Erhard Schnell
Erhard Schnell (born November 20, 1927 in Frankfurt am Main ; † February 8, 2020 in Trebur ) was a German automobile designer .
After training as a commercial artist at the Werkkunstschule, today's Offenbach University of Design , he came to Opel in 1952 . In 1961 he perfected his design skills in Detroit , became a studio assistant in 1962 and head of the Advanced Design Studio in 1964. At Opel he taught many other designers to draw. The first Opel head of design, Clare McKichan , who came from the GM brand Chevrolet and worked in Rüsselsheim from 1962 to 1967 , helped establish automotive design in Europe .
Schnell's first designs for the Opel GT, for example, date back to 1962. The car did not go into production until 1968. Under Opel Head of Design Charles "Chuck" Jordan, who headed the design department at Opel from 1967 to 1971, he played a key role in the design development of the legendary Opel GT . Production models such as the Opel Rekord C , the Manta A , the Ascona B , the Kadett D and the Corsa A are linked to Schnells names. Schnell was later responsible for the Opel Calibra and the Vectra A as chief designer.
Studies such as the Opel Genève (1965), the Opel Coupé Diplomat (CD, 1969), the Opel Tech 1 (1981) and the planned successor to the Opel GT, the Opel GT 2 + 2, all bear Schnell's signature. Schnell experienced six head of design during his active time at Opel, which lasted until 1991.
Erhard Schnell died on February 8, 2020 at the age of 92 in Trebur.
Web links
- Sarah Elßer: MD.TAGE LIKE THIS - The story of the Opel GT , MOTORDIALOG TV from November 14, 2016
- Former Opel designer Erhard Schnell passed away on faz.net
Individual evidence
- ^ Opel Genève Concept: Cardiac arrest , on spiegel.de, accessed on February 12, 2020.
- ↑ Forgotten prototypes: Opel Coupé Diplomat - Italian lines from Germany , bellevue.nzz.ch, accessed on February 12, 2020.
- ↑ Paolo Ollig: Erhard Schnell - The man who gave Opel momentum. In: Classic Trader Magazin. February 12, 2020, accessed on July 9, 2020 (German).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Quick, Erhard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German automobile designer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 20, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Frankfurt am Main |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 8, 2020 |
| Place of death | Trebur |