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Nov 11, 2022 · After a brief venture as a carpenter after leaving his native Michigan for California, the elder Earl found work at a Los Angeles carriage assembler. Before too long, Harley's father was a...
Jun 2, 2017 · Earl’s father had built and developed the “Earl Carriage Works Company” where later Harley Earl began building accessory windshields for his father’s company. By 1910, the company, which was rebranded as “Earl Automotive Works,” had branched out into the repair and construction of car bodies.
Nov 15, 2023 · Harley Earl invented the clay model while still working at his father’s coachbuilding company in California, and he brought the new form of three-dimensional visualization to General Motors in Detroit. The clay model would come to be used by every car design staff in the world, as it is even today.
Dec 9, 2021 · Lawrence P. Fisher, general manager of Cadillac and co-founder of Fisher Body, happened to observe Earl at work while visiting Lee's dealership. Impressed by the young designer's efforts, Fisher invited Harley Earl to design the 1927 LaSalle, a companion brand to Cadillac.
- A Look at Harley Earl – Boyhood to The 1953 Corvette – Michigan to California
- General Motors
- First Concept Car
- World War II
- The 1953 Corvette
- Harley J Earl Photos
- Harley J Earl and Corvette
- Harley J Earl Videos
- Bonus Photos: Harley’s Firebird Concept Cars
By Doctor Jack Holladay For any person, an ordinary happenstance can sometimes lead to a great opportunity, a good outcome, and just possibly a great change in one’s life. All these happened to Harley J. Earl, the father of Styling in the automobile industry. For Harley, the happenstances began way before he was even born. His maternal grandparents...
Harley came by train to Detroit and went to work with his ideas for the LaSalle. At a shop in the back of the Cadillac plant, he worked with two engineers and a wood and clay modeler Mr. Fisher had arranged to help him. In record time, it was time for the unveiling. GM CEO Alfred Sloan arrived from New York, and Harley’s design for four models was ...
In 1938 Harley started an experimental car. He called it the “Y-Job” instead of “Y-experimental,” and his nomenclature won. With help from Buick in the form of a chassis and a budget, Harley saw his ideas come to fruition. This shiny black one-of-a-kind car had a power soft top, power windows, push-button outer door handles, and retractable headlig...
World War II changed everything. Harley Earl’s styling staff worked on creating camouflage after gaining insight from Canadian pilots who saw how Germany used camouflage to hide military targets. But the crowning achievement was when Buick was asked to create a tank buster. It had to be fast. It had to be armored. It had to be track driven with a r...
In the summer of 1951, the press got its first look at Harley Earl’s newest creation, the LeSabre. It was packed with innovations, including a rain sensor, and it was a hit with the reporters and writers. He took the car to New York for the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, and during the parade, Harley saw several foreign sports car roadsters, mostly from ...
GM Futureliner, created by Earl, was a massive custom-made truck designed for GM’s Parade of Progress, which it exhibited throughout North America from 1940-41 and then again from 1953-56. This behemoth vehicle presented various pioneering technological breakthroughs, including jet engines, televisions, and microwave ovens. Photo licensed under the...
One of the most significant tales from the 20th century is the origin of the iconic Corvette and Harley Earl’s influence in its production. Taking advantage of Chevrolet’s strong production capacity combined with General Motors’ massive resources, Earl designed one of the most renowned sports cars of all time, which is still celebrated today. In 20...
Our first video shows how Harley Earl was the first to create better-paying jobs for women in the automotive world. Harley Earl pioneered higher wages for women in the auto industry. A GM promotional video, at left, captured the progressive message of Earl, one that was seen as shocking and progressive by the all-male car designers, as he predicted...
Here are some other articles you might enjoy: Unlock the Secret of Harley Earl, Watkins Glen, Corvette, and Le Sabre The One and Only 1963 Harley Earl Corvette Convertible Mecum Auctions’ Chicago Event Nets $18.6M with Harley Earl Corvette Leading Sales at $1.5M 1953 VIN 003 Cutaway Corvette Donated to the NCM Mrs. Harley J. Earl’s 1963 Chevrolet C...
Using artistic techniques to help build and engineer cars, while industry standard today, was revolutionary technology when first introduced by Harley Earl, and two of his most influential methods were clay modeling and graphic engineering.
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Being as perceptive as he was, Earl was quick to recognize the talents outside of his gender. In 1943, he was responsible for hiring the first female automotive designer. A practice that he would continue throughout his leadership of the General Motor’s Styling Department.
