GM Studio Group Photos

These group photos of Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile studios are from my files except as noted. I can identify may of the people in the photos, but I can’t remember all of the names. If you know more names, please email me. I do have very fond memories of many of the talented people I had the privilege of meeting and working with at GM. A larger version of many of the photos are included in the gallery at the end of the post.

Thanks to George Camp and Charlie Stewart with help identifying people in the photos.

Cadillac Studio—three photos of working on the Bustle Back Seville added on 9/20. From George Camp.

Left to right: Don Hronek, Pete Maier, Bob Schmidt, George Camp, and Bob Ryland (back to camera).

Left to right: Bob Schmidt, Don Hronek, and Pete Maier. I remember calling someone a yo-yo, and pete corrected me in his heavy New York accent. “He’s not a yo-yo. He’s just a ‘yo.’”

Left to right: Willis Calvin, Al Swenson, and George Camp.

Cadillac Studio, 1976. Photo was published in a German car magazine. Pictured are (the names I can remember, left to right) Pete Han, Mike Tozer, Bob Ryland, Chester Politowicz, ?, Wayne Kady (front), Jonathan Rice (behind Wayne), Bob Schmidt, Pete Maier, Willis Calvin, David Jones, Mike Graye, Don Johnson, and myself on the right. I have to be honest—I was less than happy being transferred into Cadillac Studio in my third year of being at GM. Raised in California ten miles from the Riverside Raceway helped to mold my car interests, and Cadillacs weren’t sports cars in those days. In protest I bought a brand new black 1976 BMW 2002. Not a great career builder. Thanks to Bruce Brooks for helping identify a few studio members.

Oldsmobile One Studio. Taken before 1980. This scene was to commemorate Tom Semple’s taking his family on a bus trip vacation to the west coast. Pictured left to right, standing, are Gerry Hinds, Bob Spalding, Larry Grotz, Tom Wissman, John Manoogian, Mike Crosby, Doug Beyerlein, Rod Weekly, Nancy Barnes, Norm Raab, Tom Semple (holding ticket stubs). In the front row is Nello Tacconelli, Tom Lutzo, Charlie Stewart, Brad Lloyd, Charlie Hieder, and Mark Casmer.

Buick Studio in 1984, taken in front of Design Staff. Pictured  left to right are myself, Bill Porter, Mark Richards, Dave Sheloski, George Prentice, Tom Carlson, Ted Klein, Tom Reiss, Ivan Koop, Roger Welton, Jack Orava, and Ted Schroeder.

Buick Studio, early ’80s. Taken in front of a W-sedan clay model. Pictured left to right behind the model are Jack Orava, Tom Carlson, Steve Jordan, Roger Welton, Rick Drumsta, and Bruce Brooks. In front of the model, left to right are John Bloyer, myself, Jim Paulin, and Ted Schroeder. Thanks to Bruce Brooks for help identifying some of the studio members.

An Eldorado proposal. Pictured are Mark Casmer, John Gamutza, Tom Peloquin, Stan Ciemerych, Doug Tylenda, and myself on the right. Thanks to Stan Ciemerych for the photo caption corrections.

Joe the sweeper’s retirement studio lunch. Recognized in the shot (roughly left to right) are Bob Cordero, Steve pasteiner, John Bloyer, Mark Kidd, Mike Filan, Andrew Link, Mario Angelini, Rick Zabor, Ed Krantz, Pete Han, Tom Peloquin, Carol Perelli, George Prentice, Dennis Wright, Dave Rand, Jim Perpina, and George Kozak. Taken in Buick Two Studio.

This shot is of Oldsmobile One studio, taken in 1986. We’re on a lunch “cruise” on the Detroit river. Probably the smiles are from the fact that nobody’s photos are on display at the Post Office in the background. This was the craziest studio I was ever in. Pictured left to rightare Dennis Burke, Mark Casmer, myself, John Perkins, ?, David Kochanski, Orlo Reed, Dennis Hill, Jack Orava, Doug Beyerlein, Nello Tacconelli, Rod Weekly, Wally Radge, and Tom Wissman. Thanks to Bruce Brooks for help identifying some of the studio members.

Larger Versions of the photos: