GM Designer Elia Russinoff

March 30, 2012 12 CommentsCar Design, Designers, Elia Russinoff, GM Design Staff, League of Retired Designers

By John Mellberg

Rendering by Elia Rusinoff

Our designer friend and colleague, Elia ‘Russ’ Russinoff, has provided a portfolio of his work to feature on Dean’s Garage, shown on behalf of the Automotive Designers Guild and The League of Retired Automotive Designers, of which Russ is a fellow member.

Included among the 40+ sketches/photos is an image of a gold-colored 3/8ths scale model, called Illusion with the greenhouse sculpturally integrated into the form of the vehicle body, created in celebration of GM’s having worked with Libby-Owens-Ford (LOF) on vehicle glass development for 50 years. The cartoon in the portfolio, by Stan Parker, depicts several designers, modelers, and tech stylists with Russ seated in the vehicle. The illustration showing a dramatic 3/4 rear perspective of a pointy advanced car design demonstrates Russ’s out-of-the-box thinking. The Mead-like rendering of a couple of hovering, wheelless vehicles, was used along with other futuristic renderings by other designers for a presentation by Bill Mitchell on automotive design. Other images shown are from Russ’s work in Advanced Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Chevrolet Studios, the Aero Studio, and Advanced Vehicle Concepts Studio.

It’s been my good fortune to have known Russ for over 40 years, and I enjoyed working with him during my early days at GM Styling, in the Advanced Pontiac Studio, where he was a creative inspiration to all of us who worked with him. We’ve remained good friends for all these years, and I can truthfully say that while the years have passed, his enthusiasm, love, and passion for good car design is as sharp as it was back in the late 1960s when we worked together. His concept contributions as one of the founding members of the League of Retired Automotive Designers, at the various venues the League has exhibited its members designs at in recent years are exciting and forward thinking. Russ was also 1st Place Sr. National Winner in the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild Model Car Competition in 1949, and has been active in Guild Events over the years since, including the 2004 Guild Reunion held at GM Design, and the Eyes On Design concours event that year.

Elia (Russ) Russinoff
1955-1995 Asst. Chief Designer, GM Design
1960s Contributed to styling of several production Pontiacs and advanced aero projects
1955 Contributed to styling of Cadillac Town & Country show car
1954 Pratt Institute Graduate
1949 Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild 1st, Nat’l Sr. Award

12 Comments

March 30, 2012 at 8:34 am

John M. Mellberg

Gary,
You did a great job putting Russ’s presentation together. It looks great! One can only hope that fellow members of the Automotive Designers Guild and The League of Retired Automotive Designers and other automotive designers will be inspired by this Russinoff presentation, and moved to submit examples of their own creative talents to share/show for all to see and appreciate (w/submissions sent directly to you for posting).

Thanks for this homage to a fine person and fellow automotive designer.

John M. Mellberg
Automotive Designers Guild / League of Retired Automotive Designers
March 30, 2012 at 9:12 am

john manoogian II

Russ was in the first studio I was assigned to when I started at GM Design.His work was always such an inspiration to the young guys like myself.His work continues to look good after all this time.I was so fortunate to have been able to work with that kind of talent !! Thanks ,Gary for putting this together.
March 30, 2012 at 9:39 am

Rogerio Machado

This portfolio is amazing. I`m here on my desk, thinking about so huge knowledge and culture Russinof keep from all those years. Congratulations.
March 30, 2012 at 11:09 am

David R.North

Russ was one of the best!
March 30, 2012 at 1:11 pm

Walter Gomez

Great portfolio!
March 31, 2012 at 4:21 pm

Orval Selders

It is my sincere pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with ‘Russ’. His supreme talent was indeed enhanced by his jovial personality. I never once saw Russ in anger. Do you know that Russ once worked briefly for the reknowned Vince Gardner? (for you younger designers, Google ‘Vincent Gardner’ for the ‘Viga’ car he designed). I knew Vince from my days as a designer for Raymond Loewy Design Associates in South Bend.
April 1, 2012 at 1:07 pm

Norm James

I was very fortunate, going to Pratt—hoping to become an automobile designer, to find Russ as the upper classman leading the extra curriculum automobile design class. He became teacher, mentor and idol to us wannabes in our quest; showing the same skills and techniques you see here in the slideshow on how it is done. He was and still is a true gentleman.
April 2, 2012 at 11:34 pm

Christopher Rhoades

I worked with Russ in 1985 as an Intern in the Advanced Aero Studio.He was such a great mentor and incredible inspiration for me. Seeing his unique style and innovative designs again on this page brings back great memories. Thanks Russ!

Christopher Rhoades
Chief Designer
Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America
April 4, 2012 at 2:19 pm

Roy Lonberger

Two points that I want to emphasize to students about Russ’s fine work:

1. Creativity: When asked, Russ could produce 100 different concepts, while the less talented could get only 100 variations of the same concept.

2. Sketches: Unlike most designers who use hard and digital media to define surfaces in laborious and dull shading, Russ developed an exciting and quick technique of using reflections to define form. Study images 19 & 28.

One can learn a lot by studying his work. Many thanks.
April 16, 2012 at 2:22 pm

Paul Russinoff

John, on behalf of both myself and my Dad, I want to extend a very sincere thank you for the time you took in putting this together. It was great to see some of Dad’s sketches up on this great website and to read the wonderful comments from his colleagues at GM! (I understand he’s send you some more). Thanks again, Paul Russinoff
April 18, 2012 at 2:31 pm

John M. Mellberg

Hi Paul,
Nice to hear from you, and that you enjoyed seeing some ‘highlights’ from your Dad’s automotive designer career (Part 1, w/Part 2 to follow soon). As Dave North has already replied, Russ was one of the best, and was in very good company there during what arguably were GM Designs best years. We’re hopeful that some of the Automotive Designers Guild and the League of Retired Automotive Designers membership will be inspired by this showing and also come forth to share images of their creative design talents too. There’s a young audience out there that needs to see and learn from design concept work such as your Dad’s and his fellow colleagues.
Thanks for checking out Dean’s Garage too!
Sincerely, -John
John M. Mellberg
Automotive Designers Guild / League of Retired Automotive Designers
April 25, 2012 at 12:03 pm

David McIntosh

Russ was one of the uninhibited guys. He wasn’t constrained by anything that gets in the way of creativity. Fun to talk with and inspiring to work with. I had the pleasure to work with Russ in Advanced One studio in the ’70’s, a very creative time and atmoshphere, where I really learned how to be a designer.

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Book is excellent reading. I like all the practical jokes that you played on each other. Haven’t put it down yet.

Paul Alflen
Gary, Just received your book and read part of it, and can’t wait to finish it! EXCELLENT BOOK WOW! Thanks!

Carl Kofron
It’s a book whose pages you’ll return to again and again…sometimes just to look, other times to read and learn and to laugh!

Helen Hutchings
It brought back so many memories. The book captures some of the antics that took place. I recommend Gary’s book for anyone that has an interest to get a glimpse of an era long gone.

John Manoogian II
Very impressed with the emphasis on the “people stories.” Most people think of GM in terms of the cars, whereas you focused on the designers that created the cars. Congratulations on your excellent and personable narrative.

Roy Lonberger
Great book! It will provide many hours of interesting reading. Thank you for writing and publishing it!

Charles Pieier
All the wonderful anecdotes and photos bring laughter and smiles of recollection of the years at GM Design. The other content is equally entertaining, too! One can keep returning to its pages, finding a new topic of interest each time.

George Camp
Gary’s book focuses on the people who drove designs and events at GM Design. It is always informative, sometimes funny and sometimes sad. Picture are breathtaking. Extremely well done.

James Rice
Thank you Gary for this wonderful publication vicariously delivering the human condition nectar recalled from the good old days at GM Design.

Bill Boudreau
Closest thing to an actual time machine I have experienced! The photos, quotes and artwork really transported me back to what was a fabulous time at GM Design.

Len Casillo
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Future is Back. Great stories and wonderful comments! Excellent selection of illustrations and photos!

Peter Brock
The book is providing lots of interesting reading along with so many great photos, illustrations and renderings.

Sheldon Payne
It’s like going to a family reunion and meeting all your old friends, the studios and the models all over again. I can almost smell the fresh clay reading your book.

Ron Will
Reading the stories and anecdotes of designers who shared their experiences in this book allowed me to vicariously imagine what it would have actually been like to have worked in a studio. Thumbs Up Gary!!

Steve Sicklick
Great book Gary. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane!

Dennis Burke
I’ve enjoyed the Dean’s Garage book. I know a lot of the designers and places you mention; it’s like a reunion or old-home week.Thank you very much for putting everything together in such a beautifully organized, fun, illuminating way.

Michael Lamm