By John Mellberg

I’ve had these photos filed in a brown envelope since leaving GM Styling in 1972. The car in the photos was a Firebird that was underway when I was assigned to the Advanced Pontiac Studio, initially working for Gordy Brown, Studio Chief Designer, and then, when management decided to shuffle the Chiefs around—Jerry Hirshberg became the Studio Chief Designer for Advanced Pontiac and Gordy Brown took over Advanced Buick Studio. It was a great learning experience working with both of these talented design leaders and the Advanced Pontiac team members. We had a lot of creative fun working together, while learning from one another in the process.

Working in Adv. Pontiac when I came on board was Roger Hughet (Assistant Chief Designer), Elia Russinoff (a lifelong friend), John Houlihan, Dennis Burke (a then GMI Co-op designer), Dave Rossi (Chief Modeler) Cliff Gabler, Kurt Struckmeier, Dean Towne, Juergen Stoldt, Klaus Brink (a good friend and Studio Engineer), and Rick Stuhlstatz (Klaus’ assistant). If I’ve forgotten anybody, my sincere apologies, as this was a long while ago.

This Firebird design was initially developed from a series of 1/5th scale clay and fiberglass models, from which one was picked to do full-size.  We had been working on the refinement of the design for about 6 months when Jerry Hirshberg joined us. The design went from a single theme, to 2 themes, or variations, with one side the sporty design with full wheel cuts, and the other side, a boulevard design with the rear wheels skirted. This gave the model an interesting split personality. At the time these photos were taken by Bob DeMerrill, a Design Staff Photographer, the clay model had been fully di-noc’d and details were cartooned by this writer to add visual substance to the design. The modelers foiled the headlight bezels/cans and trim around the tail lights. It was a bold, striking design, clearly a complete departure from the then current FIrebird, and would have been a hatchback. The large round headlights give the car a place in time, as it wasn’t long after we had worked on this that rectangular headlights emerged on GM automobiles and the others. The model’s color was a metallic orange, somewhat like the recent 2005 GTO Ram Air 6 Concept that Kip Wasenko’s group put together adding muscle to the Australian GTO beyond its appearance as had been shipped to the States as a Pontiac.

If I recall correctly, we abandoned work on this car when the then new Federal regulations for front and rear bumpers became law, as this design would not have been compliant. I don’t believe that I’ve ever seen photos of this concept proposal ever published. Perhaps my fellow design colleagues from Advanced Pontiac Studio who also contributed to the design of this vehicle can further add to the pedigree of this design and its history.—John Mellberg

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Photos Courtesy of Wayne Ellwood

The GTO Concept was created in the fall of 1998 in only three or four months. It was done when Brian Baker had the Advanced Design Group, during the time when Wayne Cherry wanted to explore designs 15 years into the future. Wayne Cherry also wanted all of the brands to have their own identity. They made brand character models for each brand and after that the designer could only use those ques that related to a certain brand.

The GTO’s designer was Jay Bernard. When they had a press conference about the car, he remarked that at the start of the program he had never heard of a GTO. So they brought in a sculptor old enough to not only know what a GTO was, but also actually had one. He worked with Jay through the design process, and among other responsibilities was supposed to also make sure it came out looking like a GTO. His influence was negligible.

Jerry Palmer had the most direction in the design. Ben Salvador and Glen Durmisevich were also in that group. Another designer that had input in the GTO was Jim Brinkerhoff.

A foam pushmobile was made and it ended up at a few car shows around the country, including the Detroit Auto Show. Then it disappeared.

The GTO Concept exterior was one of the first all-math models. The interior only existed as sketches. It was milled in foam, not clay. No room for mistakes.

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Car & Driver video from the 1999 Detroit Auto Show.

Thanks to Joel Ratts.

Oldsmobile wanted to highlight the introduction of the Quad Four engine by showing it off as a highly modified engine mounted onto an Indy type racing chassis. The goal was to have the car break the world lap record around an Indy-style oval track and be driven by former Indy 500 winner, A.J. Foyt.

Our goal was to develop an eye-catching interior to complement the exterior development for an introduction at the Chicago Auto Show. So in the summer of 1984, our design team made a trip to the Michigan 500 track to research the car chassis and to understand the driving needs of the racers. Upon returning, I started developing the design themes. We wanted to convey a design that was not only reflected the essence of a race machine, but also incorporate some high tech electronics such as Head-Up Display, Flip-Up Digital Info Panels, Access Panels to the onboard computers, and video cameras. My design themes were inspired by the F-16 fighter aircraft cockpit as well as some of the fantastic robotic models coming from Japan.

One minor problem that developed during our design phase was that we could not obtain any reference drawings from England where the March racing chassis were built. Without those drawings we could not accurately build our upper portion of our design to properly interface with the real car. We found out that the people in England knew their job well enough to complete the cars without reference drawings since they were all hand-built. Luckily, GM Design Staff was able to obtain a body chassis that had been involved in a crash, allowing us to take critical reference points. We had the unique opportunity to work closely with some very forward-thinking engineers from GM’s Delco Electronics that provided us with the digital display panels and supported us in developing all the electronic components, including the head-up display unit.

The interior design was completed by 1986 and introduced with the exterior show car model at the 1987 Chicago Auto Show. This was one of my most favorite projects. I had the pleasure to work with a fantastic group of people at Design Staff, incorporate cutting-edge electronics, and establish a great working relationship with various other GM groups such as Delco.

Thanks very much to the very talented William Quan who now works as an Industrial Designer for Teague in Seattle, Washington.

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I was in Oldsmobile 2 Studio when Ed Welburn was given the assignment to develop the Aerotech. The car was modeled in an out-of-the-way basement studio away from prying eyes. It is interesting to note that two years earlier when the Achieva styling model was being developed, Dave Holls decided to pull the clay out of the studio and put it down stairs so its development could be hidden until it was finished and ready for review. I think the Achieva clay was really starting to look good in the studio and Dave didn’t want Chuck or others meddling with it until it was further along. It came out pretty good and was the subject of a previous post on Dean’s Garage. I did the initial design of the car, full-size renderings, centerline and 3300 sections. But I wasn’t able to see the car through myself, as I was in Olds 1 and the Achieva was in Olds 2. The sculptors did an outstanding job surfacing the Achieva styling model. I wish I could remember the names of those involved.

The Oldsmobile Aerotechs were a series of experimental high-speed vehicles created between 1987 and 1992 incorporating the latest in performance technology with the intention of breaking multiple automobile speed records. The first such car was driven by four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt to a world closed-course speed record of 257.123 mph (413.788 km/h) on 27 August 1987 at the 7.712-mile (12.411 km) test track near Fort Stockton Texas. Prior to this, on 26 August 1987, the car had posted a top speed over a mile of 267.88 mph (431.10 km/h). The car consisted of a March Indycar single seat chassis enclosed in an extremely efficient aerodynamic body shell. It was powered by a highly turbo-charged version of the 2-litre Oldsmobile Quad 4 engine. The Aerotech body was designed by GM Design staff and was one of the sleekest vehicles ever developed for use on a high speed track. The design of the Aerotech included the capability of adjusting underbody sections to control the distribution of downforce, front to rear. Oldsmobile produced three versions of the original Aerotech to prove the capabilities of the company’s Quad 4 engine. Two were short-tailed (ST) versions and one was long-tailed (LT).

Subsequently, between 7–15 December 1992, another version of the Aerotech, this time powered by a 4.0 litre Oldsmobile Aurora V8 engine and fitted with lights, broke 47 speed endurance records including the 10,000 and 25,000 kilometre world speed records. Other national and international speed records ranging from 10 kilometres to 24 hours were accomplished by a team of drivers working 24 hours a day for 8 days. These records were also set at the Fort Stockton test track.

The Aerotech is also featured in a previous Dean’s Garage post entitled ’80s GMs Image Cars. There is another video of the car in that post.

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Documentary of the Development of the Aerotech

Video includes studio scenes of the clay model at Design Staff.

1992 Oldsmobile Achieva SCX—the last real Oldsmobile?

The 1992 Oldsmobile Acheiva SCX is the last real Oldsmobile in the sense that it was the last Olds to have an engine designed by Oldsmobile, the 2.3 Liter Quad-4. Only about 1,400 SCXs were made with the 190-hp Quad Four. This video is a road test of the car.

I created the basic body design for the Achieva Coupe when I was in Oldsmobile One in 1986. The story and photos of the development of the car is in a previous post on Dean’s Garage.

My 1992 SCX is for sale

I’m thinking about selling my 1992 Achieva SCX. I’m the second owner of this car since 1998. The first owner is a good friend and bought the car new as a GM employee working for Oldsmobile. It has been well maintained. Mobil 1 since 3,000 miles, never overheated. New clutch and shifter cables. Clear title, no accidents. Original paint, no rust. It has been in Arizona since 1995. It needs some paint work to repair a small parking lot ding on the front right fender. The bumpers and rear air dam needs to be repainted. The BFG Comp T/As have tread, but they are nine years old and should be replaced if the car is to be driven any distance. 130,000 miles. Contact me for more information.

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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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On January 28, 2011, a memorial service was held in the honor of Charles M. Jordan at the General Motors Heritage Center in Detroit. Donald Wood III was kind enough to allow his photos of the event to be posted on Dean’s Garage. Also available for download is the event handout in Acrobat format. (Right click and select “Save As” or “Set Target As” to download the brochure to your computer. When opened from your computer, the brochure will open as spreads.) I made an attempt to caption the photos in the gallery. Corrections are welcome! (Thanks to George Camp and Kim Boose for help with captions)

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Article by Michael Lamm

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ANNOUNCEMENT

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]]> http://deansgarage.com/2011/harley-earl%e2%80%99s-scrapbooks/feed/ 2 http://deansgarage.com/2011/chevrolet-xp-898-inspiration-for-two-unique-designs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chevrolet-xp-898-inspiration-for-two-unique-designs http://deansgarage.com/2011/chevrolet-xp-898-inspiration-for-two-unique-designs/#comments Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:17:49 +0000 Gary Smith http://deansgarage.com/?p=4426 Continue reading →]]> by Ron Will

Thanks to Ron Will for providing an original XP-898 brochure, sketches, and this short account of the XP-898.

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It’s been many years, but I will do my best to recollect how the XP-898 came about. It actually started with the “Worlds First All Plastic Car” built in 1967 by the German Bayer Chemical Company. The BMW powered car had no metal chassis, only a foam sandwich frame and body built like a surfboard with a fiberglass outer shell and a fiberglass lower shell.  Only the engine and transmission were metal. GM knew about the car because they were working with Bayer to develop the very first RIM (Reaction injection molded) parts for cars. The 1969 Pontiac Trans Am Spoiler was the first part created with the RIM process. New bumper regulations opened up a new chance for Bayer-Mobay RIM foam bumpers with the first appearing on the 1975 Monza.

At the same time Chevrolet Engineering was experimenting with their own foam sports car. Ed Mertz was the Chief engineer and a young 25-year-old Brook Lindbert was the Project engineer. The engine and drive components were from the Chevy Vega. The Vega tail lights were the only visible link to it’s underpinnings. The first notch back roof prototype was more of a testing mule. The car was rough and made mostly for testing purposes, and extra nose pieces were made for crash testing. I was told that the moment the nose hit the crash barrier, the room turned into a snowstorm of rigid urethane foam as it burst into thousands of tiny pieces. The tests were quite successful because the foam completely absorbed the shock of the crash. In such a crash the rest of the car should have no damage and the passenger compartment would stay intact. I was told that it would be possible to saw off just the damaged section and glue on a new part.

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Publicity photo of the XP-898

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GM Styling was able take advantage of the prototype by building a show car out of it. In Chevy III studio I helped design a new more finished coupe body from the test car. The changes primarily included a more realistic front end, rear end and a new fast back lift-off hard top design. The final model was a basic, clean, simple design that showed well in the car shows.  If you look at the prototype, there are no cut lines for the front or rear bumpers. The concept was that as the body was molded, the ends would be soft for the bumpers and then blend into rigid structural urethane further back. Road & Track ran a 6-page article on the car saying it would be good competition for the Datsun 240Z and all 4-cylinder European sports cars.

The project really had no future technologically because the production process would be too slow for a mass producer like GM.  Each FRP body shell had to be placed into a heavy mold that was bolted together to sustain the high pressure of the urethane foam injection process.  The body would then have to sit for 15 minutes in the mold while it cured. While this was entirely too slow a process for GM, light bulbs went off in two people at GM, John Delorean and myself.  John saw this technique as a perfect way to start his new car company. I saw the same idea and stupidly thought I could do the same. John Z left GM to create his Delorean and I left about the same time to create my Turbo Phantom.  If you look under the stainless steel skin of the Delorean, you will see the FRP with foam injection used to create crash panels on the side, front and top. His initial idea was to make the car entirely of foam just like the XP-898, but that was changed with the chassis development by Lotus. The Phantom was more true to the XP-898 in that my body and chassis was entirely a foam sandwich design. I think the concept of the foam sandwich car is still viable for a limited production vehicle. The tooling is relatively inexpensive. It is rigid, crashworthy and lightweight, all attributes that we still strive for today.

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Ron Will’s Turbo Phantom. One of these days Dean’s Garage will do a post dedicated to Ron’s car.

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I don’t know who did the original design for the notch back prototype. The rough prototype car was brought into Chevy III and a platform was set up right in front of my desk. The show car version was mostly a face lift of the prototype. We did the clay work right over the fiberglass model as most of the design was additive. The design was simple and as a show car we had a short deadline.  The car was modeled in a matter of weeks and then sent to the shop for completion.  The new clay sections were cast in plaster to make fiberglass parts. The new parts were bonded right over the top of the original car. The most complicated part was the new fastback glass hatch. I later worked on the 1978 Corvette glass hatch facelift that was similar but more tapered in the back.

Randy Wittine and John Q. Adams were in the studio at the time, but I think I did most of the work on the car and helped direct the clay model. All of the Monza, Vega and Camaro work was going on at the same time, so everyone was busy and this was an extra job. Jerry Palmer was the chief and the assistant chief was Ted Schoeder. I still have some of the sketches for the 898. Most of the sketches are not full cars but just the details for the modelers to work from. I think the only full drawings of the car were full size airbrush drawings.

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John Z. DeLorean’s stainless steel skinned sports car.

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XP-898 Brochure

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]]> http://deansgarage.com/2011/chevrolet-xp-898-inspiration-for-two-unique-designs/feed/ 2 http://deansgarage.com/2010/motts-spot-cartoons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=motts-spot-cartoons http://deansgarage.com/2010/motts-spot-cartoons/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 06:22:57 +0000 Gary Smith http://deansgarage.com/?p=4408 Continue reading →]]> Thanks to Stan Mott for sending this set of four Mott’s Spot cartoons that appeared in Automobile Magazine in the early ’90s. Be sure to check out Stan’s website: Stan Mott and the Cyclops—Cyclops and other Stan Mott cartoons. Also check out other posts on Dean’s Garage featuring Stan’s artwork. Happy New Year from Dean’s Garage.

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