September 17, 1909 – GM legend Ed Cole is born
On this day in 1909 GM executive Ed Cole was born in Marne, Michigan. Though the son of a dairy farmer, Cole wasn't much interested in the cows. He spent his youth designing, building and selling homemade radios. His first job in the auto industry was manning the counter at an auto parts store, which he did while attending Grand Rapids Community College. He’d later enroll at the General Motors Institute where he pursued an education in engineering. The GM leadership saw potential in Cole and kept him around. He eventually worked his way up the ladder, making his biggest splash to date as co-head of the team that developed the 1949 Cadillac V8.
1949 Cadillac by SicNag.
In 1952 Cole was assigned as chief engineer of Chevrolet. His experience with the Cadillac V8 put him in prime pos...
