Cherry, Wayne K.
Wayne Cherry was vice president of General Motors Design from 1992 to 2004. He was only the fifth person in the history of the corporation to hold that position. When he retired, he left behind a record of bold, innovative automotive designs and get well-deserved credit for having led GM Design into its current renaissance.
Growing up in Indianapolis, Cherry attended the first Indy 500 after World War II. His bank teller father also worked at the track as a lap counter and timer, which allowed the Cherry family to visit Gasoline Alley and see the cars and drivers up close.
In his teen years, Cherry modified for drag racing a '55 Chevy D-Gas that won many trophies. A portfolio of car sketches helped him gain admission to the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he soon won a scholarship that led to a bachelor's degree in industrial and transportation design.
After graduation, Cherry joined GM's advanced design studios in 1962. His first major projects included an opportunity to work on the team that designed the landmark 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. Cherry also got to work on the design of the first Chevrolet Camaro, which went on sale for the 1967 model year. It was in California that Cherry's passion for sports car racing started, and he soon began to race sports cars at Waterford Hills in Michigan.
Cherry spent much of his career developing his skills and building his reputation in Europe. He transferred to GM subsidiary Vauxhall Motors in Luton, England, in 1965 for what was supposed to be a temporary assignment. He ended up working in Europe for 26 years.
In 1970, Cherry was appointed assistant design director at Vauxhall, and five years later he became director. His work eventually paved the way for a distinct new brand identity for the venerable British marque. Cherry headed up a number of aero-concepts on production vehicles, including the Black Magic, Silver Arrow and the Silver Bullet. The "droop snoot" look was applied to the rest of the Vauxhall product line and remains popular today with the following of many clubs.
Vauxhall and Adam Opel design activities were merged in 1983, when Cherry was named Opel design director in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and given overall design responsibility for all GM passenger cars in Europe. For the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, Cherry designed the Opel Junior concept, which eventually influenced the 1993 Corsa. That Corsa received 20 international design awards and became a world car sold in 80 countries.
Other significant Opels during the Cherry era included the 1987 Omega, named the European Car of the Year; the 1991 Vectra; 1995 Astra; and 1996 Omega. He also designed two new sporty models that were added to the Opel/Vauxhall lineups: the Calibra coupe and Tigra.
Following his success in Europe, Cherry returned to Michigan in 1991 and, after a brief stint directing the Chevrolet/Geo studios, he became vice president of design in 1992 - a time of economic and corporate upheaval at GM. Four years later, he reorganized Deisgn Staff by replacing 27 exterior, interior, and advanced studios with eight brand character centers and the first of four large production-studio complexes.
Cherry also established GM's Corporate Brand Center, a state-of-the-art digital studio and two virtual reality centers, which permit evaluation of math-based designs in 3-D. In 2001, he increased GM's advanced design emphasis by setting up advanced studios in Los Angeles; Coventry, England; and Warren, Michigan.
In addition to advancing design technology, Cherry strategically assembled a diverse and globally experienced leadership team. Cherry was the architect of the new design identities for Pontiac, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick and has played a major role in the development of HUMMER when that brand joined the GM fold in 2001. Cherry's greatest achievement may have been the bold new vision, identity and design for the renaissance of Cadillac.
"Cadillac's bold, angular design direction initially was seen as risky, but has proven to be highly successful and exactly what Cadillac needed to re-establish itself as a leader among the world's luxury marques," said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman of product development and chairman of GM North America. "Wayne Cherry's dramatic designs deserve much of the credit for bringing Cadillac back to prominence."
From 1999 to 2003, GM revealed more than 35 concept cars and trucks around the globe - more than any other automaker in such a brief period - including the hit Pontiac Solstice roadster and coupe in 2002, and the breathtaking Cadillac Sixteen, which was the most talked-about and praised concept on this year's international auto show circuit.
"The Sixteen is a fitting crown to Wayne's career: Bold and dramatic, yet graceful and beautiful," Lutz said. "It used the language of design to make a strong statement that Cadillac - and, by extension, General Motors - is back."
Several vehicles that started life as popular concepts under Cherry's direction have since moved to production, including the Cadillac XLR, the Cadillac SRX, HUMMER H2, the aforementioned Solstice, and the Chevrolet SSR.
Wayne Cherry retired from General Motors on January 1, 2004.
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