In a merger that is sweet, cross-industry and very Detroit, the children of two Motor City icons are planning to marry.

They are Ellie Ford, daughter of William Clay Ford Jr. and Lisa Ford, and Joseph Cobb, son of Carmen Harlan and Joseph Cobb.

There appears to have been no formal announcement, but the news was confirmed by a person close to the families.

The children are very low-key 20-somethings, but two of their parents are a couple of the biggest names in town: Bill Ford is the most prominent member of Detroit's most prominent family, and Carmen Harlan has been a local TV star for two generations at the WDIV-TV (Channel 4) anchor desk.

Ellie Ford is a Princeton psychology graduate, and according to online profiles, works as a research assistant at the University of Michigan; Joseph Cobb graduated from Wayne State and is said to serve as director of business development at Innovent LLC in San Francisco.

The date of the nuptials is not known. The wedding of Ellie Ford's grandparents and aunts and uncles were some of the most lavish in Detroit history.