John won the 2nd National Senior Award in the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild in 1966, and started his career working at General Motors Design Staff. John is also one of two contacts for the Automotive Design Guild featured on Dean’s Garage. Part One features some of the highlights of John’s career from 1966 through 1983.

1966 Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild 2nd, Nat’l Sr. award winning entry

John Melberg’s 1966 2nd National Sr. Award winner. Photo courtesy of John Mellberg. John Mellberg wrote, “Becoming a Guild participant opened my eyes to the world of automotive vehicle design, and lead to what has become a lifelong career as a creative designer. The Guild set many of us upon this same journey, and was a great recruiting base for GM Design.”

John Mellberg writes:

“As for the several places I’ve worked at over the years, let me say that each place had its own unique products to be designed, and also challenges to be met, problems to be solved. The one common link between all of them of course is their people. I’ve had the good fortune to work with so many talented people both inside each company as well as design consultants and contracted craftsmen and technicians who all helped contribute to and support project initiatives. Working like this, we all learn from each other. Long term bonds and friendships have grown out of these working relationships that enrich ones life experience. It’s heartwarming to realize the great camaraderie that exists within our profession.

And ‘thank you’ to Gary Smith, speaking on behalf of all my fellow designer friends and colleagues, as we really appreciate your fine website which is devoted to sharing things about automotive design and product design as well. You’re preserving a colorful, exciting, noble and rich profession while revealing its dynamic history for all to see and learn about, especially those with aspirations about becoming designers too!”

1968 Art Institute of Chicago and University of Chicago Graduate, Transportation and Product Design

1968-1972 Sr. Designer, GM Styling: Adv. Pontiac Studio (’68–’70), Chevy Studio No. 2 (’70–’72). Contributed to design of F-Body Firebird concept vehicle, ’7X Pontiac Astra, ’73 Chevrolet Nova SS Hatchback, ’73 Laguna

“My design career after graduation from The Schools of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago began at General Motors Styling and introduced me to the automotive creative design process, which has served as the foundation upon which all my subsequent work as a creative automotive designer, has been realized.

While at GM Styling I further learned from my peers and from actual applications practice how to visualize 3D automotive shapes and forms, expressing my concept ideas through hand-drawn sketches, full-color renderings, full-size tape layout and airbrushed renderings, supervision of scale and full-scale clay model development, leading to full-scale mock-ups and prototype vehicles.

My contributions and responsibilities involved the visual and verbal communication of my ideas, giving sculptural clay modelers, studio tech engineers and skilled craftsmen sufficient information and guidance for them to translate my ideas and concepts into scale and full-scale 3D sculptured automotive forms, while contributing as a team member collectively focused on accomplishing project goals/objectives established by our Styling Studio CHIEF Designer. Our team efforts were then presented to Executive Design Staff Management for their council, review and final approval.

I’ve successfully used these creative design skill sets and tools learned while at GM Styling as my career has evolved, and continue adding to this design experience base of knowledge.”

A few of John’s “rescued” studio sketches

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1972-1983 AG Styling Supervisor, J.I. Case Co.

1990-1993 Managing Designer, Case Corp.

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1970s-1990s Airships International

“I worked on and off for Airships International from the late 1970s through the late 1990s. My work was triggered by political/military defense strategies that the Principal at AI had 1st hand information about, and when government funding was allocated to ‘alternate forms’ of defense systems. My work was to support presentations to be made showing various roles a metalclad airship could play in various ‘theatres.’”

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Comment from Ron: If anyone has a guild model or old Guild photos, I would appreciate receiving a copy by mail or by email. We are building an archive of this historic Fisher Body model contest. A CD copy of our archive to date has been sent to the GM Heritage Center. Another copy will be sent to the Smithsonian where Guild models are already being collected and preserved for posterity. Please contact me at azwillfh@cox.net.

Arthur Russell’s national award winning entry from 1957.

Former Guildsmen who became GM Styling designers, taken in the mid ’70s. Left to right: Paul Tatseos, Jack Folden, Stan Parker, George Prentice, Robert Menking, Charlie Stewart, George Gadda, George Anderson, Stu Shuster, Roy Tiesler, John Wozena, Tom Semple, Chuck Jordan, Kirk Jones, Gordy Brown, Elia Russinoff, Chuck Torner, and Dennis Little. Other Guildsmen who were at GM Styling at the time but not in the photo are Tom Covert, Ron Will, Dave Holls, Galen Wickersham, Al Flowers, Geza Loczi, Ed Taylor, Ron Hill, Terry Henline, Gary Smith, and Bill Scott. Of course, not all the Guildsmen who became car designers ended up at GM. Many of the top designers at Ford, Chrysler, and foreign automakers also benefitted from their mentoring in the Craftsman’s Guild.


Adrian Bruno’s national award winning entry from 1955.

Gale Morris’ national award winning entry from 1949.

Milton Antonick’s national award winning entry from 1955.

Leonard Bellanca’s national award winning entry from 1951.

Ron Will’s 1961 national award winning entry.

George Prentice’s 1965 national award winning entry.

Joseph D’mura’s national award winning entry from 1966.

Stewart Reed’s national award winning entry from 1968.

Guild models on display at the Boston Museum Reunion in 2008.

Models on display in 1966 at Fisher Body during judging.

Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild 1947 publicity photo.

My dad took me to an auto show in Los Angeles in 1959. I don’t remember if it was a Motorama or not, but on display were several Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild models. I took the literature and about wore it out looking through it for years before finally deciding to enter in 1964. I think what tipped the scale was seeing the actual Monza GT on display at a USRRC race at the Riverside International Raceway. I was never quite the same after seeing that car. I entered the contest three years straight (’64, ’65, and ’66) and received two honorable mentions.

If you have photos of your models or stories associated with being an award winner and traveling to Detroit, I’ll publish them in a subsequent post. Email them to me. Photos must be at least 650 pixels wide.

Ron Hill’s 1950 National Award-winning entry. Photo courtesy of Ron Will.

Elia Russinoff’s 1949 National Award-winning entry. Photo courtesy of Ron Will.


Milt Antonick’s 1955 National Award-winning entry. Photo courtesy of Ron Will.

Terry Hinline’s 1958 National Award-winning entry. Photo courtesy of Ron Will.

Chuck Jordan’s 1947 National Award-winning entry. Photo courtesy of Ron Will.

John Mellberg’s 1965 1st Regional Award winner. Photo courtesy of John Mellberg.

John Mellberg’s 1966 2nd National Sr. Award winner. Photo courtesy of John Mellberg. John Mellberg wrote, “Becoming a Guild participant opened my eyes to the world of automotive vehicle design, and lead to what has become a lifelong career as a creative designer. The Guild set many of us upon this same journey, and was a great recruiting base for GM Design.”

Photos of the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild models from the 2004 Eyes on Design exhibit are posted here courtesy of Mike Parris.

The black and white photos in this post are scanned from various pieces of Guild literature.

Design & Build a Model Car booklet cover.


The books and Guildsman newsletter contained inspirational stylist’s renderings.

Design & Build a Model Car booklet cover.

Specifications sheet from contest year 1964–65. Click on the image to view full size.

The winners were treated to a tour of Styling. The designer sketching looks like Larry Shinoda.

1964 contest winners. Upper left is Tom Semple.

1965 contest winners. Geza Loczi is standing, second from right.

Judges Lenny Casillo and Terry Henline. Who is in the center?

Chuck Jordan’s model is on display at the Henry Ford Museum.

These photos were part of the same exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum.

There is a book about the contest entitled The Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild-An Illustrated History by John L. Jacobus.

Photos of the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild models from the 2004 Eyes on Design exhibit are posted here courtesy of Mike Parris.