Ed Welburn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Welburn
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| Born | December 14, 1950 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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| Occupation | Automotive designer and executive |
| Known for | Head of design at General Motors |
| Predecessor | Wayne Cherry |
| Successor | Michael Simcoe |
Edward Thomas Welburn Jr. was born on December 14, 1950. He is a famous car designer. He used to be the Vice President of Global Design at General Motors (GM). He held this important job from 2003 to 2016. This was the same position held by design legends like Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell.
Ed Welburn is known for being the highest-ranking Black-American in the worldwide automotive industry. He helped create many cool GM cars. These include the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Escalade, and Chevrolet Camaro. He also worked on amazing concept cars. Some of these were the Oldsmobile Aerotech, Cadillac Ciel, and Buick Avista.
Welburn also led the design of the Chaparral 2X Vision GT. This was a special concept car for the video game Gran Turismo 6. The car had unique features like 4-wheel steering. It also had active aerodynamics, like a wingsuit. This car became available in the game in December 2014.
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Learning to Design Cars
Ed Welburn studied design, sculpture, and painting. He went to Howard University in Washington, D.C.. While at Howard, he talked with General Motors. This led to an internship at GM Design in 1971. An internship is like a short-term job to gain experience.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Howard in 1972. Years later, on May 7, 2016, he returned to his university. He gave a speech to the graduating students.
A Career in Car Design
Welburn first worked at General Motors Design in 1971. This was during his college internship. One year later, in 1972, GM hired him. He became the first Black American to design cars for GM. He spent his entire career at GM. He worked in many different design studios. He helped create a wide range of vehicles.
He became the first Vice President of GM Global Design. This made him the highest-ranking Black American in the car industry. Only a few people have held this top design job at GM. These include Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell.
Designing Famous Vehicles
Welburn's designs have been very successful. Some of his cars set speed records on racetracks. Others sold very well in stores. He designed several pace cars for the Indianapolis 500 race. He also led the design of the presidential limousine. This car is often called 'The Beast'. He designed it for Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
As the head of GM Global Design, Welburn traveled a lot. He visited GM's eleven design studios. These studios are in seven different countries. He traveled about 140,000 air miles each year.
Fashion and Cars
Throughout his career, Welburn saw a link between fashion and car design. He helped create three car fashion shows. Two were in Detroit, and one was in Dubai. In these shows, new GM concept cars rolled down a runway. Hollywood stars and music celebrities also walked the runway. They wore the latest fashions.
On April 7, 2016, Welburn announced his retirement. He left General Motors on July 1, 2016. He had worked there for 44 years. Michael Simcoe from GM Australia Design took over his role. After retiring, Welburn started his own design company. It is called The Welburn Group. He still advises GM Design on their new design center in Warren, MI.
Ed Welburn in Media
Welburn has a long history with the film industry. He worked to make sure GM cars appeared in movies. He especially enjoyed working with director Michael Bay. They worked together on the Transformers movies. These films feature the Bumblebee Camaro. His work on these movies even led to him having a speaking role in Transformers: Age of Extinction.
He has also appeared on several car TV shows. These include AmeriCarna and Jay Leno's Garage. He was also a judge on the reality show Motor City Masters. On this show, he shared his knowledge about design.
In 2019, Ed started Welburn Media Productions. He is currently working as a producer for a major movie. In 2022, Ed Welburn was featured in the video game Gran Turismo 7. A virtual version of him gives tips and stories about GM cars in the game.
Helping Others and Car History
Welburn helps judge classic cars at several events. These include the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. He also serves on the boards of several organizations. These include the College for Creative Studies and America's Car Museum. He also helps Tony Bennett’s Exploring the Arts.
In 2016, Welburn designed a new trophy. This was for the North American Car of the Year award. The trophy is on display in Detroit.
About Ed Welburn's Life
Ed Welburn grew up in a close family near Philadelphia. When he was 8 years old, he visited the Philadelphia Auto Show. That's when he decided he wanted to design cars. His dream to work for General Motors grew stronger. When he was 11, he wrote his first letter to GM. The company wrote back. They told him what steps he needed to take to achieve his dream.
In a 2016 interview, Welburn said he was writing a book about his life. He also mentioned that General Motors CEO Mary Barra asked him to help with future GM products. Ed Welburn has two adult children and two grandchildren.
Awards and Honors
- In 2014, Welburn was named to Hour Detroit’s Best Dressed list. This showed his passion for fashion.
- In 2016, General Motors honored him. They named their Center for African American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts after him. The Detroit Free Press also gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award. His work was also added to the Smithsonian Institution museum. He was the first car designer to receive this honor.
- In 2017, he received an honorary degree from the College for Creative Studies. He was also inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. He considers this his highest professional honor.
- In 2018, he received the EyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award. This was for his amazing career in car design.
- In 2023, he won the Car Design News Lifetime Achievement Award.
