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GM Design Highlights The Work Of Artist Dennis Little

GM Design recently highlighted the work of noted automotive designer Dennis Little in a pair of posts shared to its official Instagram page.

Dennis Little is a well-known GM designer who spent roughly 30 years with the automaker, working on projects for Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Opel. As he explained in an excerpt for the 2020 book Dean’s Garage, The Future is Back, Little was inspired to begin designing cars after his father brought home a copy of a book that featured future vehicle concepts sketched by Syd Mead. He applied to GM after graduating from design school, but was told to go back to school for another year to sharpen up his skills. The automaker eventually offered him a job after he returned to the GM Design studio with an improved sketch portfolio.

The Dennis Little sketches shared by GM Design recently include concept drawings for the fifth-generation Pontiac Grand Prix, along with the third-generation Pontiac Firebird. We’re particularly interested in the targa-top Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo sketch, as the production Grand Prix was never offered with a removable hardtop roof.

 

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The GM Design team also shared sketches of a couple of Dennis Little-designed mystery vehicles, including a sedan that appears to have inspired the Oldsmobile Aurora and Oldsmobile Intrigue, along with another quirky-looking four-door that has some fourth-generation Chevrolet Caprice design cues.

 

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While Little is a celebrated alumnus of the GM Design team, he admits in Dean’s Garage, The Future is Back that he felt in over his head when he first began working for the automaker’s celebrated design studio. Little would go on to design one of the most successful GM cars of all time, though, and eventually rose through the ranks to lead the design department of its storied Cadillac luxury brand.

“During a thirty-year career with General Motors, I focused on design projects with Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and Cadillac,” Little explains in the book. “On the international scene I interfaced with General Motors counterpart, Opel, as well as working with the team at Pininfarina Design, before becoming chief designer for Cadillac studio, I was chief designer for the electric-powered GM EV-1, the first electric car made for production by General Motors. This car design thing turned out just fine.”

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. These are awesome! A look at the future that could have been. I love seeing these type of sketches giving a glimpse into the design concept and how that eventually translates to the final product. Funny how some can be right on the mark, and others nowhere near what the final development turns out to be. Would’ve been cool to have had a Grand Prix with a targa style top! Oh well, perhaps GM should revisit some of these sketches and incorporate into upcoming EV products. Some of these designs have aged quite well

    Reply
  2. … saw in Istagram… very nice, remember my drawings of the 1980 era with pastel and north american markers, still have all them …. loved that in pink colour, GM should have produced it, mainly the rear

    Reply
  3. GM needs the guys that designed their cars in the 60’s. These dumpy looking SUV’s (especially Chevy) are not at all pleasing to the eye.

    Reply
    1. … that is impossible, all designers of 1960ies died already and old school is since long gone too.

      but agree, the vehicles of today, none comes out to the WOW Eyes, those made with chalk were nice, those many with high technology CAS, CAD, Tablet Systems are ugly, but it is the way, both still makes industries lot of money

      Reply

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