As 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 finally 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 as Mitchell and Jordan did. Also, Rybicki and Jordan hated each other, yet had to work together.
Because GM had a mandatory retirement age of 65, Jordan only had about six years to have an impact on GM car designs. Given lead times to production, this meant that only new designs appearing in model years 1989-1994 were likely strongly influenced by Jordan's perfectionist taste.
Automobile styling during the Rybicki years (1977-1986) was dominated by angular, "three-box" forms where windows were large. Rybicki's GM designs conformed to that fashion. Jordan took control when government-mandated fuel efficiency requirements forced carmakers to make use of wind tunnel tested streamlining to improve gas mileage. As a result, cars -- including most Jordan-led designs -- received softer, more curved shapes.
Examples of Jordan era designs are presented below. Images are GM-sourced unless noted.
GM's A and B bodies were redesigned for the 1991 model year. This is a B-body '92 sedan -- only B-body Roadmaster station wagons were offered for the 1991 model year.
The "three-box" large window areas are retained, but surfaces on lower bodies are more curved, as are transitions between planes. Window outlines are crisp, preventing the design from seeming too soft.
The Caprice was Chevrolet's B-body car. Jordan made brand appearance distinction a major concern because brands with the same basic bodies often looked pretty similar in the Rybicki era.
Clearly not like a Buick Roadmaster. But the treatment abaft of the C-pillar gave the design a heavy, sluggish look that reminded me and some others of 1948 Hudsons. Not a very successful design, as sales dropped drastically the following model years.
General Motors' new 1985 C-body cars had slightly shorter wheelbases that their later B-body mates. Buick's Park Avenue was given a major facelift for 1991 by Jordan's stylists, making it seem like a redesign.
Radius curves by the beltline and abaft of the C-pillar were in line with Harley Earl's preferences, a possible throwback to pre- Bill Mitchell GM styling days.
Aside perhaps from the front end, this is a competently-styled car.
Skylarks, along with Chevy Corsicas, Olds Achievas and Pontiac Grand Prix models were redesigned for 1992. This image shows both front and rear aspects of the Buick version. Low hoods helped suggest a wedge-shape profile. Fairly large radius curves are seen too.
Another new 1992 design.
Oldsmobiles tended to be less-cluttered, more simplified that their GM stablemates with the same platform such as the Pontiacs in the following images. To my mind, the car shown here is a pure example of a Jordan 4-door sedan design.
As suggested above, '92 Pontiac Bonnevilles are more cluttered-looking than Olds 88s.
This might be an instance where too much effort was made to establish visual brand distinction.
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