In 1946 McNamara got together with Charles "Tex" Thornton and eight other people who, like Thornton, he knew from the military and went into business. The group was hired by Ford Motor Company, which was going through a difficult time. This group was known as the "Whiz Kids". The Whiz Kids made changes to the company that led to it becoming more profitable and its cars getting better reviews and better sales. He rose through the company fast. In 1960 he became the President of Ford. He helped launch several successful models, like the Lincoln Continental and the Ford Falcon and put in some of the first modern safety features to be seen in cars.