High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot, widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson who developed the design, based in part on designs created by Guido Fornaca of FIAT in the mid-1920s. It is possible the MacPherson was inspired by the suspension on the French Cottin-Desgouttes that used the same design, but with leaf springs. Cottin- Desgouttes front suspension was in turn inspired by Walter Chrisies 1904 design and he was inspired by plants