The 85th anniversary of GM Design
GM Design festival this month its 85th anniversary; centers on the future, the 1900 men and women 10 global design centers are unanimous in their objectives: entice the consumer and make him acquire a vehicle he sees his true colors: an art that takes you.
"Our global team has a unique passion, designing vehicles that encourage emotional relationship with the client, stated Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design. What was true 85 years he is still there. The designer's role is the creation of an exterior beautifully executed, acquires the proportions that attract, and an interior environment that invites a growing and permanent relationships. "
Welburn, the sixth chief designer of GM's 104-year history and the first to see it extend its responsibilities to the world of design; he is president of honor another group of visionary 25th annual exhibition of automotive design EyesOn Designle held last Sunday. The profits will go to the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology to help in its efforts to search for those who have severe vision loss.
Under the strategic eye Welburn, each of the eight brands of passenger car GM stands between them and with other brands on the market in terms of form and expression. Cadillac and Buick have been completely redesigned and Chevrolet has become a global brand whose design language is recognized worldwide. The vehicles whose launch aid propel GM front of the stage are sports cars Chevrolet Camaro, the Malibu sedans intermediate and small Cruze vehicles; Cadillac CTS Coupe, GMC Terrain and the Enclave and LaCrosse Buick.
The famous Chevy Volt electric vehicle has autonomy prolonged rose from design to production in barely three years. The Volt was entitled to the honors of the year in North America and, with her sister the European Opel Ampera, the price of the car of the year in Europe. Other award-winning brands in the world include Holden in Australia and Wuling and Baojun in China.
In after Welburn and his team of designers is that in the future the best of their efforts will emerge. Classic cars of tomorrow, he said, are on the shelves has sketches and computer designers today. GM designs are avant-garde has a permanent revival of global products will be 70 percent of their portfolio of vehicles replaced within three years to come.
"Our global structure allows us to design more new vehicles and devote more people to latest technologies and tools to bring on the market continues Welburn. The diversity of thoughts, experiences and perspectives that we encourage in this area is unparalleled and fuels our creative process. In our multiple design centers, the mission is clear: "Each new product we develop must be a success; each of them must be a great vehicle. "
GM was the first automaker to isolate automotive design. June 23, 1927, the executive committee of General Motors approved the creation of a new service to "study art and color combinations products General Motors' Harley Earl and committed, a car manufacturer personnalisees.large and creator of LaSalle 1927 as director.
The entry in the automotive industry due to the Earl shadow Henry Ford maxim that the customer can have the color he wants so long as it is black. Among the many achievements of Earl, we see the development of the concept car; the annual model change; the rear fins of 50 years; mobile Motorama auto shows and the development of the famous Corvette. Earl is the first in the industry to have committed an automobile designer.
It is also him that we owe the discovery of Eero Saarinen who created the campus of the Technical Centre for GM which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is known worldwide as an example of architecture of half of the century.
While other companies to abandon their operations modernist buildings in the early 50s or that the Renovent beyond any common sense, GM Design and GM have balance functionality and aesthetics, adapting to modern technology and PRESERVING a work of architectural art. The life span of the symbolic Design Dome, adjacent studios and studios and administration buildings testifies to the innovative and flexible plan architect Saarinen, but also the commitment of the company to good taste.
Vice-presidents of GM Design who followed in the footsteps of William Earl Mitchell are (1958-1977), Irving Rybicki (1977-1986), Charles Jordan (1986-1992), Wayne Cherry (1992-2003) and Welburn (2003-present).
In 2005, Welburn was appointed to the newly created Vice President GM Global Design position; it is the first to create and manage the network of global design centers of the company. Welburn is also a member of the Executive Committee of GM operations. Design centers are located in the United States, Germany, Korea, China, Australia, Brazil and India.
About GM Design
With 10 design centers distributed in seven countries, General Motors Design is the first and largest service automotive design world. More than 1,900 men and women are responsible for the conceptual development of each concept car and cars and trucks series worldwide. Design centers are located in the United States, Germany, Korea, China, Australia, Brazil and India.
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