The Mustang community is stunned and saddened by the recent news of Bob Fria’s passing. He fell victim to complications of COVID-19. Bob was a friend to many of us at the Mustang Club of San Diego where he was a member for the better part of nine years.

Bob had accumulated a long list of accomplishments in his life. By age fifteen he had obtained a student pilot license. Later he flew for the Air Force piloting C130 cargo planes in Vietnam. He retired as a captain after a thirty-two year career with United flying almost every model aircraft Boeing had to offer.

Besides restoring a historical artifact, the first preproduction Mustang hardtop built, Bob’s love for the automobile is evident by the array of different Fords he would drive to the club general meetings. I once asked him about his preference for Fords. He responded that it was the car he learned to work on and felt the most comfortable with. The other prize of his collection was a 1966 Emberglo GT convertible similar to what his dad bought new.

Airplanes and automobiles aside, the most important aspect of Bob’s life was his family. Namely his wife of 52 years, Joyce and their children, Nicole and his son Matthew who preceded Bob’s passing. In Mustang Genesis, a book Bob wrote about the development of the Mustang, he acknowledged Joyce as “his rock,” and affirmed “family comes first in my way of life, then everything else.”

I first met Bob at the Mustangs by the Bay Car Show in 2014. Bob brought Mustang serial number 2 which was staged next to a 2015 Mustang on loan from Ford. We talked for a considerable amount of time regarding the history of his preproduction hardtop and the development of the Mustang. I realized how fortunate we were to have Bob as a member.
Subsequent conversations at club gatherings centered around the Mustang. What I continued to appreciate was not only his knowledge of the car but his willingness to share his knowledge. And even though he fully understood the mechanicals of what made the car and most other Fords tick, he also knew the back story of the development of the car and the history surrounding the Ford Motor Company at the time of the car’s creation.

Bob’s willingness to share his knowledge was evident in his many contributions to this newsletter. He was also a resource to many who where working on their first gen Mustangs. On more than one occasion I gave his email to those looking for guidance or information. Bob was always happy to oblige.

A few years ago I happened to meet Mustang designer Gale Halderman. I didn’t realize at the time Bob and Gale had established a friendship through the writing of Mustang Genesis. Touring Gale’s museum, I noticed a poster of the sketch he drew on his kitchen table which becameIacocca’s pick for the Mustang. I pulled out Bob’s business card and showed it to Gale telling him a fellow club member from San Diego used his drawing for the card. Gale laughed and said, “ the next time I talk to Bob, I’m going to ask for a royalty on the use of the design….” Kidding aside, Gale’s accolades regarding Bob were echoed by Bob regarding Gale. The respect that each person had for the other was extraordinary.

Bob’s friendship with Lee Iaccoca began with Bob asking Mr. Iaccoca for a photo opportunity with his Caspian Blue ‘64 1/2 Mustang. It took Bob a year before his schedule could match up with Mr Iacocca. From that meeting, their friendship spanned the better part of two decades. In 2010 at an event honoring Mr. Iaccoca on the USS Midway, Bob drove him around the deck in the ‘66 Mustang GT convertible. Bob later accompanied Mr. Iaccoca on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage titled “50 Years of Mustang with Lee Iaccoca.”

One of Bob’s many interactions with Mr. Iaccoca was another ride Bob gave him, this time in his triple blue 1963 Galaxie convertible. Bob said that when Iaccoca got in the car he couldn’t believe how big it was. And sitting there, he thought there was too much chrome and flash to the interior. Of course Bob reminded him that he was Ford Division president when the car was approved and launched for production. Bob said he smiled and asked his usual question, “Does this thing have a heater?”

The bond Bob forged with Lee Iaccoca was once again of mutual respect. To that end, Bob was in attendance at Mr. Iaccoca’s funeral last year.

A gearhead friend and I visited Bob’s garage in July. When I told him the news of Bob’s passing, his email back to me summed up the impression Bob left on this fellow Vietnam Vet: “I count myself so fortunate to have spent an evening with Bob and all the stories of his association with Ford execs, designers and others. Bob had a wealth of knowledge. I appreciated his warm hospitality and the time he took to show me his cars that evening. I am sure he will be missed sorely.”

The last time I saw Bob was at the Ford v. Ferrari event at Fox Studios in LA. I was walking around the parking ramp looking at the classic Mustangs on display when we bumped into each other. We left the conversation with Bob telling me, “let’s get together.” The plan was to make that happen once the holidays were over and I returned from a trip in February. Unfortunately for me, that never happened.

Bob is missed by all who knew him. Many of our club members have expressed their loss of our good friend and their want to honor him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joyce, Nicole and their family as they grieve their loss through this unprecedented time.