AS GM Design celebrates its 85th birthday this month, the 1,900 men and women in GM's 10 global design centers are focused on the future, united in their vision to entice consumers to fall in love and see vehicles as they do: art that moves you. "Our global team is united around its passion for designing vehicles that make an emotional connection with customers," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design. "What was true 85 years ago is still true today: A designer's role is to create a beautifully executed exterior with great proportions to draw you in, and an interior environment that invites you into a relationship that develops and grows." Welburn, the sixth design chief in GM's 104-year history and the first to have global vehicle design leadership responsibilities, will serve as honorary chairman of another visionary group at the 25th annual EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition. Under Welburn's strategic eye, each of GM's eight global passenger car brands is distinctive in form and vocabulary from one another as well as from other brands in the marketplace. Cadillac and Buick have each undergone a design renaissance, and Chevrolet has become a global brand with a globally recognized design language. Vehicle introductions that have helped propel GM's resurgence include the Chevrolet Camaro sports car, Malibu midsize sedan and Cruze compact car; the Cadillac CTS Coupe, GMC Terrain, and the Buick Enclave and LaCrosse. The award-winning Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range went from concept to production in just three years. Volt won North American Car of the Year honors and, along with its European sibling, the Opel Ampera, the European Car of the Year award as well. GM's other award-winning global brands include Holden in Australia and Wuling and Baojun in China. a great vehicle." GM was the first automobile manufacturer to single out automotive design. On June 23, 1927, the Executive Committee of General Motors approved the creation of a new department to "study the question of art and color combinations in General Motors products" and hired Harley Earl, a custom coach builder from Hollywood and the creator of the 1927 LaSalle, as its leader. – SG
