Eve of Eyes kicks off festivities for the EyesOn Design car show

Designers of all ages and and stripes descended on the ancestral home of General Motors styling on Thursday night for the annual Eve of Eyes event that kicks off festivities for the EyesOn Design car show.

The spotlight event is always a favorite of designers to mingle, network and ponder their craft over drinks and light fare. This year, it was held in a fitting venue--the College for Creative Studies.

The school specializes in the arts, including transportation design. But this building originally was GM's design studio, and the site where Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell created some of the enduring automobiles of the 20th century.

The event drew a diverse crowd that mingled, sipped beverages and wandered the halls of the 11th floor of the landmark structure where students' work as prominently displayed. There also were a number of striking paintings on display, and a DJ spinning thumping music set the atmosphere.

GREG MIGLIORE
Ken Lingenfelter brought this 800-hp Corvette to the event.

There also were a handful of cars, fitting since this very structure helped launch the concept of car design. A black Porsche Carrera sat in the middle of the main room, and more than a few attendees leaded over into the open-air cabin to get a better look.

The performance guys at Lingenfelter also had two of their recent creations on display, including a menacing blue Corvette “GTR” loaded with a slew of body and performance enhancements to pump out 800 hp. In another room sat the blue Lingenfelter TA, channeling the spirit of Pontiac and packing 655 hp.

GREG MIGLIORE
Past and Present: The Alfred A. Taubman Center for Design Education in Detroit is the former home of General Motors' design studio. Today it is the site of learning for future generations of designers.

Looking relaxed in a powder-blue coat and black slacks, Ken Lingenfelter was more than happy to talk cars and performance. His niche business of souping up cars is steady, and he's optimistic that speed shops and the auto industry will strengthen as the economy rebounds.

“This year there's a bit of optimism that we're coming out of this economic mess,” he said.

By Greg Migliore