Huibert Mees, Franco Cimatti, and Norman Garrett

Franco Cimatti

Georgia Tech graduates and professors have made a significant impact on the field of transportation design and engineering. The Georgia Tech Auto Show seeks to promote the public’s knowledge of this contribution through the guest speakers at the show and featuring them on this site. Our hats are off to those in the Georgia Tech community that have made noteworthy contributions to the field.

Joe Foster

Joe Foster drives Porsche racing cars in the ALMS and Grand Am series. Foster graduated with a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. Joe also teaches driving safety and was recently written up for it.

Bryan Nesbitt was a student at Georgia Tech for his freshman year in the Program of Industrial Design in the College of Architecture. He later transferred to Art Center College of Design in California before being hired by Daimler-Chrysler. He designed the PT Cruiser there. Bryan presently works for General Motors as the Executive Director of GM Design Europe overseeing the new shapes of car brands such as SAAB and Opel.

Wayne Yawn is a graduate of mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and designer of the Kudzu DLY Le Mans prototype racing car that won the 2001 SRP-1 title at the 24 Hours of Daytona. The car was driven by Jim Downing in that race. Both Wayne and Jim Downing attended the 2004 Georgia Tech Auto Show with the Kudzu DLY on display.

Joey Clanton is a NASCAR Busch series driver. Clanton graduated in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1999.

John Leverett is the Chief Engineer of Panoz Auto and designer of the Panoz Esperante under Danny Panoz in Hoschton, Georgia. He started at Georgia Tech in mechanical engineering but later transferred to Southern Tech before graduating.

Micky Bly Mickey Bly is a graduate of Georgia Tech in with a degree in mechanical engineering. In October 2009, Mickey Bly has replaced Bob Kruse as executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries at General Motors.Micky Bly, has been director of hybrid vehicle integration. For the last several years, Bly has led the teams that did the production development of GM’s two-mode hybrid trucks and SUVs. More recently, the Volt integration work has also been part of Bly’s responsibilities.

John Evans founded Evan’s Automobiles and designer of hand-built ultra high performance street cars. John graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in chemistry.

George McCowan is an industrial designer whose strength and passion lie in transportation design and automotive fine art. He is currently working as a digital designer for Navistar International Corporation. In 1998 McCowan graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Design. His career would eventually tale him to the Motor City, working at American Specialty Vehicles and the renown GM Performance Division design studio. While working in the field of automotive design, McCowan can claim several major design contributions on programs including the Corvette C6, Cadillac V-Series STS-V, XLR-V, Chevy SSR, Saleen S5S Raptor, and numerous performance and concept vehicles. McCowan has been a featured artist at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, MI and also produces art for the United States Air Force.

Dave Lynn has been a staunch supporter and one of my right hand men in putting on the Ga Tech Auto Show. After receiving a degree in transportation design from Art Center College of Design in California, Dave Lynn began working for Georgia Tech graduate Jim Downing and designing Le Mans-style prototype race cars in the early 1990’s. By 1996 one of his designs, called the Kudzu DLM, had been driven by Jim Downing to a LMP2 class victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans in France. Other cars of his design have won the 24 hours of Daytona and helped confirm Jim Downing as a world class endurance racer. He was the aesthetic designer of the street car that was constructed by Evans Automobiles, a company founded by John Evans, a Georgia Tech graduate. This car was displayed at the 2004 and 2005 Georgia Tech Auto Shows. Dave now teaches studios and classes in the Program of Industrial Design in the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech and is a part owner of Laughing Dog Design Studios, LLC here in Atlanta. He also put together what might be the best  on-line history of the Chassis.