Chuck Jordan dies

[Cadillac Tech]

Legendary GM design chief Chuck Jordan dies at 83

GREG MIGLIORE 1:28 pm, December 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.
http://autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20101210/CARNEWS/101219992/AR/jordan-welburn-cherry.jpg" rel=lightbox

ROGER HART
Retired GM design chief Chuck Jordan, left, appeared with current GM design chief Ed Welburn and retired design chief Wayne Cherry this summer at the Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook in suburban Detroit.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101210/CARNEWS/101219992


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[Cadillac Tech]

From GM:

Statement from Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design, Regarding Charles M. “Chuck” Jordan, GM Vice President of Design from 1986 to 1992



2010-12-10





“Chuck Jordan was the person who hired me as an intern in 1971 while he was working for Bill Mitchell, and I will always be appreciative of the opportunity he gave me to join GM’s Design Organization. Chuck was always involved in the hiring of talented, young designers, and he took great interest in their growth and development.
“He was a strong creative force at GM Design, and a passionate leader. It always felt as if every new project he was leading represented a new mountain to climb, and was a fresh opportunity to create new trends and statements in automotive design. He had the charisma and passion of few others in the industry.
“Most people associate Chuck Jordan with very tailored and crisp designs of Cadillac and Corvette automobiles, but Chuck also had a passion for truck design and created some of GM’s most significant concept and production trucks of the 1950s.
“More recently, I’m glad that Chuck had an opportunity to visit GM Design just this past summer while he was back in the Detroit area for the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. He spent hours touring our Design Center in Warren and talking with our design staff. It was a wonderful to have him back in the place in which he helped create such a rich legacy.”
Charles M. “Chuck” Jordan Biographical Information
Charles M. “Chuck” Jordan, 83, was the fourth man elected to the position of vice president of the General Motors Design Staff. He assumed this role on October 6, 1986 and held it until his retirement six years later in November 1992.
In 1949, Jordan joined the GM Styling Staff as a junior engineer. He spent the 1950s in a number of different studios and position at Design. He moved to the advanced studio, where he designed a couple of notable “Motorama” dream cars, such as the Cameo show truck for 1955 and the Buick Centurion for 1956. One of his advanced studio concepts was also chosen by Pontiac general manager Bunkie Knudsen as the basis for that division’s first general of “wide tracks.” Jordan was also instrumental in the design of the 1958 Corvette and the XP-700 “Phantom” Corvette concept.
In 1957, he was appointed Cadillac chief designer. In 1962, Jordan became executive in charge of automotive design, responsible for all GM car and truck exteriors. From 1967 to 1970, Jordan was design director for Adam Opel AG in Rüsselsheim, Germany. While there, he was responsible for a number of well-regarded designs, including the Manta coupe and the 1968 production model GT sports car.
Jordan was appointed executive in charge of automotive exterior design for GM’s upscale car segment – the Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac group – when he returned to the United States. In 1972, he assumed a similar position for Chevrolet, Pontiac and commercial vehicles. In 1977, Jordan was named director of design for the entire Design staff. He was serving in that capacity when Irv Rybicki retired in 1986 and he was named vice president of Design.
The Jordan team was responsible for the 1990’s generation of Camaros and Firebirds, the Oldsmobile Aurora, and the 1992 Cadillac STS. His design leadership team also produced concept cars like the Oldsmobile Aerotech and the Sting Ray III.
Chuck Jordan was succeeded by Wayne Cherry in 1992.
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