[BigAls87Z28]

By far the best designer ever this side of the Atlantic.

that is all.

 

[yoblues]

The sad part of it is that he worked for GM and for some reason his concepts were never passed along. I don't mean using his ideas building retro cars but letting the young designers who followed him use his designs as insperation to push the boundries like he did. GM went into a deep sleep design wise that they are only now starting to emerge from. I wonder if those Buick commercials featuring Earl's ghost were an indication someone in GM finally got it.

 

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally posted by yoblues@Feb 26 2004, 06:48 PM
The sad part of it is that he worked for GM and for some reason his concepts were never passed along. I don't mean using his ideas building retro cars but letting the young designers who followed him use his designs as insperation to push the boundries like he did. GM went into a deep sleep design wise that they are only now starting to emerge from. I wonder if those Buick commercials featuring Earl's ghost were an indication someone in GM finally got it.

ahh ok?

His designs led to all the cars you saw from GM in the first 50 years basicly. His concepts brought attention to GM and brought GM to the level it was durring thoes years.
In the show they were talking about how when he designed, he never looked to the past, and always to the future.

 

[Canuck]

Yoblues who would you have preferred Earl work for?
I very happy Earl created such incredible cars for GM. I can't imagine if GM had not had Earl or Bill Mitchell.

 

[paul8488]

Originally posted by Canuck@Feb 26 2004, 09:50 PM
Yoblues who would you have preferred Earl work for?
I very happy Earl created such incredible cars for GM. I can't imagine if GM had not had Earl or Bill Mitchell.

(totally talking for the guy here but...) i think when he said "sad part of it is that he worked for GM and for some reason his concepts were never passed along", he meant the sad part was that "his concepts were never passed on", not "that he worked for GM". or maybe i'm way off.

anywho, i don't really have a clue who harley earl is, but i liked the commercials. they portrayed him as pretty suave and cool; very confident and in charge. kinda like buick, no? he had a classy air, so while the actual harley earl reference might be lost on some, i don't know that the spirit of the guy was.

 

[Canuck]

Paul check the internet . Harley Earl is one of the most important people in GM's history and arguebly the automotive industry.

 

[paul8488]

Originally posted by Canuck@Feb 26 2004, 11:33 PM
Paul check the internet . Harley Earl is one of the most important people in GM's history and arguebly the automotive industry.

it's not that i don't believe that he's important... but my generation has never heard of him, other than the new commercials. so what he did doesn't register with younger people, even though perhaps he's had significant influence. so all i meant was i think the commercials might be useful, even without an exact understanding of who he is. but for my own interst sake i might find out.

 

[yoblues]

Paul 8488, that is exactly what I meant. That Earl's passion for design, his DNA, was not passed on to those who followed him. GM suits for some reason in the mid 70's lost it. Mabey the corperation just became to rich, fat, dumb and happy. They did not see the Japs or Europeans comming. Hopefully those days are finally past us, the next five years will tell.

 

[Canuck]

Earl and Mitchell are why GM lead in car design for most of the last century. Bill Mitchell was Earl's replacement. He was also an excellent head of design for GM. Earl and Mitchell easily are why GM had more innovative and copied (by other companies) designs many of which are why people on this site love GM.

See the following
http://www.cardesignnews.com/news/2003/030...09eod-mitchell/

If this post was slamming Roger Smith and the GM of the 70s and cookie cutter 80s. I would then agree. Or even slamming the ads about Earl for Buick.