It’s amazing what you can find in a barn

September 12, 2025Newsletter Archives

Nobody knows how the binder journeyed from Detroit to Rochester, New York. When Josh Quick found it in a barn at an estate sale, he grabbed it without thinking. It was only days later, while flipping through the pages, that Quick realized he was holding a missing piece of General Motors history.

Inside, perfectly preserved, were nearly 80 pencil-on-paper drawings by students of the Detroit Institute of Automobile Styling, all dated from 1940. The school, managed by General Motors, trained the next generation of car designers – and launched the careers of some of the industry’s most influential figures.

On GM News, we bring you the full story of this lost bit of automotive history. The collection of drawings, now housed at the GM Design Archive in Warren, Michigan, includes early work by Ned Nickles, Ed Glowacke, and Clare MacKichan – who would become design leaders at Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet, respectively, in the post-war era. 

You’ve got to see these drawings for yourself. They present a striking glimpse of the automotive future, from the viewpoint of ambitious young design students learning their craft in 1940. 

Elsewhere on GM News, this week we showcase two videos from GM’s YouTube channel: A review of the stylish and striking 2025 Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, and a look at the past and present of the GMC Sierra Denali. 

If you think those 1940 student sketches are cool, just imagine what today’s future designers are dreaming up.

--Bob Sorokanich, senior editor, GM News