25.8.2003
Journey through 75 years of design history
GM will invite visitors to the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (September 13 – 21, 2003) to participate in an interesting journey through the past, present and future of automotive design.
The "Art and Color Section", set up in Detroit in 1927, was the first design department to be established in the automotive industry, and it marked its place in design history over several decades with legendary models such as the Corvette (1953) and Cadillac Eldorado (1959).
In addition, numerous premieres underscore its pioneering role, for example, the team working under the famous designer Harley Earl (1893 – 1969) built the world's very first concept vehicle, the Buick Y-Job, in 1938. The original will be on show in Frankfurt.
Just as rich in pioneering achievements is the history of Opel. In the 1960s, Opel was among the first European automobile companies to discover the importance of modern design and the studios in Rüsselsheim attracted many international car designers. Rüsselsheim also launched the first series production of a concept vehicle in Europe with the spectacular GT when it went into production in 1968. It had been on show as a study at the IAA three years previously. One variant of this theme, although it never actually found its way onto the road, will also be on show in Frankfurt is the futuristic Opel GT2 with sliding doors (1975).
GM will also display two important concept vehicles from different GM brands and from very different epochs. These are the Saab 92001 (1946), Saab's very first car, which attracted enormous attention in those days with its unorthodox contours, and the dynamic Vauxhall VX Lightning (2003).
Two Live Design Studios on the GM stand will also enable visitors to obtain an insight into the working environment of present-day car designers. They will learn about some of the materials and crafting skills that are key to an understanding of modern-day car design.
Another major theme at the interactive workshops will be what is known as "packaging". According to GM's definition, packaging is the intelligent dividing up of the space in a compact vehicle body for the engineering, the passengers and the baggage, while ensuring maximum comfort, ergonomics and vision at the same time. A convincing demonstration will be given with practical examples of how the packaging initially influences the style of the vehicle, and how, subsequently, the designers stamp their mark on the look of the car with their own stylistic possibilities.
Models from GM's AUTOnomy and Hy-Wire studies will demonstrate how innovative technologies like the groundbreaking fuel cell system are paving the way for a completely new automobile architecture and also providing car designers with enormous scope for design.