20.2.2003
GM Design observes 75th anniversary

Recognizing the growing importance of a car design, GM established the industry's first department devoted to automotive design in the summer of 1927.

Seventy-five years ago, GM revolutionized the automotive industry, by establishing the industry's first department devoted to automotive design in the summer of 1927.

The then-newly formed GM Art and Color Section - the forerunner of GM Design - would soon establish GM through its various brands as the undisputed design leader.

Headquartered at the GM Technical Center campus in Warren, the historic GM Design Center is itself a classic example of mid-20th century modernist architecture designed by the late world-renowned architect Eero Saarinen.

"Compelling design is passionate design," said Wayne Cherry, GM Vice President of design. "We were pioneers in this area. That's a source of great pride."

In the beginning, the Art and Color Section only applied color and trim features to bodies already designed by GM's Fisher Body Division. But it wouldn't be long before GM's first design chief, Harley Earl, began rewriting the rules of automotive design. The newly formed organization fostered a new relationship between stylists (as designers were known in those days) and engineers.

The Art and Color Section was renamed GM Styling in 1940 before taking its current name - GM Design - in 1972 to reflect the need to approach the product as a total concept, not just surface styling.

GM Design also has been an industry leader in ways other than its management firsts and its trend-setting designs. GM pioneered the use of clay modeling for automotive designs 70 years ago. Clay sculpting gave modelers and designers more flexibility than the plaster and wood mediums prevalent at the time, paving the way for more expressive shapes and forms.

Today, GM Design reflects the continued convergence of design and engineering disciplines on the front end of the vehicle development process for a leaner, more focused, more flexible organization.

Helping Cherry lead the organization is a team of five executive directors for interior design, quality and brand character, unibody architecture design, body-on-frame architecture design, vehicle architectures, and advanced vehicle design.

GM's global design organization reflects a diversity of people and cultures with creative talent from around the world. There are three main design studios in Europe at Saab in Sweden, Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in the UK. In addition, design resources are available in Australia, China, Japan, Korea and Italy.