By: Robert Tate, award-winning automotive historian and researcher
Images courtesy of GM Heritage Archives & Special Collections/Classic Industries.
MotorCities Story of the Week
Mr. Chuck Jordan was born in Whittier, California, in 1927 and lived from 1927 to 2010. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1949 with a degree in mechanical engineering. His career in automotive design began to take shape in 1947, when, as a student at MIT, he won the national Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild model car competition. The award provided him with a scholarship to MIT and helped bring his talents to the attention of General Motors. After graduating in 1949, Jordan joined General Motors as a junior engineer in the styling department.
Chuck Jordan designing the Euclid tractor 1950’s.
Jordan's talent and passion for automotive design quickly became evident. In 1953, Harley Earl named him chief designer of GM's Special Projects Studio. During the 1950s, Jordan worked on several important GM projects, including the 1955 Chevrolet Cameo truck and the 1956 Buick Centurion. He also worked on the futuristic GM Aerotrain.
Chuck Jordan’s Aero train design 1950’s.
In 1957, Jordan became chief designer for Cadillac, a position he held until 1967. During those years, he played an important role in the development of some of Cadillac's most memorable designs, including the dramatic styling of the late 1950s and early 1960s. His work on the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado became one of the best-known achievements of his career. In 1962, Life magazine named him one of the “100 most important young men and women in the United States.”
Chuck who was voted for Who’s who in 1962.
Mr. Jordan lived his life with a great passion for automotive design and automobile history as well. He was a great friend of mine, and I had known him for many years. He would always talk about the history of the automobile, and I enjoyed listening to his stories and learning from his experiences. He was also a collector of automotive history, with an extensive collection of Ferrari books, literature and models. I remember his enthusiasm for automobiles and automotive history, and as an automotive historian, I learned so much from him.
Chuck Jordan 1955 Chevy Cameo pickup.
Chuck Jordan’s 1956 Buick Centurion design show car.
Jordan also had a deep interest in trucks and their design. In discussing his career, he recalled that he had always loved trucks and saw an opportunity when a new truck program was being developed. He eventually found himself working in the truck studio, an experience that became an important part of his design career. His early work helped establish his reputation as a designer who could approach both passenger cars and trucks with imagination and purpose.
Throughout his career, Chuck Jordan worked alongside many talented designers. Among them was the late Ed Glowacke, who played an important role in Cadillac design during the 1950s, and the late Dave Holls, another influential GM designer. Jordan's career was shaped by the many talented people around him, but he also left his own unmistakable mark on General Motors design.
Chuck Jordan inside design studio 1960’s.
In 1967, Jordan was named director of design for Opel in Germany. During his time with Opel, he was involved with the development of important designs, including the Opel GT. He returned to the United States in 1970 and took charge of styling for Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac, along with commercial vehicles for Chevrolet and Pontiac. In 1977, he became director of the GM design staff.
In 1986, Chuck Jordan was promoted to vice president of GM Design. He became the fourth person to hold that position, following such legendary GM design leaders as Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell and Irv Rybicki. Jordan brought a strong creative spirit to the design organization. During his years as vice president, GM developed a number of important production cars and concept vehicles, including the Corvette Indy concept, the 1992 Cadillac Seville STS, the Camaro and Firebird, and the Oldsmobile Aurora.
Jordan once said, “I considered myself one of the luckiest guys alive. All my life I've been able to do the thing I love most, design automobiles.” That statement says a great deal about the man and his lifelong commitment to automotive design.
Chuck Jordan with 1988 California Camaro.
His passion continued throughout his years as GM's design leader. The 1992 Cadillac Seville STS was one of the vehicles he was especially proud of. The Oldsmobile Aurora was another important design developed during his leadership. In a later interview, Jordan talked about the Aurora and explained how the design evolved through a process of experimentation, criticism and refinement. His philosophy was to encourage designers to have fun, take chances and create automobiles with distinctive identities.
Jordan wanted GM's automobile divisions to have strong individual identities rather than producing vehicles that simply looked alike. He believed design should be exciting and that the creative spirit within GM Design needed to be restored. His approach helped create an atmosphere in which designers were encouraged to explore new ideas and develop distinctive automobiles. The College for Creative Studies has similarly described Jordan's leadership as a period when he helped bring excitement and creativity back to GM's design organization.
On his retirement from General Motors in 1992, Chuck Jordan left behind a 43-year career with the company. His influence could be seen in generations of General Motors automobiles, from the great Cadillacs of the 1950s to the Opel GT and, later, the Seville STS and Oldsmobile Aurora. He was also recognized for his contributions to the automotive industry with a Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2012, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Chuck Jordan retirement with his accomplishments.
After retirement, Jordan continued sharing his knowledge of automotive design with young people. He taught automotive design at Valhalla High School in El Cajon, California, encouraging students to develop their creativity and push beyond what they thought they could accomplish.
In conclusion, although Chuck Jordan is no longer with us, his legacy and his contributions to automotive design will be remembered for generations to come. He was more than a great automobile designer. He was someone who loved automobiles, design and automotive history with a genuine passion.
For me, however, Chuck Jordan will always be remembered for something more personal. He was a great friend. I was fortunate to know him, to listen to his stories and to learn from his knowledge of automotive history and design. Those memories are something I will always treasure.
Bibliography
Powell Tracy. “General Motors Styling 1927-1958 Genesis of the World’s Largest Design Studio” Powell house Publishing & Communications 2007.
Lamm Michael & Holl’s Dave. “A Century of Automotive Style 100 Years of American Car Design” Lamm-Morada Publishing Company Inc. 1996-97.
Jordan Chuck. “Passions” A family story book of Chuck Jordan’s automotive career 2010.
Motor Trend. “Motor Trend interview Bill Mitchell and Chuck Jordan” Motor Trend magazine July 1971 . Vol 23 index. Peterson Publishing Company.
Automotive Hall of Fame: Charles “Chuck” M. Jordan
Los Angeles Times - Legends: Chuck Jordan
Dean’s Garage: Motor Trend Classic Chuck Jordan Interview
College for Creative Studies: Charles M. Jordan Endowed Scholarship