Other factors were in play, described in Chapter 13 of the Michael Lamm and Dave Holls classic book A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design.
It seems that Rybicki unexpectedly replaced Bill Mitchell, long-time (1958-77) GM Design VP. Most GM folks assumed Chuck Jordan would be appointed, but his aggressive personality was too much for some GM leaders who were already tired of Mitchell's aggressive personality (Jordan later got the job when Rybicki retired). Rybicki was not a firebrand. He tended to avoid conflict and was much more willing than Mitchell to accede to the wishes of others in the corporation. That is, he didn't fight nearly as hard for his staff's designs.
At the same time, GM underwent a restructuring whereby its former powerful divisions were placed under new, multi-division units -- another layer of bureaucracy. There were engineering problems created by the addition of new, relatively inexperienced staff. And falling market share gave the "beancounters" greater clout in the form of demands for production cost reductions. More uniformity of sheet metal use across brands was demanded, and Rybicki went along with that to a great extent. Read Lamm and Holls for whole, complex story.
Below is a gallery of designs from the Rybicki era. It is not comprehensive because it focuses on the dominant design style for GM's lineup when he was in charge: some exceptions are ignored. Unless noted, images are via General Motors. Cars are listed by model year of first appearance of the design shown.
This "compact" Chevy has design features that were carried over to other models in the Rybicki years. The Cavalier is a "three box" design with a distinct hood and trunk bracketing a passenger compartment greenhouse featuring large areas of glass. All side windows are mounted in door frames on this sedan, so it can be classed as a four-window, not a six-window style.
A larger car launched the same model year. Not identical to the Cavalier, yet not very different, either.
Rear quarter view of a two-door Buick with the same body as the Ciera. Most Rybicki-era designs can be characterized as angular -- fashionable across the industry at the time.
A large, semi-luxury car. Lots of glass area plus a sloped hood. The general design language is the same as seen in the previous images.
Rear quarter view of an Oldsmobile with the same body.
The following model year this smaller design appeared, again sporting the same themes.
Cadillac's sporty coupé. It descends from a larger, beloved, classic 1967 version, and was a disappointment to Cadillac fans. Again, large windows and a sloping hood.
Rear quarter view. At least it is more restrained than what can be seen on today's cars.
Situation is Such I Designed Cadillac's Seville and Car of the Year Awardee's: the 1977 Chevy Caprice and 1979 Buick Riviera while incarcerated behind prison walls. As well as the best selling downsize fullsize rear drive Cadillacs Buicks and Oldsmobiles ever made.
ReplyDeleteI originally wanted to design a competitor to best Cadillac and ended up designing the best selling Cadillac's ever sold.