Harley J. Earl


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Harley J. Earl (November 22, 1893 – April 10, 1969) was first Vice President of Design at General Motors. He was an industrial designer and a pioneer of modern transportation design. A coachbuilder by trade, Earl pioneered the use of freeform sketching and hand sculpted clay models as design techniques. He subsequently introduced the “concept car” as both a tool for the design process and a clever marketing device.

Earl’s Buick Y-Job was the first concept car, he started "Project Opel", which eventually became the Chevrolet Corvette, and he authorized the introduction of the tail-fin to automotive styling. During World War II, he was an active contributor to the research of camouflage.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Earl