Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
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Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
I've always been curious about this; I can't find any definitive answers online. Who was actually in charge of designing the appearance of the car?
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
In 1971, Bill Porter moved on to another studio and John Schinella became Chief Designer responsible for the Firebird until???? He is one of many that has worked on it.
Here he is at the T/A Nats in 09.
Here he is at the T/A Nats in 09.
Last edited by TTOP350; May 16, 2013 at 05:07 PM.
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
I bought that book way back in the early 90's when I first bought my car. It was an interesting read. It has some concept pictures that are interesting too.
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
Jerry Palmer was the Chief Designer in Chevrolet Studio III and the person most directly responsible for the Camaros. Obviously a genius! 
From a few Hemmings magazine articles that have been posted in the past:
"Nineteen-eighty-two marked the transformation for Chevrolet's four-seat performance car. Jerry Palmer was the chief stylist for the third-generation Camaro and still calls the third generation a fabulous car. The entire design and engineering team worked together to bring about what was the best handling GM car to date. At the outset, the engineers gave the new car a 101-inch wheelbase, 187.8-inch overall length, 72-inch width and 49.8-inch height. "Chuck (Jordan) had several requirements for us when we set out to do this car: He wanted a 62-degree sloped windshield, which at the time was the steepest we'd ever done, and he wanted a one-piece side glass. Chuck would not tolerate a warmed-over second-generation car," says Palmer, now 62 and retired from his duties at GM. "He drove us to reach out and really design a new and exciting car. It was a simple statement and had a great stance. Just parked, it looked like it was ready to launch, a real street fighter."
"When the all-new third-generation Camaro came out at the dawn of 1982, the Z28 was the slickest piece of work on the road: nose down, tail up, striped and be-spoilered like a muscle machine built a dozen years previous might've been. The Firebird's aero-slick shape, monochrome-and-black paint scheme and relative lack of adornment lent it a quasi-Euro GT vibe, but the showy new Camaro was the very vision of a low-slung all-American muscle machine for the Eighties, with dished five-spoke wheels and white-letter tires, a scooped hood and colored striping that separated the body color from the ground effects. (If anything, it took over from Pontiac's outgoing WS6 Trans Am in that regard.) According to Camaro lead designer Jerry Palmer in a pre-launch magazine interview, "It really struts!" That strutting style hit America's sweet spot. Lower, slicker and trimmer than anything Detroit had come out with previously, the new Camaro quickly became a sensation--the industry's new style leader."
From a few Hemmings magazine articles that have been posted in the past:
"Nineteen-eighty-two marked the transformation for Chevrolet's four-seat performance car. Jerry Palmer was the chief stylist for the third-generation Camaro and still calls the third generation a fabulous car. The entire design and engineering team worked together to bring about what was the best handling GM car to date. At the outset, the engineers gave the new car a 101-inch wheelbase, 187.8-inch overall length, 72-inch width and 49.8-inch height. "Chuck (Jordan) had several requirements for us when we set out to do this car: He wanted a 62-degree sloped windshield, which at the time was the steepest we'd ever done, and he wanted a one-piece side glass. Chuck would not tolerate a warmed-over second-generation car," says Palmer, now 62 and retired from his duties at GM. "He drove us to reach out and really design a new and exciting car. It was a simple statement and had a great stance. Just parked, it looked like it was ready to launch, a real street fighter."
"When the all-new third-generation Camaro came out at the dawn of 1982, the Z28 was the slickest piece of work on the road: nose down, tail up, striped and be-spoilered like a muscle machine built a dozen years previous might've been. The Firebird's aero-slick shape, monochrome-and-black paint scheme and relative lack of adornment lent it a quasi-Euro GT vibe, but the showy new Camaro was the very vision of a low-slung all-American muscle machine for the Eighties, with dished five-spoke wheels and white-letter tires, a scooped hood and colored striping that separated the body color from the ground effects. (If anything, it took over from Pontiac's outgoing WS6 Trans Am in that regard.) According to Camaro lead designer Jerry Palmer in a pre-launch magazine interview, "It really struts!" That strutting style hit America's sweet spot. Lower, slicker and trimmer than anything Detroit had come out with previously, the new Camaro quickly became a sensation--the industry's new style leader."
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
Good info being shared in this thread
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
"We started to study the Lear business jets and the Concorde, which have tremendous aerodynamics"- John Shettler (Book: Camaro- The American Icon)
This explains a lot of things, especially when it's something you couldn't get that finger on what it was. (I had already nicknamed my Camaro "starship" before finding out!)
This explains a lot of things, especially when it's something you couldn't get that finger on what it was. (I had already nicknamed my Camaro "starship" before finding out!)
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
Lou Wassel is the brain behind the GTA and FORMULA.
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From: Doghouse ······································ Car: 1989 Formula 350 Vert Engine: 350 L98 Transmission: 700R4 Axle/Gears: B&W 3.27
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
Lou Wassel was vocal on bringing back the Formula as it was a model from the 2nd Gen, but the GTA was all his doing IIRC.
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
Jerry Palmer was the Chief Designer in Chevrolet Studio III and the person most directly responsible for the Camaros. Obviously a genius!
From a few Hemmings magazine articles that have been posted in the past:
"Nineteen-eighty-two marked the transformation for Chevrolet's four-seat performance car. Jerry Palmer was the chief stylist for the third-generation Camaro and still calls the third generation a fabulous car. The entire design and engineering team worked together to bring about what was the best handling GM car to date. At the outset, the engineers gave the new car a 101-inch wheelbase, 187.8-inch overall length, 72-inch width and 49.8-inch height. "Chuck (Jordan) had several requirements for us when we set out to do this car: He wanted a 62-degree sloped windshield, which at the time was the steepest we'd ever done, and he wanted a one-piece side glass. Chuck would not tolerate a warmed-over second-generation car," says Palmer, now 62 and retired from his duties at GM. "He drove us to reach out and really design a new and exciting car. It was a simple statement and had a great stance. Just parked, it looked like it was ready to launch, a real street fighter."
"When the all-new third-generation Camaro came out at the dawn of 1982, the Z28 was the slickest piece of work on the road: nose down, tail up, striped and be-spoilered like a muscle machine built a dozen years previous might've been. The Firebird's aero-slick shape, monochrome-and-black paint scheme and relative lack of adornment lent it a quasi-Euro GT vibe, but the showy new Camaro was the very vision of a low-slung all-American muscle machine for the Eighties, with dished five-spoke wheels and white-letter tires, a scooped hood and colored striping that separated the body color from the ground effects. (If anything, it took over from Pontiac's outgoing WS6 Trans Am in that regard.) According to Camaro lead designer Jerry Palmer in a pre-launch magazine interview, "It really struts!" That strutting style hit America's sweet spot. Lower, slicker and trimmer than anything Detroit had come out with previously, the new Camaro quickly became a sensation--the industry's new style leader."
From a few Hemmings magazine articles that have been posted in the past:
"Nineteen-eighty-two marked the transformation for Chevrolet's four-seat performance car. Jerry Palmer was the chief stylist for the third-generation Camaro and still calls the third generation a fabulous car. The entire design and engineering team worked together to bring about what was the best handling GM car to date. At the outset, the engineers gave the new car a 101-inch wheelbase, 187.8-inch overall length, 72-inch width and 49.8-inch height. "Chuck (Jordan) had several requirements for us when we set out to do this car: He wanted a 62-degree sloped windshield, which at the time was the steepest we'd ever done, and he wanted a one-piece side glass. Chuck would not tolerate a warmed-over second-generation car," says Palmer, now 62 and retired from his duties at GM. "He drove us to reach out and really design a new and exciting car. It was a simple statement and had a great stance. Just parked, it looked like it was ready to launch, a real street fighter."
"When the all-new third-generation Camaro came out at the dawn of 1982, the Z28 was the slickest piece of work on the road: nose down, tail up, striped and be-spoilered like a muscle machine built a dozen years previous might've been. The Firebird's aero-slick shape, monochrome-and-black paint scheme and relative lack of adornment lent it a quasi-Euro GT vibe, but the showy new Camaro was the very vision of a low-slung all-American muscle machine for the Eighties, with dished five-spoke wheels and white-letter tires, a scooped hood and colored striping that separated the body color from the ground effects. (If anything, it took over from Pontiac's outgoing WS6 Trans Am in that regard.) According to Camaro lead designer Jerry Palmer in a pre-launch magazine interview, "It really struts!" That strutting style hit America's sweet spot. Lower, slicker and trimmer than anything Detroit had come out with previously, the new Camaro quickly became a sensation--the industry's new style leader."
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Re: Who actually designed the Third Generation F-Body?
SR-71 - no wonder I like the styling so much!
http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/...ta-lou-wassel/
http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/...le-lou-wassel/
http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/...ta-lou-wassel/
http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/...le-lou-wassel/
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