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Re: [GMCnet] Brief Mention of Transam Traveler GMC Motorhome on Website [message #73614 is a reply to message #73593] |
Fri, 12 February 2010 06:54 |
Steven Ferguson
Messages: 3447 Registered: May 2006
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Craig,
One of our archivists has posted that picture before. Good to see it again.
On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 7:32 PM, Craig Lechowicz
<craig.lechowicz@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
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>
> After trading notes earlier today about Alex Mair, was prowling around the web for more info on him, and came across this website:
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> <http://home.flash.net/~transams/index.htm>
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> from a Texas Transam group that has a brief mention of the Transam Territory and a photo of Pontiac's use of their GMC Motorhome at a racetrack
>
> You have to page down a bit to get to the info and picture
> --
> Craig Lechowicz
> '77 Kingsley, Waterford, MI
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--
Steve Ferguson
'76 EII
Sierra Vista, AZ
Urethane bushing source
www.bdub.net/ferguson/
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Re: Brief Mention of Transam Traveler GMC Motorhome on Website [message #73629 is a reply to message #73593] |
Fri, 12 February 2010 10:52 |
bryant374
Messages: 563 Registered: May 2004 Location: Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
Karma: 1
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Brief Mention of Transam Traveler GMC Motorhome on Website Thu, 11 February 2010 21:32
Craig Lechowicz
After trading notes earlier today about Alex Mair, was prowling around the web for more info on him, and came across this website:
<http://home.flash.net/~transams/index.htm>
from a Texas Transam group that has a brief mention of the Transam Territory and a photo of Pontiac's use of their GMC Motorhome at a racetrack
You have to page down a bit to get to the info and picture
See:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4220&cat=3429
For the original designer sketch and what I believe are TWO different trans am territory GMCs. Notice one has all the fiberglass trimming and the other does not. It appears the one with the extra trim is the one that Dick Balsley had restored for GM Heritage collection.
As an aside, I have tried in the past (unsuccessfully) to get an interview with Alex Mair since I believe he is really the guy that made the "improved" GMC Motorhome what it was. Martin Casserio was in charge of GMC for the initial design and wanted a high volume motorhome, Alex Mair came on board later in 1973 and wanted a "halo vehicle" for GMC. The Eleganza SE was the start of these and from 1975 on the upgrades were due to his leadership.
Yes, I know, probably more than you wanted to know :^)
Bill Bryant
PO 1976~PB (owned 34 years)
1914 Ford (owned 70 years)
1965 Corvette (owned 39 years)
GMC Motorhome History
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Re: Brief Mention of Transam Traveler GMC Motorhome on Website [message #73630 is a reply to message #73629] |
Fri, 12 February 2010 11:05 |
Craig Lechowicz
Messages: 541 Registered: October 2006 Location: Waterford, MI
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Bill (Bryant!)
Thanks, I had come across the one picture that I linked before on your stuff or somewhere, but wasn't sure if the explanations of the events were new. Had not seen all the other photo's you linked though. The design sketch was very neat, but I couldn't make out the designer's name. I worked some with Bill Davis and Stu Schuster in my truck days. Bill was chief designer for 94/95 Blazer/Bravada/Jimmy/ S10/Sonoma and 2002 Trailblazer/Envoy/Bravada among many other vehicles. And Stu worked for Bill for a while, and then on advanced stuff for a while. Stu's a huge Corvair collector.
I couldn't turn up much up on Alex in a quick websearch, I'm afraid he might not be with us anymore, but not sure. He travelled in circles far above my pay grade as they say.
Craig Lechowicz
'77 Kingsley, Waterford, MI
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Re: Brief Mention of Transam Traveler GMC Motorhome on Website [message #73808 is a reply to message #73630] |
Sun, 14 February 2010 10:37 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260 Registered: January 2004 Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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""I couldn't turn up much up on Alex in a quick websearch, I'm afraid he might not be with us anymore, but not sure. He travelled in circles far above my pay grade as they say. ""
I kept in touch with Alex after I retired and for a while we met monthly on another project. Unfortunately he did not want to talk about the GMC. Bill asked me a couple of times for help but Alex had reasons not to discuss it. I first met Alex when he was Director of Engineering for Chevrolet (when it was still a self contained car company). Later he was in charge of AES (Advance Engineering Staff) at the tech center and introduced benchmarking to engineering. That was during a period when GM felt it was on the leading edge of engineering when in reality it was already on the slippery downslope. Alex was probably one of the top ten influential engineering people in the history of GM. I hope he will be recognized as such!
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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