Some of New York’s diversity media got a glimpse of GM’s “Diversity Behind the Wheel” Product Tour during media days at the 2007 New York International Auto Show, held April 4 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
The showcase presented media that serve diversity markets with an opportunity to meet and interact with some of the diverse talent behind GM’s global design and product development efforts, including Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design. Welburn is the first African American to lead a major automotive design house and only the sixth person to lead GM Design in its 80-year history.
Ed Welburn, GM vice president, Global Design, in front of
the Chevrolet Groove concept vehicle.
The media also attended the unveiling of Chevrolet’s minicar global car concepts designed to appeal to young car buyers in urban markets – the highly creative Chevrolet Beat, Chevrolet Groove and Chevrolet Trax. All three concepts were designed at GM’s Design Studio in Inchon, South Korea, one of GM’s 11 Global Design Studios.
Built on GM’s global mini architecture, these concepts demonstrate the flexibility, creativity and innovative focus of design in GM’s Asia Pacific region. The Chevrolet Beat concept, a running prototype of a micro import tuner, was built in India; while the Chevrolet Groove and Trax micro urban crossover concepts were built at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Mich.
In addition, the media participated in product walkarounds with members of GM’s Global Design diverse team of designers and engineers. The vehicles included the redesigned 2008 Cadillac CTS, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and the Chevrolet Volt battery electric concept. The vehicle tours were led by:
- Jelani Aliyu – lead exterior designer (Chevrolet Volt Concept)
- Maximiliano Larroquette – lead engineer (Chevrolet Volt Concept)
- Erwin Angala – exterior designer (2008 Cadillac CTS)
- Crystal Windham – interior design manager (2008 Chevrolet Malibu)
- Chris Webb – trends and exterior color designer
Each designer's experiences, inspirations and reasons for being are reflected in the vehicles they design.
Aliyu used what others take for granted on a daily basis to design the Chevy Volt. “I took inspiration from nature, applying its core fundamentals of simplicity, efficiency and harmony to the car’s design, creating a perfect balance of beauty and practicality,” he said.
As a boy growing up in his native Argentina, Larroquette had an insatiable appetite for the way things worked, a passion he shared with his father. So when asked why he decided to become an engineer, Larroquette said that it was quite simply inevitable. “I had never considered being anything else,” he said.
Erwin Angala, lead exterior designer of the 2008 Cadillac CTS,
shows off the vehicle with the diversity media at the New York
Auto Show.
Angala, lead exterior designer for the 2008 Cadillac CTS, stumbled into automotive design. He was studying to become a medical illustrator until the day he accidentally walked through the industrial design department at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he was enrolled. “So I dropped the anatomy classes and microscopes, and talked to the head of the Industrial Design department,” he said. “I was on my way to become a car designer.”
As one of GM’s top young designers, Windham finds the rich diversity of GM’s design teams one of the company’s great strengths. “The diversity of our teams reflects the diversity of our global customer base. It is exciting to be part of such a dynamic company whose products are recognized all over the world as stylish and innovative,” said Windham
'Color Man' Chris Webb of GM Global Design reviews color
trends of the Cadillac XLR at the New York Auto Show.
Webb, GM’s “Color Man,” is responsible for designing colors for all of GM’s vehicles. He says GM develops nearly two dozen new colors for its eight brands every year. Webb, who knew from an early age that design and color were his passions, travels the world to stay on top of what is happening with global color trends.
The diversity behind GM’s vehicle designs are also reflected in the technology that is integrated inside each product.
Oscar Ugueto, diversity marketing manager, OnStar Hispanic Market, also met with the group to discuss OnStar’s latest technology enhancements and the services available in Spanish. The latest technology enhancements include:
- OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn Navigation – a system that guides drivers and occupants with customized directions to destinations nationwide without having to look at a screen, thereby keeping drivers’ hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.
- Advanced Automatic Crash Notification – GM’s exclusive in-vehicle system that notifies emergency personnel of the severity of an accident and where the vehicle was hit using sensors already in the vehicle.
- OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics – subscribers receive a monthly email from the vehicle with a detailed analysis of the service and maintenance condition, including tire pressure, oil life remaining and vital engine indicators.
GM “Diversity Behind the Wheel” Product Tour at the New York Auto Show was geared specifically toward media serving the African American, Hispanic, Asian American, women and LGBT markets.
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Pick your favorite – Beat, Groove or Trax – by visiting www.vote4chevrolet.com. The results will help Chevrolet determine U.S. market interest in the minicar segment, and which design/capability package resonates best with potential buyers. |