| nthfinity |
12-10-2010 05:18 PM |
RIP Chuck Jordan
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2010...NEWS/101219992
Quote:
Legendary GM design chief Chuck Jordan dies at 83
By GREG MIGLIORE on 12/10/2010
Chuck Jordan, the legendary designer who helped usher in the modern era of car styling at General Motors, died on Thursday evening, Dec. 9. He was 83.
Jordan is credited with a long list of iconic designs at GM at a time when the company set the tone for style in the industry in the 1950s and '60s. He was just the fourth man to hold the position of vice president of design, which he did from 1986 until his retirement in 1992.
He joined GM in 1949 after graduating from MIT. Jordan quickly made his mark on a number of areas, working on projects as diverse as tractors and locomotives. He got a big break when he moved to the advanced design studio and worked on several of the Motorama cars, an eye-catching collection of concepts that toured the United States in the '50s.
His long career at GM included stints as design director of Cadillac and Opel and in oversight of exterior styling for GM's premium brands.
He followed Irv Rybicki, Bill Mitchell and Harley Earl at the helm of GM design, a mantle that has since been carried by Wayne Cherry and Ed Welburn.
In one of his final public appearances, Jordan was upbeat this summer at the Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook in suburban Detroit, where his restored Motorama cars were on display.
"The beauty of the Motorama cars is we tried different ideas," he recounted in an interview with AW.
Jordan was born on Oct. 21, 1927, in Whittier, Calif.
Jordan's wife, Sally, said her husband died at 8:25 p.m. She said she plans to start a scholarship in his name at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Plans for a memorial service are pending.
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Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2010...#ixzz17kGKGadk
I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck this summer for the first time. He will be missed both by those close to him, and the entire automotive world he had a long, and strong hand in influencing.
For many in the Detroit area, his F40 was the first F40 seen buzzing around...
http://nthimage.com/create_hits/LPE/...p_Chuck_2s.JPG
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