Steve Cantarino's rare Fisher Craftsmen's Guild design competition entries from the 1950's and 1960's

The Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild has an annual meeting... better get to one soon, next October, as the members are aging out. When they no longer can make it, then it's all over and a footnote in history.

Beginning in 1930, teens learned via a Western Union telegram, that they had won the national competition, sponsored by General Motors, and when a General Motors representative visited their local high schools to present their trophies,  the event was life changing, and while local newspapers covered.

One of the benefits of building an award-winning model was an all-expense paid trip to Detroit. For some, this was their first time travelling alone.

the Guild, with it’s contributions of advancing youthful dreams of becoming car stylists and the scholarship awards that made educations possible for some with no other opportunity, unceremoniously ended in 1968.

On September 30th, a Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild reunion was held at the Piston Palace, a small private auto museum in Rhode Island. There were about 40 guests from 10 different states and Canada in attendance. On display were a huge number of original FBCG vintage trophies, Guild Certificates, photo albums, dozens of models and other original memorabilia.

The Guild display tables were set under a wall of original concept car design renderings, a fitting combination to celebrate connections between the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild and car design, which is part of the Piston Palace’s mission.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/10/22/the-rewards-of-becoming-a-guildsman-the-2017-rhode-island-fisher-body-craftsmans-guild-reunion/

I posted about the 2015 meeting in Salt Lake City http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-rare-event-is-coming-up-models-from.html

a rare event is coming up, the models from the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild will be on display in Salt Lake City

The 1961 winner by Ronald Will

A number of advanced-design scale models made for the national competition, which was sponsored by General Motors from 1930 to 1968, will be on display during the GSL-XXV International Scale Vehicle Championship and Convention.  The GSL-XXV will run April 30 to May 3 at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel.

GM initiated the FBCG as a way for the corporation to identify young men with the potential to design and build automobile bodies, a process which even then relied on the creation of scale models. A competitive event in which winners were presented with cash awards or scholarships that sometimes led to careers with Fisher Body or other GM operations.

It was in keeping with the sexist times that girls weren't allowed to participate, just boys between 12 and 19 years old. Now a woman is CEO of GM. GM design was all inhouse then... now, I suppose it's all outsourced.

http://blog.consumerguide.com/fisher-body-craftsmans-guild-models-to-make-rare-appearance/

Update, June 26th, Hemmings Blog has a post today about them, and photos of many.. here's a sample

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/06/26/artifacts-of-futures-that-might-have-been-the-art-of-the-fisher-body-craftsmans-guild-models/