Bold exuberant designs during the postwar decades when GM ruled the automotive world.
Charles M. “Chuck” Jordan, 83, died at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., late last week. Jordan was the fourth man elected to the position of vice president of the General Motors Design Staff, leading a key industrial design group that had its roots in Alfred Sloan’s 1927 decision to devote more attention to the color, trim and shapes of automobiles at a time when Henry Ford’s – black only – Model T reigned.
Jordan assumed the role of vice president of Design Staff on October 6, 1986 and held it until his retirement six years later in November 1992. Jordan loved cars, was passionate about design, and graciously tolerated journalists, including this one, for example, by steering the conversation over lunch with his lieutenants into areas that I at least had some passing knowledge of.
Jordan was responsible for many of the now classic, and beloved cars and trucks at GM, as well as some of the most criticized. The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado remains one of my favorites.
Jordan joined the GM Styling Staff as a junior engineer in 1949. He spent the 1950s in a number of different studios. He designed a couple of notable “Motorama” dream cars, such as the Cameo show truck for 1955 and the Buick Centurion for 1956. One of his advanced studio concepts was also chosen by Pontiac general manager Bunkie Knudsen as the basis for that division’s first generation of “wide tracks.” Jordan was also instrumental in the design of the 1958 Corvette and the XP-700 “Phantom” Corvette concept.
In 1957, he was appointed Cadillac chief designer. In 1962, Jordan became executive in charge of automotive design, responsible for all GM car and truck exteriors. From 1967 to 1970, Jordan was design director for Adam Opel AG in Rüsselsheim, Germany. While there, he was responsible for a number of well-regarded designs, including the Manta coupe and the 1968 production model GT sports car which was also sold in the U.S.
Jordan was appointed executive in charge of automotive exterior design for GM’s upscale car segment – the Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac group – when he returned to the United States. In 1972, he assumed a similar position for Chevrolet, Pontiac and commercial vehicles. In 1977, Jordan was named director of design for the entire Design staff. He was serving in that capacity when Irv Rybicki retired in 1986 and he was named vice president of Design.
Jordan and people who worked for him were responsible for the 1990’s generation of Camaro and Firebird pony cars, the Oldsmobile Aurora sedan, and the 1992 Cadillac STS. His design leadership team also produced concept cars like the Oldsmobile Aerotech and the Sting Ray III.
Chuck Jordan was succeeded by Wayne Cherry in 1992.
Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design, Regarding Charles M. “Chuck” Jordan:
“Chuck Jordan was the person who hired me as an intern in 1971 while he was working for Bill Mitchell, and I will always be appreciative of the opportunity he gave me to join GM’s Design Organization. Chuck was always involved in the hiring of talented, young designers, and he took great interest in their growth and development.
“He was a strong creative force at GM Design, and a passionate leader. It always felt as if every new project he was leading represented a new mountain to climb, and was a fresh opportunity to create new trends and statements in automotive design. He had the charisma and passion of few others in the industry.
“Most people associate Chuck Jordan with very tailored and crisp designs of Cadillac and Corvette automobiles, but Chuck also had a passion for truck design and created some of GM’s most significant concept and production trucks of the 1950s.
“More recently, I’m glad that Chuck had an opportunity to visit GM Design just this past summer while he was back in the Detroit area for the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. He spent hours touring our Design Center in Warren and talking with our design staff. It was a wonderful to have him back in the place in which he helped create such a rich legacy.”