Was it the American Underslung, 1930s Millers, the Buick Y-Job or the Hudson Hornet?

Were designers inspired by European horse drawn carriages? Whatever the case, GM’s pioneering design chief Harley Earl was definitely one of the champions of Longer, Lower and Wider.

Is our past crossing our future?

Join us as Ed Welburn, retired Sr VP for Global Design for General Motors, shares his experience and insight into what drove design in a fertile and legendary period of styling for American cars. Just the right topic during our exhibition “Land Yachts: Cruising the Interstate Highways”. We will see just why and how these automobiles came into existence and what the cycles of design may tell us about the cars to come in the decades ahead.

Ed Welburn

Edward Welburn has been referred to as “the man who brought beauty back to GM.” He was just the sixth head of design for General Motors, and the first to lead the division on a global level, placing him in the same company as noted designers Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell.

During Welburn’s 44-year career, he oversaw designs of the Corvette, Cadillac Escalade, and the revived Camaro, as well as groundbreaking concepts like the Oldsmobile Aerotech, Cadillac Ciel, and Buick Avista, and he is the first automotive designer in history to have his archives placed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

Welburn still holds the distinction of having been the highest-ranking African-American in the global automotive industry, and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2017.

$50 for members / $65 non-members

*The event will start at La Forge Restaurant at 6:00 PM and conclude at the Audrain Automobile Museum for a reception and Q&A.