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Filed under: GM

Chuck Jordan

Even for those who didn’t know him during his glory days, Chuck Jordan was a familiar face on the auto show circuit. Slowed only a bit by a stroke, he was still present at a surprising number of the major shows, squeezed in with the assorted reporters, photographers and videographers, paying close attention to – and offering his perceptions on – the latest and greatest the industry could roll out.

I last saw Chuck Jordan earlier this year, not long before his death last week at the age of 83. The silver-white hair had thinned and the face was a bit gaunt, but he was still the trim and dapper silver fox I first met shortly before he assumed the design helm at General Motors. As only the fourth global styling chief in GM’s history, Jordan was a powerful man – too much so, contended his critics – one whose simple whim could transform or even kill an entire product program.

Jordan was a powerful man – too much so, contended his critics.

In his early years, the young designer earned kudos for stand-out efforts like the 1958 Corvette and, most notoriously, the ’59 Cadillac Eldorado, with its over-the-top tailfins – which Jordan likened to “letting the tiger out of the cage.” He was a critical force in the golden era of GM design, when the maker’s striking approach to styling helped it capture more than half of the overall U.S. new car market.

By the time he assumed the title of vice president of the General Motors Design Staff, on October 6, 1986, however, GM was already in a steep decline. And the company Jordan left six years later was at best a hobbled giant. Today, looking back, it’s disheartening to realize how few truly significant products made it through his lavishly-furnished office at the General Motors Technical Center.

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Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Gallery: Chuck Jordan, GM Vice President of Design

Chuck Jordan, GM Vice President of Design 1956 Buick Centurion

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Farewell, Chuck Jordan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

A little over a month ago, I got a call from Jonny. Something was up. He was excited and anxious, and before the words “MacKenzie offered me a job, and I’ve accepted” came out of his mouth, I knew he was off to greener pastures.

I’m proud of a lot of things at Autoblog, but getting Dr. Lieberman on board is near the top of that list. And now he’s gone, taking the Senior Editor position at Motor Trend after the buff book’s editor-in-chief called and said, “We need to talk.” Plenty of people have moved on from Autoblog over the years, but given Jonny’s penchant for prose and never-say-die attitude, we asked him to pen a farewell letter before heading off to do some ludicrous comparison test for MT. You’ll be missed, sir, so the floor is yours… one last time.

Damon Lavrinc – Senior Editor

Working at Autoblog has been one of the best experiences of my car-writing career. As you may or may not know, if there’s a website about cars, odds are it’s hoisted my byline at some point. From The Truth About Cars to Jalopnik to Clunkbucket and most points in between, I’ve cranked out some auto-centric virtual ink nearly everywhere. But Autoblog was the feather in my digital cap. No car website commands more respect, is more widely read or opens as many doors. And yeah, a pretty big door just got opened for me.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful men behind the screen. I’ve worked at some sites filled with mega-friendly people that weren’t capable of pouring piss from a boot. Other places were hyper-competent and staffed almost totally with assholes. Autoblog combined near-ruthless professionalism with the kind of positive working environment you only dream about in any job. It really is a wonderful operation, one that sent me Japanese whiskey as a wedding gift. Thanks to Damon Lavrinc for always being in my corner and John Neff for not only giving me the chance, but for running such a tight ship. I’d like to thank especially Drew Phillips, “my photographer,” for putting up with my right foot on all those canyon runs.

But of course, it’s not all roses and sunshine. There are quite a few things I regret. In true Butthole Surfers fashion, allow me to quote, “Well son, the funny thing about regret is, it’s better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven’t done.” Sadly, while there’s nothing I regret doing at Autoblog (well, maybe SEMA), there’s a whole slew of things I regret not doing. With that in mind, here’s a small list of stuff that for one reason (lazy!) or another (extra lazy!) I never got around to sharing. Read on…

Continue reading Regrets, I’ve Had a Few: Jonny Lieberman bids farewell to Autoblog

Regrets, I’ve Had a Few: Jonny Lieberman bids farewell to Autoblog originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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