Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: General Motors Technical Center - 1956 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
The best style era ever.The clothes,the furniture,building and automotive design was never cleaner.As much as I like Art Deco,Mid Century Modern was a complete lifestyle.I even own a couple of Saarinen chairs, among my other treasures.
Now we have aerodynamics, EPA, cubicals, committees,, no free thought. Design both in vehicles and buildings have taken a 'back seat' in today's world. At lease we have our hold on design and style with traditional rods and customs, and saved vintage saved homes
One of the best places to visit in Michigan....still. I love it. It's been a decade since for me. At the time of my visit, the lobby was filled with several Corvette iterations...one being the speedster mule from the Elvis movie.....and several Harley Earl Cadillac adventures with the Italian Ghia design house. I was floored. For me, my first thought was Hugh Hefner and that ole' swanky magazine that published great articles....back in the day.....but I can see James Bond being pertinent too. It's a grand AMERICAN design master for sure !!!
It's very interesting that a such a large car can carry off being red so well..........Another large car looking great in red is the 55/56 Chrysler 300 A/B..................
Have done alot of work at the Tech Center, along with many other automotive facilities. They have updated some of the entry points in many of the buildings, usually just minor stuff, but the era of the building usually still shows through.
Amazing it is still around in this corporate age of "tear-it-down-and-start-from-scratch-after-20-years". We Americans don't hang on to our architechtural heritage very well.
It is an amazing building, as is much of the GM Tech Center. I am very blessed and lucky to work at the Tech Center every day!
Saw a red Cadillac earlier today in a FB page ad for the holidays. Looks very similar but I think the grille is different. Must be a different model year. Any Caddy experts out there? JohnnyK
I started at the Tech Center a couple months ago. I drive by the Design Office every morning and can't help but look at that incredible lobby. Fortunate to work in a place with such history. They rotate cars frequently and most have been vintage concept cars. The car above is currently in the lobby.
I spent three days in the class room/garage area in the late 60s. I was a young mechanic working in a GM dealership in Ohio. The service manager needed someone to be trained on the A/C compressors. I couldent volunteers fast enough it was great three days in Detroit paid expenses. And unlimited work after the training, the compressor always had seal leaks and clutch problems. And it was way better work then chasing rattles and water leaks. I remember first day of class got there early. Sitting in my 66 nova small block street screamers. Seeing all the great cars the instructor were driving to work. Like the dealership times 1000. Once inside I was opened to a whole new world of automotive technical training. For a young man with no more training then high school auto shop. I was amazed, great opportunity and it made a real differant thru-out my life. You know company like GM did a whole lot more then just build cars. Ron
Prior to their move to the Tech Center, Cadillac R&D was in a facility west of Downtown Detroit. I had a chance to go though the vacated facility a number of years ago. It was just as opulent as the TC facility. Cadillac has always been The high water mark.