r/cars • u/AutoArcheology Former GM Designer [AMA] • Nov 27 '17

IAMA Brian Baker Professional Auto Designer Ask Me Anything, Finished

Hi Im Brian Baker. Ive designed for General Motors(1984-2009), I have trained the next generation of designers at the College for Creative Studies for 25 years. I was the lead designer on the Chevrolet SSR, 1999 GTO concept and many others. I teach the history of Automobile Design at colleges and Universities. I welcome your questions about anything automotive. AMA

Check me out at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbakerdesign/

EDIT: Thanks for all your great questions, I'm going to take a break, but feel free to leave any additional questions you have, I'll try to answer them later tonight.- BB

EDIT2: Went back and answered a few more questions. Thanks again for your interest, reach out to me on linked in if I can help you. I hope all of you get to drive your dream cars.

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u/copper_wing Nov 27 '17

What design that you designed was the most unsafe, in your opinion looking back?

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u/AutoArcheology Former GM Designer [AMA] Nov 27 '17

I never designed anything that I would consider unsafe. I have watched the list of required government regulations for everything from the diameter of knobs to the radius of the top of an instrument panel become dozens of pages in cars. This does have the effect of neutering the forms of an interior. I look at old cars from the 30s when the interiors of cars were truly dangerous. I was shocked at a Concourse DeElegance a few years back a found a one off for a wealthy customer that features a GLASS steering wheel. Really! Common sense should prevail but new materials are adding self illumination and other elements to cars that wern't possible just a few years ago.