13 Comments
  1. Rick Matschke

    awesome…..so looks like my first car….my dad gave me (payments required) his ’69 427 415hp, 3 sp auto, BR green w/brown leather interior, all options as a HS graduation present…..cars were not allowed at North Park college in Chicago in 1971, for during ‘orientation week’ of school…so I left it home in Lake Forest, my older brother asked to use it for that weekend, which he did…..and totaled it on Lake Shore Drive chasing down some gal in a TR6 in the rain…..have not forgiven him to this day..never will!
    Car was purchased by the Corvette Club of America Chicago district President for $3500….I will NEVER forget!

  2. Glen Durmisevich

    Great set of photos and people. Everyone looked a bit different when they were younger except a few familiar faces. Thanks Gary

  3. john manoogian II

    What a great set of photos. Thanks Roy & Gary for posting them!

  4. Pete Petersen

    Nice photos ! if those rails could talk !

  5. So cool!
    Thanks.
    Brings back so many memories.

  6. Bill Lawrence

    041 was shot in the ID gallery at Art Center about the time I started there. I was impressed with the full scale helicopter model. Looks like it is not yet finished in this photo.

  7. Ken Pickering

    It has been a l-o-n-g 30 years since I retired and my studio visits go back a lot longer than that. So be is my “best guess” on some of my old friends in the photos. Time dims the memory!

    003 – person on left side looks more like Alex Mair of Chevrolet than Dave Rossi.
    007 – That could me between Dave Holls and the fella in the white shirt.
    019 – Lucian Loridan is the modeler.
    020 – I believe that is Dick Finegan in the dark suit.
    024 – Len Sezniak (?) on left, Lucian Loridan center front.
    026 – George McLean in shirt by the board.
    029 – looks like Bill Mullaly in the back, but Bill was in the Oldsmobile Studio.
    030 – might be Al Tholl, but Al was a modeler, not a designer.

    Ken Pickering

  8. Chris Dowdey

    In a word “WOW”
    What a joy……to see these
    Images capturing some of the best, and humbling talent in the Industrial Design World.

    When you get in that Zone,
    Zen of Design, Clay, Engineering It’s all so mesmerizing.

    Thank you DeansGarage

  9. Dennis F. Otto

    Very interesting! In particular the 2 photos with Mac at the “old” ACCD, a few years before I got there. Good stuff all!! 🙂

    Mac and Ted Youngkin were THE BEST. DFO

  10. Mike Lee

    Any photos that were taken in the Cadillac studios around ’57, ’58 of a styling proposal (full sized clay) of a Eldorado that had a single central fin? I saw a pic once, years ago, of the car and have never seen it again.

  11. Chris Medeiros

    017 – Cool to see the 2nd generation Corvair being designed. Though the front end seems to be nearing final design, the rear roof line went through a redesign before production.

  12. Who’s Waldo? Photos
    001- Mike K. Costello (“Little Mike”) is seated on the far left of steps.
    003- That is not Dave Rossi. Dave was the head modeler in Design Development
    Studio at the time the photo was taken. Nice photo of a 1969 Camaro, 350
    clay model.
    019- Lucien Loridon (correct spelling).
    024- Len Szczesniak (correct spelling) on left.
    027- Bob Schmidt, Al Tholl and it looks like Roger Angelini kneeling on the rail.
    028- Bob Schmidt and Al Tholl.
    029- Bob Schmidt, Al Tholl and Bill Mullaly ( I know Bill was assigned to Chevy 3
    in the 1967-68 time frame).
    030- Al Tholl
    031- Bob Schmidt, Al Tholl and it looks like Roger Angelini on the floor.
    045- Bob Schmidt on the phone in the corner.

  13. Lisa W.

    This is wonderful information you have compiled. My father , Jack Zimmerman worked as a research scientist at the Warren Tech Center. He was on the team that developed the fiberglass for the Corvette. Also he was dear friends for many years with Designer Dean Swanson. I would see Dean as a child often and have a beautiful 18 x 24 portrait he painted of me on my horse. I actually just reframed it this month. My father ended his career on GM’s Legal Staff where he worked as an expert witness from the late 1970’s to early 1980’s. Those Design Staff guys were a fun bunch!

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