Edward T. Welburn | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1950-12-14)December 14, 1950 (age 74) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Automotive designer andexecutive |
| Known for | Head of design at General Motors |
| Predecessor | Wayne Cherry |
| Successor | Michael Simcoe |
Edward Thomas Welburn Jr. (born December 14, 1950) is anautomobile designer and formerGeneral Motors' Vice President of Global Design, a role in which he served from 2003 to 2016 and the same position thatHarley Earl andBill Mitchell once held. To date, Welburn still holds the distinction of having been the highest-ranking Black-American in the globalautomotive industry.[1] He has overseen the development of recent GM products, such as theChevrolet Corvette,Cadillac Escalade andChevrolet Camaro. Welburn has overseen groundbreaking concepts such as:theOldsmobile Aerotech,Cadillac Ciel, andBuick Avista.
Welburn was also the lead GM designer on the Chaparral 2X Vision GT, a concept car designed for the video gameGran Turismo 6.[2][3] The car features 4-wheel steer and active aerodynamics, claimed to be similar to awingsuit, and was made available in December 2014.
Welburn studied design, sculpture, and painting atHoward University’s School of Fine Arts inWashington, D.C. He communicated withGeneral Motors during his years at Howard, which led to an internship at GM Design after his junior year in 1971. He earned his bachelor's degree from Howard in 1972[4] and was invited to return to his alma mater on May 7, 2016 to give a commencement speech to graduates of the College of Fine Arts.
Welburn's first peek behind the curtain ofGeneral Motors Design was during his college internship in 1971. One year later, he became the first Black American hired to design GM vehicles. He spent his entire design career at GM, where he worked in a variety of studios on a diverse list of vehicles, and he became the highest-ranking Black American in the automotive industry as the first-ever Vice President, GM Global Design[5] — one of seven to have held the position, includingHarley Earl,Bill Mitchell,Irv Rybicki,Chuck Jordan,Wayne Cherry, andMichael Simcoe.
His designs have set records for speed on racetracks and sales in the marketplace. Among many other notable vehicles, he designed multiple pace cars for theIndianapolis 500, and led the design of the presidential limo, commonly known as 'The Beast', for both PresidentsBarack Obama andDonald Trump.[6]
As the leader of GM Global Design, Welburn traveled the world attending auto shows and visiting his eleven design studios in seven countries, averaging 140,000 air miles each year.[citation needed]
Throughout his career, Welburn recognized a connection between fashion and automobile design. This kinship brought him to spearhead the creation of three automotive fashion shows; two inDetroit, and a third inDubai. In these shows, GM's latest concept cars rolled down the runway alongsideHollywood and music industry celebrities wearing the latest fashions.
On April 7, 2016, he announced his retirement from General Motors after 44 years, effective July 1, 2016. He was succeeded byMichael Simcoe from GM Australia Design.[7]
After announcing his retirement, he launched The Welburn Group, a design consultancy.[8]
Welburn continues to advise GM Design on the development of their new design facility inWarren, MI.
Welburn has enjoyed a long relationship with the film industry, with the goal being to ensure GM products are placed in key roles in feature films. He notes his relationship with directorMichael Bay,Paramount Pictures, and TheTransformers movies featuring the Bumblebee Camaro as having been the most satisfying. His work on this modern-day film franchise led to a speaking role inTransformers: Age of Extinction.
He has also appeared on several automotive TV programs, includingAmeriCarna,Jay Leno's Garage, and the automotive reality seriesMotor City Masters, where his weekly role was that of the authority on design and brands.
In 2019, Ed founded Welburn Media Productions is currently serving as the executive producer of a major motion picture currently under development.
In 2022, Ed Welburn was featured in the video gameGran Turismo 7 where a virtual avatar representing him provides insights, commentary, and personal Anecdotes relating to GM products featured in the game.
Welburn serves an active role as a judge of classic cars at thePebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, and The Peninsula Classic.
He also serves on the Board of Directors for the College for Creative Studies, America On Wheels, LeMay -America's Car Museum, andTony Bennett’s Exploring the Arts.
In 2016, Welburn designed the new trophy for the North American Car of the Year award, which is on permanent display in the atrium of TCF Center inDetroit.[9]
Welburn comes from a close-knit family with roots in suburbanPhiladelphia. It was during a visit to thePhiladelphia Auto Show as an 8-year-old that he decided he wanted a career in automotive design, and his mission to become an automotive designer forGeneral Motors took on greater meaning when he wrote his first letter to GM at age 11. The company wrote back and recommended the steps he needed to take to achieve his dream.
In a July 7, 2016 interview with John McElroy on the program Autoline, Welburn stated that although officially retired, he has begun the process of writing an autobiography, in addition to having been asked byGeneral Motors CEOMary Barra to oversee a number of future General Motors products.[10]
Ed has two adult children and two grandchildren.
In 2014, Welburn's passion for fashion landed him onHour Detroit’s annual Best Dressed list.[11]
In 2016,General Motors dedicated its Center for African American Art at theDetroit Institute of Arts in Welburn's honor. TheDetroit Free Press also honored him with its first-ever Difference Makers Lifetime Achievement Award,[12] and most recently his body of work was turned over to theSmithsonian Institution museum, making him the first automobile designer to earn that distinction.
In 2017, Welburn was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by theCollege for Creative Studies, a leading design school, and he was inducted into theAutomotive Hall of Fame, a recognition that he holds as his highest professional honor.[13]
In 2018, he received theEyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award for his outstanding career in vehicle design.[14]
In 2023, he won the Car Design News Lifetime Achievement Award.[15]