"A Showcase of Renewed American Ambition" - The 2010 Philadelphia International Auto Show

General Motors' Vice President of Global Design, Ed Welburn, had the opening remarks at this year's 2010 Philadelphia International Auto Show, and showed a dedication and genuine love for American-made automobiles that seems to have been missing from the industry within the eye of the public for far too long. Here's conceptcarz.com covering the event as they talk about two cars: The Cadillac Cyclone - Welburn's primary inspiration, and the upcoming Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, making it's East Coast debut.

Those adjustments to the Philly show's theme came no too soon. With continued recession-induced slow sales and an American auto industry still recovering from a collective near-death experience, a great show was necessary to boost buyer confidence and prove the worth of Detroit's latest offerings. Some emotional opening remarks by General Motors Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn set the stage for a showcase of renewed American ambition.

'I've been looking forward to this day,' said Welburn as he addressed the crowd, standing between two vehicles that were a lot more than just cars to him. One was a symbol of the grand past of a company he had always loved, the other living proof that, by putting forth good effort, GM can still build world class vehicles. To Mr. Welburn's right was a sleek 1960 Cadillac Cyclone. To his left, the upcoming Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.

One of the Cadillacs was particularly close to Welburn's heart. It was the Cyclone, a one-off concept penned by renowned General Motors designer Harley Earl. Welburn, a Philadelphia native, got the chance to see the Cyclone in 1960 at that year's very own Philly Auto Show, and it left an indelible impression.

'Every time I see it I really get fired-up and excited,' explained Welburn, who felt that the advanced automobile, with its bullet-shaped front fenders, rocket thruster taillights, and all glass retractable roof, was everything a concept car should be. It was innovative and unique, with radical styling and high-tech features. It was a 'breakthrough,' he said. 'That's what concept cars do—it was a real breakthrough for the Cadillac brand.' That Caddy changed his life. It was 'the car that inspired me to become a car designer.' After Welburn's first correspondence with GM, through a letter he wrote the company at the age of 11, the budding designer never looked back.

In a company as big as GM, it's too easy to forget that there are real people with real stories behind all those products. For the last few decades, General Motors seems to have suppressed all creativity within its range of vehicles. With few exceptions, GM cars were bland, cheaply built, and unoriginal. The company may have needed a taste of death before it came to its senses, but GM finally appears poised to return to its old ways as a maker of stylish and exciting cars of lasting influence. And it will take passionate individuals like Ed Welburn to lead the way in restoring GM's vivid personality.

The CTS-V Coupe made its East Coast debut at Philadelphia, and was a pleasant glimpse of what GM hopes to accomplish in the near future. An attractive car with an aggressive stance, the Coupe will offer the M5-fighting performance of its sedan counterpart but with a sportier body that represents what may be Cadillac's most well-executed design since the Allanté of 1987, which was styled by legendary Italian design firm Pininfarina. To prove the Coupe's sporting intent, the Cadillac came equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. This was a bold and welcome move at a show where exactly zero out of twelve BMW cars displayed was equipped with a three-pedal purist's proper gearbox.

Well count us among the many people happy to see a man like Ed Welburn overseeing design. This is a man who loves American cars, and models like this CTS-V Coupe show why.

The link to the full conceptcarz article can be found here.