General Motors is recognizing the work of automotive designer Theodore Schroeder with three old school concept drawings.
According to a recent social media post from GM Design, Theodore Schroeder (or “Ted” to those who knew him) worked as a General Motors designer and spent a portion of his career overseas working for Holden, GM’s previous brand presence in Australia. Holden became a subsidiary of General Motors in 1931, and was eventually replaced by GMSV last year.
The GM Design social media post also indicates that his wife, Margaret, worked as a color and trim designer at General Motors.
In total, we have three interesting concepts to pick over. The first is what appears to be a Le Mans-style race car, with a short, flat, nose, centrally positioned cockpit, and stubby rear end. The fenders are widely flared, with staggered wheels and tire sizing. The exterior is finished in silver, with black covering the front nose section, plus red striping and number plates. It’s possible this concept hails from GM’s Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV) line, which set the stage for the debut of the new mid-engine Chevy Corvette Stingray.
The second concept appears to be a 1973 Buick Riviera, with a long, low, sleek design that incorporates wide, horizontally oriented front fascia styling elements. The extended hood line and rear trunk line are enhanced by a very classy mid line that follows the rear fender line at an upturned angle, dividing the two-tone paint into a silver upper portion and black lower portion. The polished wire wheels and white wall tires also lend this two-door that much more curb appeal.
To finish it off, we have a highly stylized concept coupe with pointed features and a low-slung stance. It appears as though this particular concept could be a Chevy Impala, and it simply drips with futuristic goodness from tip to tail.
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Comments
The sketch of the ’73ish Riviera’s central design element – the front to back mid line – is taken from any Buick out of the central part of the golden age of styling, roughly from the end of the 1940s to the end of the 1960s. And that would specifically be Buicks from the middle of that tremendous time of styling change, 1954 through 1958. Go find a picture of one and you’ll see what I’m referring to.
Reaching back years to find a standout styling element of a marque and applying it to today’s models can be and should be a positive, creative success. Bravo to this guy, and stylists of today, take note. The Buick brand deserves more respect than it presently gets.
My whole life I loved Buick design, and always looked forward to their understated elegance
When designers knew how to draw real cool rides, not just jelly beanies
Right on Mike!
I call them “Bubble” cars. You often can’t tell who made them until you see the badge.
Le modèle coupé dessiné de la BUICK RIVIERA 1973 est très bien pensé. Pour 2024, une BUICK RIVIERA SS.de nouvelle génération, performante, pour faire renaître BUICK PERFORMANCE en 2024 serait un idée de génie.
The CERV concept is beautiful, especially behind the C-pillar. The air intakes on top of the roof and sides (with the scallops) are interesting, and the treatment of the rear wing, seamlessly bringing it up from the sides of the rear fenders, is terrific.
That’s when it was GM and they had real designers, today LOL.
the Riviera is my favorite — i’m partial , because my 1st car was a 1971 Riviera, when i was 15 !!! 1971 was the best looking in my opinion, the 1973 , not so much – it lost the peak, or point, in the front & rear ends.
An artist for his time but we have moved on now.
I just loved the 1965 Rivera, I always,thought the Buick was more classier then Cadillac
a) Hey, the crux of Buick ’71-3 design: Sweep Spear side moldings, multi-decade iconic (see Skylark ’68, 73). Their pinnacle shows in this commanding side treatment, swept as never before or since. b) The Impala must be a study for 1970 (my family had one) with front toned down from ’69 loop bumper; ’69-70 over-wheel bulges: and taillights set in the body sheet metal.
Ted Schroeder is my uncle. – I like all the model photos.
As a child, visiting him in the Detroit area, I remember dozens and dozens of these concept pictures in his home office/studio.
I understand that he worked for Holden and while there he helped to develop the unicolor scheme, i.e. no chrome bumpers anymore. He did that at Holden as it was way too radical for GM USA.
HIs wife, Margaret, was more than a “color and trim designer”. She an interior designer for GM in the Cadillac division.
I believe she was one of the first female interior designers and was featured in Life magazine in the very early 1960s.
She left GM to start a family.
GM really kept quiet about their designers as the competition was fierce. GM was very very nervous when he was about to be married until they found out that his wife to be was also in GM design.