Norbert Ostrowski | |
|---|---|
| Born | Norbert Conrad Ostrowski (1938-05-19)May 19, 1938 |
| Died | December 9, 2018(2018-12-09) (aged 80) |
| Alma mater | ArtCenter College of Design |
| Occupation | Automotive designer |
| Years active | 1955–1985 |
| Employers | |
Norbert Ostrowski (19 May 1938 – 9 December 2018) was an American artist, designer, and clay modeler over his three-decade career in the automobile industry. He contributed to the styling departments of American Motors Corporation, Chrysler, and General Motors. Beyond his automotive work, Ostrowski was a painter and sculptor.
Biography
Ostrowski was born in Detroit and was the eldest of seven children.[2] His parents, Conrad and Genevieve, encouraged his artistic talents.[2] A passion for cars led him to compete in Soap Box Derby racing, and on the advice of a family friend, he pursued a career in automotive design.[2]
In 1958, Ostrowski won a styling design contest sponsored by the General Motors Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild.[3] He earned a scholarship to the Art Center College of Design in California and graduated in 1961.[2]
Ostrowski is buried at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.[1]
Career
"Ostrowski began designing cars during the golden age of the American automobile".[4] He began at General Motors, followed by three years with Chrysler's styling department.
In 1965, he joined American Motors Corporation (AMC), where he worked under Dick Teague on production designs. He was in the advanced styling studio with "Chuck" Mashigan. Over the next two decades, he contributed to the team developing designs of show cars including the Project IV concepts, as well as production models such as the 1968 Javelin and AMX, as well as the 1970 Gremlin.[5][6][7][8]
Ostrowski's sketches included a "very distinct method of shading in a quick crosshatch manner".[4] His influence was seen on the 1975 AMC Pacer.[9] However, the early-stage artwork created by designers was routinely destroyed to protect trade secrets and not to be seen by other automakers.[4] Some have been preserved because they were smuggled out of the studios, and after many decades, put on display.[10][11] Ostrowski's design sketches has also been published in automotive books.[12]
His artistic talents extended beyond automobile projects. In 1965, Ostrowski sold his first painting at an art show at Hudson's.[13] His sculptures and paintings were exhibited at Detroit's Scarab Club.[14] They are held by collectors and museums, with some works being commissioned.[2][15]
Notes
- ^ a b "Obituary for Norbert Conrad Ostrowski". sullivanfuneraldirectors.com. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e ""Creation to Now" Exhibit at the Galeria". The Polish Weekly. November 15, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ "Craftsman's Guild Winners: Styling Award Scholarships". 1958 Annual Supplement, World Book Encyclopedia. New York: World Book. 1958.
- ^ a b c Myers, Margaret (April 24, 2015). "Photos: Auto sketches from Detroit's golden era you were never meant to see". PBS. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ Shay, Arthur (1969). What Happens in a Car Factory. Chicago: Reilly and Lee. p. 7. ISBN 0809286017.
- ^ "The Chicken or the Egg?". javelinamx.com. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ Severson, Aaron (March 13, 2010). "The Sporting American: The AMC Javelin". ateupwithmotor.com. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ "Evolution of The American Motors AMX – The Other American Muscle Car". heacockclassic.com. May 13, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ Foster, Patrick (September 23, 2018). "American Motors' Pacer: A Piece of Tomorrow (sketch by Ostrowski illustrates the article)". Hemmings Classic Car. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ Kealy, Steve (June 25, 2015). "American Dreaming: Detroit's Golden Age of Automotive Design". Unique Cars. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ DeVito, Lee (April 15, 2015). "Rare classic car concept art on display at Lawrence Tech". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ Zinn II, C.L. (2005). AMX Photo Archive: From concept to reality. Iconografix. pp. 10–11, 96. ISBN 9781583880623.
The design sketches in this book are under the misspelled Ostrouski.
- ^ Simpson, Roger A. (December 12, 1967). "The things auto designers do in their spare time". Detroit Free Press, Detroit Magazine. pp. 12–17.
- ^ "Gold Medal Winners (awarded 1995 and 1999)". Scarab Club. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ "Norbert Ostrowski - Untitled - 2013, United States". Imago Mundi Collection. Treviso, Italy. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
References
- American Motors Invites You to Attend Surview: Project IV (pamphlet). American Motors Corporation. 1966.
All the drawings in this brochure were done by Ostrowski.
- Smyka, Mary (1982). "Best of Summer: Free Summer Pleasures, Blow Up Your Own Yacht". Detroit Magazine. p. 72.
- Zinn II, C.L. (2002). Javelin Photo Archive: From concept to reality. Iconografix. pp. 24–25. ISBN 9781583880715.
Design sketches by Ostrowski are on pages 112, 113, 115
