful post Dave, thanks!
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
DBK
Thanks so much for posting true facts about Camilo's current status.:thumbsup
I can only echo HHGT and OCPETE'S comments.:usa