2025 League of Retired Designers Show—Royal Oak, MI

August 11, 2025 4 CommentsLeague of Retired Designers

2025 League of Retired Automotive Designers Exhibit

The Royal Oak Historical Society and Museum is featuring the 2025 League of Retired Automotive Designers Exhibit from August 2 through August 19.

On display is studio artwork and other art subjects by designers Bill Michalak, Bob Hubbach, Bob Munson, Brian Baker, Buck Mook, Clark Lincoln, Dave McIntosh, Don Wood, George Anderson, George Camp, Paul Down, Roger Hughet, Steve Brown, and Wayne Kady.

Thanks to Bob Munson and Ryan Gertner for photos.

Royal Oak Historical Society and Museum
Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 1–4 p.m.
1411 W. Webster Rd.
Royal Oak, MI 48073
248-439-1501
curator@royaloakhistoricalsociety.org

Bill Michalak

Bill Hubbach

Bob Munson

Brian Baker

Buck Mook

Clark Lincoln

Dave Mcintosh

Don Wood

George Anderson

George Camp

Paul Down

Roger Hughet

Steve Brown

Wayne Kady

4 Comments

August 11, 2025 at 5:15 pm

John M. Mellberg

Great show fellas! Glad to see the League is alive and well.

For the record, Ron VanGelderen attended the 2004 Eyes on Design and while there visited the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild 1st Reunion Display exhibit tent near Edsel Fords Studio on the Estate grounds and while speaking with this writer and Chuck Jordan suggested we create a group of retired automotive designers that would pick Marque Themes to undertake design studies of and display them at automotive venues across the U.S.. We agreed with the idea, and the initial founding designers included: Virgil Exner Jr.,
Chuck Jordan, Wayne Kady, John Mellberg, Elia Russinoff and Ron VanGelderen. We sent out an announcement about the League and before we knew it, we had become a great group of enthused retired automotive designers from across the automotive design world and it’s gratifying to see that the League is still creatively vital. John M. Mellberg
August 12, 2025 at 12:43 pm

ROY VERNON LONBERGER

Many thanks Gary for putting this together. Great sketches.
August 16, 2025 at 6:36 pm

Bill Michalak

Great job Gary. Thank you for supporting the league!
October 13, 2025 at 11:55 am

David McIntosh

Thanks Gary. Thanks to Munson and Gertner for getting these excellent photos. The League members truly appreciate being on this site.

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Book is excellent reading. I like all the practical jokes that you played on each other. Haven’t put it down yet.

Paul Alflen
Gary, Just received your book and read part of it, and can’t wait to finish it! EXCELLENT BOOK WOW! Thanks!

Carl Kofron
It’s a book whose pages you’ll return to again and again…sometimes just to look, other times to read and learn and to laugh!

Helen Hutchings
It brought back so many memories. The book captures some of the antics that took place. I recommend Gary’s book for anyone that has an interest to get a glimpse of an era long gone.

John Manoogian II
Very impressed with the emphasis on the “people stories.” Most people think of GM in terms of the cars, whereas you focused on the designers that created the cars. Congratulations on your excellent and personable narrative.

Roy Lonberger
Great book! It will provide many hours of interesting reading. Thank you for writing and publishing it!

Charles Pieier
All the wonderful anecdotes and photos bring laughter and smiles of recollection of the years at GM Design. The other content is equally entertaining, too! One can keep returning to its pages, finding a new topic of interest each time.

George Camp
Gary’s book focuses on the people who drove designs and events at GM Design. It is always informative, sometimes funny and sometimes sad. Picture are breathtaking. Extremely well done.

James Rice
Thank you Gary for this wonderful publication vicariously delivering the human condition nectar recalled from the good old days at GM Design.

Bill Boudreau
Closest thing to an actual time machine I have experienced! The photos, quotes and artwork really transported me back to what was a fabulous time at GM Design.

Len Casillo
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Future is Back. Great stories and wonderful comments! Excellent selection of illustrations and photos!

Peter Brock
The book is providing lots of interesting reading along with so many great photos, illustrations and renderings.

Sheldon Payne
It’s like going to a family reunion and meeting all your old friends, the studios and the models all over again. I can almost smell the fresh clay reading your book.

Ron Will
Reading the stories and anecdotes of designers who shared their experiences in this book allowed me to vicariously imagine what it would have actually been like to have worked in a studio. Thumbs Up Gary!!

Steve Sicklick
Great book Gary. It’s like taking a trip down memory lane!

Dennis Burke
I’ve enjoyed the Dean’s Garage book. I know a lot of the designers and places you mention; it’s like a reunion or old-home week.Thank you very much for putting everything together in such a beautifully organized, fun, illuminating way.

Michael Lamm