In Memoriam - David Landrith

When David told a story about the glory days of automotive it always started with "So and so from such and such… he was a real nice guy." In David's eyes everyone was a friend.

Dave received a degree in marketing from U of M in 1960 then went to work for Security Bank, but when you've grown-up downriver Detroit you can't help but feel the tug of the auto industry.
David ran and promoted the Detroit Dragway. The echoes of "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday" still resonates through his son's head because David would take him and let him run the lights for the races.

With a knack for marketing and a diehard passion for cars and design, it didn't take Dave long to get picked up by the "Hurst Shifter Guy," George Hurst in 1964. As Vice President and general manager of Hurst Performance Research in Ferndale Michigan and Vice President of the parent company Hurst Performance Inc. Dave was "in charge of it all" he dreamt up and designed many high-performance vehicles as well as contributed to industry advances.

While with Hurst he managed PR for all the major players, GM Ford, Chrysler, AMC. Dave came up with marketable concepts, then followed through with the goods. He was part of the development and construction of the original Hurst Hemi Under Glass, the Super Stock AMX, the AMC Sc/Rambler, the Hurst Hairy Olds, the '69 Hurst Olds, the Chevy 442, the 440' Cuda, the Dart and the one and only Olds Fournado 442.

In 1971 Dave decided it was time for a new adventure, he bought the Dyno equipment and tooling from Hurst Detroit plants, left Hurst and formed Landrith Industries. At the time, David's private collection of cars included five Sc/Ramblers but parted with them to fund his start up. He also sold the AMC Baja package to James Garner (Rockford Files) for Garner's race team.

While on a two year stint as a special consultant to American Motors Corporation, David put together the iconic pro-stock racing team for AMC of HL Shahan and Shirley Shahan (Bridges) "DragOnLady" along with other drivers.

Vice President of After-Market Sales, American Sunroof Corp. from '72 to '74 working directly with Heinz Prechter.

Dave was just 38 years old in 1974 when he and cousin Warren Wells brought a company to life called Motortown. The company that was born on a shoestring Motortown ramped up quickly when Jerry Juska of Dymar brought David an idea for the Pontiac Astre Lil' Wide Track. Jim Wangers joined the company as a minor share holder shortly after the Lil' Wide Track deal was in motion. Motortown was literally an overnight sensation with gross profits of 1.4 million it's first year. By 1976 the company employed 260 persons throughout it's nine plants in North America and was expected to gross 7 to 9 million. Some of the cars that rolled down the line for Motortown bling were Ford's Cobra II, The Roadrunner, the Chevy Nova Shark, the 1977 Hornet AMX and Pontiac Can Am.

Next was General Dynamics where David oversaw testing of their Land Vehicle Systems which was coordinated with the Egyptian and Saudi Armies.

David was the Executive Vice President of Auto-Fab Conversions Inc. from 1985 to the early '90's. Not only did they build the PPG Pace Cars but he was also busy inventing and patenting a resin transfer molding process which was used on the Pontiac GTA.

David made a point of telling his family and friends how blessed he was in business to have made a living doing what he loved, developing, building and promoting iconic vehicles with various automotive heads of state, George Hurst, Dickie Chrysler, Edsel Ford II, Walt Czarnecki, Shirley Shahan (Bridges), HL Shahan, Paul Phelps, Chuck Miller, Paul Hatton, Doc Watson, to name just a few…

We learned after his death that David was a 2015 inductee to the American Motors Hall of Fame, an honor that would have delighted him.

As we celebrate David's life and legacy we know he will be deeply missed by his wife Jeanette. Jeanette hails from Britain but she and David crossed paths while riding horses in Cairo Egypt, Jeanette on vacation and David on a secret automotive assignment for General Dynamics Land Systems, they have been together since.

David lovingly remembered by his son Lawrence (Jennifer), daughter Paula (Stan) as well as all the grandchildren and great grand child, sister Jane, mother-in-law Joan, nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends, all of whom he considered family AND "real nice guys".