Richard A. Teague

Richard A. Teague
Richard Teague at AMC during the 1970s
Born	December 23, 1923(1923-12-23) Los Angeles, California, USA
Died	May 5, 1991(1991-05-05) (aged 67)[1]
Alma mater	Art Center College of Design
Occupation	Industrial designer
Years active	1948-1983
Employer	General Motors Packard Motor Car Company American Motors Corporation
Known for	Developing the concept of interchangeable body panels for use among different models
Notable works	Oldsmobile Rocket Rambler Classic AMC Cavalier AMC Gremlin AMC Javelin AMC AMX AMX GT AMC Hornet AMC Eagle Jeep Cherokee (XJ)

Richard A. (Dick) Teague (December 23, 1923 - May 5, 1991), born in Los Angeles, California, was an industrial designer in the North American automotive industry. He held automotive design positions at General Motors, Packard, and Chrysler before being named Vice President of Design for American Motors Corporation (AMC).

Early life

Teague's mother worked in the motion picture industry during the silent movie era.^[2] At five years of age Teague appeared in five episodes of Our Gang, playing the role of Dixie Duval, a girl.^[3] However, he suffered a tragedy at the age of six. A car accident near Pasadena, California, caused by a drunk driver left his mother an invalid, while the young Teague sustained serious injuries after he went through the windshield, including the loss of sight in his right eye.^[2] A year later his father was also killed in another automobile crash that was also caused by a drunk driver.^[4]

Exempt because of his limited eyesight, he could not join the armed forces during World War II.^[3] Instead, he worked as an aircraft technical illustrator for Northrop Corporation. His boss was Paul Browne, a former designer at General Motors, and he suggested that Teague take night classes at the Art Center College of Design.

Early work

After World War II, Teague penned a design for a pre-Henry J economy car for Kaiser Motors. In 1948, he accepted a position in the General Motors design studios headed by Edmund Anderson. He started as an apprentice stylist and eventually graduated to the Cadillac advanced design group. Teague also worked on the famed 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket. During the 1950s outlandish use of chrome on cars, Teague described how two sets of overlay designs were made for Harley Earl to choose from. Both chrome trim sets had been put on one Oldsmobile prototype by mistake. Earl saw it and ordered it produced that way although the stylists were horrified.^[5]

The last Teague design for Packard, the Executive

In 1951, The Packard Motor Car Company recruited Teague and offered him the position of Chief Stylist following John Reinhart's resignation. The first design work he did was a minor facelift on the Packard line for 1953, and he successfully visualized the separating of the Packard and Clipper that had been initiated by Packard management under James J. Nance. The restyled Packard line for 1955 was the outcome of Teague's keen eye for detail and his ability to produce significant changes based on limited budgets. The facelift made Packard’s 1951 body shell look almost new. However, the company was not doing well following the purchase of struggling Studebaker. The last Teague design for Packard was the Executive, introduced mid-1956 and derived from the Clipper Custom. However, sales of the luxury Packard collapsed during 1956. Teague also designed the last Packard show car, the Predictor, and conequently, a new Packard and Clipper line for 1957 that would have followed the general lines of the Predictor. When Detroit Packard operations were shut down completely in mid-1956, that meant the end of that design, too.

By 1957, the entire Packard styling team moved to Chrysler Corporation. Consequently, Teague became chief stylist of Chrysler's studio. However, because of management conflicts, Teague decided to work on non-automotive assignments for an independent design firm.

American Motors

AMC designers in 1961. Teague is standing by the scale model Rambler's left front fender

Eager to get back to designing automobiles, Teague joined American Motors Corporation (AMC) as a member of Edmund E. Anderson's design team in 1959. When Anderson left AMC in 1961, Teague was named principal designer. The first cars influenced by Teague's styling were the 1963 Rambler Classic and Ambassador, the first all-new cars from AMC since 1956.^[6] Teague was promoted to the post of Vice President in 1964. He held that executive position until he retired from AMC in 1983. At his retirement, Teague joked that the only Detroit auto company he had not worked for was Ford.^[7]

Teague was often quoted as referring to his many years at AMC years as "Camelot", although he faced very stiff budget restrictions at the small independent automaker. Nevertheless, Teague worked out relative miracles compared to the spending norms in this industry.^[8] With limited budgets, many of Teague's designs reconfigured existing parts in new ways.^[9] For example, he was able to design the totally new 1964 compact Rambler American by using the doors from AMC's large-sized automobiles. Teague was a master of designing many variations of cars for AMC from a very limited number of basic stampings.

The AMC Cavalier was a mid-1960s concept car developed to demonstrate this technique of interchangeable body panels and design symmetry.^[10] The right front and left rear fenders were identical, as well as the panels for doors, hood, and deck lid all interchanged. The automobile platforms designed by Teague featured numerous interchangeable door skins, glass, and more. For example, the front and rear bumpers on the 1970 AMC Hornet were cleverly made from the same stamping. This design talent yielded significant cost savings for the company.^[11]

Teague designs

Teague was responsible for the design of many AMC cars and Jeep vehicles.^[12] He developed the characteristic and now legendary Gremlin, Pacer, as well as the Matador coupe. His successes also included the Rambler American, AMC Javelin, AMX Hornet, and subsequent successful transformation of the compact platform into the Concord, Spirit and Eagle. Teague was also responsible for a number of concept cars and often lobbied for their production, such as the compact Tarpon that ultimately led to the large Marlin, and continuing production of the two-seat AMX models after 1970. According to experts, many of Teague's designs still look fresh.

1968 AMX-GT show car

Many concept cars bore his signature design ideas that were later incorporated into production models. Among these were the 1968 AMX GT. Teague styled a truncated kammback rear for this short wheelbase sports car that was then used on the 1970 Gremlin.^[13] A series of "Concept 80" show cars also addressed models that AMC was considering in the future. They were Teague's variations on the company's existing vehicle platforms.

His last handiwork can be seen in the highly popular downsized Jeep Cherokee (XJ), a "masterpiece" design and paradigmatic model that was built in the United States from 1983 through 2001 and in China to 2005.^[14] The last cars he worked on were AMC's new large platform (Premier) that was scheduled to debut in 1988. Teague was able to fashion a very roomy interior for these cars. His design was very aerodynamic and the two-door model was to feature hidden headlamps.^[7] However, the coupe was never produced. Instead, Giorgetto Giugiaro was contracted to provide sharper edges for the four-door sedan that came out as the Eagle Premier.

Historian and collector

Teague was a noted automobile historian and collected classic and rare vehicles, as well as other auto memorabilia. He restored old cars as a hobby, including a 1904 Packard, one of the first produced, and had already owned 285 cars by 1970.^[13] At retirement he mentioned that he had owned "400 or 500" cars.^[7] Teague's collection included a rare AMX/3. It was donated to the San Diego Automotive Museum along with most of his papers.^[15]

Awards

• Chilton's Automotive Industries magazine named Teague the 1976 "Man of the Year" for his designs and work on the AMC Pacer.^[16] In the award's 12 year history, this was the first time an automotive stylist was so honored.^[17]

• Teague was honored with the EyesOn Design 1999 "Lifetime Design Achievement Award" for his accomplishments as an automotive designer.^[18]

Family

Teague's son, Jeff Teague, is also an industrial designer^[19] and established two automotive and product design services firms: "Teague Design" and "JTDNA Design".^[20][21]

Notes

1. ^ "Obituaries". Cars & Parts (Amos Press) 34. http://books.google.com/books?id=PkxWAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Richard+Teague%22+AMC. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Dick Teague". Automobile Quarterly 30 (2): 6. 1992. http://books.google.com/books?id=7D1WAAAAMAAJ&q=Dixie+Duval+Our+Gang. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Ward, James Arthur (1995). The fall of the Packard Motor Car Company. Stanford University Press. p. 177. ISBN 9780804724579. http://books.google.com/books?id=7D11a-EPzwMC&pg=PA177&dq=Richard+A.+Teague. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
4. ^ Racina, Thom (1975). "Car Man". Westways (Automobile Club of Southern California) 67: 53. http://books.google.com/books?id=FdO2AAAAIAAJ&q=Teague+Pasadena+A+year+later+his+father+was+killed+in+an+automobile+accident. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
5. ^ Baulch, Vivian M. (25 September 1998). "Harley Earl, father of the 'dream' car". The Detroit News. http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=101. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
6. ^ Vance, Bill (28 July 2006). "Classic kept AMC in the auto game: 1963 AMC Rambler Classic". National Post. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/driving/story.html?id=63b38ace-dd81-436e-a781-279b22f10aab. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} Smith, David (February 1985). "Dick Teague Ends Record Tenure In Style". Wards Automotive News. 
8. ^ Honored Designer of the Eyes on Design Lifetime Achievement award "Richard A. Teague: A friend writes of Teague's warmth, ability, and ingenuity" Retrieved 29 March 2008.
9. ^ Hine, Thomas (2007). The Great Funk: Falling Apart and Coming Together (on a Shag Rug) in the Seventies. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9780374148393. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZVWDgDfrXrIC&pg=PA41&dq=richard+a.+teague. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
10. ^ Bell, Jonathan (2003). Concept Car Design: Driving the Dream. Rotovision. p. 67. ISBN 9782880465643. http://books.google.com/?id=REQgF0IomccC&pg=PA67&dq=AMC+Cavalier. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
11. ^ Irwin, Robert W. (September 1966). "Detroit Listening Post". Popular Mechanics 126 (3): 30. http://books.google.com/?id=stMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&dq=AMC+Cavalier. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
12. ^ Winter, Drew (1 May 1996). "The men behind the magic". Ward's AutoWorld. http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_men_behind_magic/index.html. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Lund, Robert (August 1970). "How the Gremlin lost its tail". Popular Mechanics 134 (2): 88–91, 183. http://books.google.com/books?id=j9gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA88&dq=richard+a.+teague. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
14. ^ Cumberford, Robert (April 2009). "20 greatest cars". Automobile Magazine. http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/20_greatest_cars/0604_jeep_cherokee/index.html. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
15. ^ ISO - Bizarrini chassis numbers. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
16. ^ "image of the 1 February 1976 magazine cover". The Pacer Page. http://www.amcpacer.com/images/kenosha/kenosha-28-teague.jpg. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
17. ^ Hyde, Charles K. (2009). Storied Independent Automakers: Nash, Hudson, and American Motors. Wayne State University Press. p. 217. ISBN 9780814334461. http://books.google.com/books?id=PerGbKxOPZYC&pg=PA217&dq=Richard+Teague+award. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
18. ^ "Past Award Winners". Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. http://www.eyeson.org/index.php/eyeson/as-past-winners/P10/. Retrieved 15 January 2011. 
19. ^ Garrison, Jasper. "Killing the Goose, Chapter 21: Taurus". Smartfellows Press. http://www.smartfellowspress.com/killing_the_goose_21.htm. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
20. ^ "Profile". Teague Design Inc. http://www.teaguedesigninc.com/my-Profile.html. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
21. ^ "Jeff W Teague / Chief Executive Officer". JTDNA. http://www.jtdna.com/aboutme.html. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 

Bibliography

• Kimes, Beverly (2005). Packard: A History of the Motor Car and the Company. Automobile Quarterly. ISBN 9780971146815. 
• Lamm, Michael; Holls, Dave (1996). A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design. Lamm-Morada. ISBN 9780932128072. 
• Mitchell, Larry (2000). AMC Muscle Cars. Motorbooks. ISBN 9780760307618. 

External links

• 1999 Lifetime Design Achievement Award, retrieved on September 21, 2007.
• Teague's masterly job on a AMC/Renault Pace Car, retrieved on September 21, 2007.

Persondata
Name	Teague, Richard
Alternative names	Teague, Dick
Short description	automobile industry executive, industrial designer
Date of birth	December 23, 1923
Place of birth	Los Angeles, California
Date of death	5 May 1991
Place of death	San Diego, California