Former General Motors Vice President of Design Ed Welburn left the global automaker in July of last year, after having a hand in the design of countless GM products over his 44-year-long career.
Recently, Welburn (66) sat down with Car and Driver to reflect on his storied, successful career with General Motors, getting quite candid as he discussed some highlights from his tenure there, and what he doesn’t like about some contemporary vehicle designs.
Of all the vehicle designs in which Mr. Welburn had a hand in recent memory, one that stands out for him as an example of a job well done is the Cadillac CTS coupe – and especially the high-performance “V” model. “That was a car no one asked for,” he told Car and Driver. “It was just someone in the studio had an idea and they brought it to me. I thought it was cool, said let’s pursue it, and the leaders of the company loved it… It went into production in a very different way, and it wasn’t the result of a lot of market research. That’s exciting.”
At the same time, there’s plenty satisfying about getting a more mainstream, consumer-driven product just right. “There are family cars where you put a lot of research into what the customers want and then, when you really nail it, that feels good,” Welburn said. “That’s the very latest Malibu.”
As for what he didn’t care for, Mr. Welburn admitted to Car and Driver that some Saturn models didn’t tickle his fancy. “There are those cars that have been on the road a while that you just wish were no longer around,” he said. “Saturn was a great learning experience, but some of the last Saturns really didn’t hit the mark. It was like the brand had lost its way.”
And what about bad designs from automakers other than General Motors? “There’s one that stands out, but I’m not going to tell you what that is. Vehicles where things don’t add up [are terrible]. There’s one designer in the front, a very different one on the rear, and another on the sides. It really doesn’t go together, and the nose looks like Darth Vader’s face.”
For the full Ed Welburn interview, check out the article on Car and Driver.
Comments
Any ideas what that bad design is? Mercedes SL? That’s the ugliest one I can think of.
The Nissan Juke came to my mind, but he’s probably thinking of something else.
Lutz’s meddling, as well as GM’s finances at the time, really did Saturn no favors. They lost their identity, lost their focus, and became just another badge under GM’s umbrella.
I have mad respect for Ed Welburn, and would love to talk cars with him someday, but I believe the latest Malibu has about the worst face a car can have (next to some of what Lexus has attempted recently–which might be what he’s talking about)! The CTS coupe belongs in the Smithsonian though, I will give him that (and many, many others).
Good point, the recent Lexus front end does look Darth Vader-ish, could be what he’s talking about.
I think the latest Malibu looks great from the outside; Welburn has a right to be proud of that one. The design looks like it robs some headroom from rear seat passengers, and with that design they should have made it a liftgate, but it’s still a very nice look. The upcoming Toyota Camry actually looks a lot like the current Malibu, so there’s some flattery for Welburn. The new Malibu interior looks a little weird, the prior model arguably had had a better looking dashboard.
I will say this about the new Malibu, it is sleek overall, and rather different, and when you’re talking different there’s just no pleasing everybody.
I would have liked the liftgate too, as I’m sure many mid-size buyers would have, but I trust they have their reasons for not doing one (or hope they do at least). I’ll have to dig up some Camry pics. If I’ve seen one I can’t remember it. GM kind of reaches on interior designs sometimes. Sometimes they’re knockouts, other times they’re just plain strange.
Earth Vader is the new Lexus face.
Saturn lost their way back with the Ion and Vue. Both were ore lutz and both we’re the final nail.
The lady cars they had were too little too late. The Astra if it had appeared when the Ion did things may have been much different.
Ed did well and did a lot with so little with the bankruptcy and so many regulations today. I will miss his leadership.
Also he was great in Transformers.
The Ion will go down as a disappointment I am sure, but the first Vue was quintessential Saturn when it came to styling, IMO . It wasn’t for everybody, but that’s what made it great. And remember, Saturn was once “a different kind of car company.”
Ed has left some big shoes to fill for sure. Many hits and many surefire homeruns and concepts that coulda shoulda been built.
Cadillac needs to move beyond wedged shaped and slab-sided A&S design theme Cadillac have watering down for the past 15 years….its just getting old…I miss the elegant designs of the 1960s-1990s.