“Quality is our goal as well as a diverse assemblage of cars,” is what you can expect to see at the Santa Fe Concorso according to Former General Motors’ lead designer Dennis Little. Photo from carstories.com

The Santa Fe Concorso‘s annual celebration of automobiles, automotive sports and race cars have become a modern tradition in the southwest. Founded in 2010, the event has focused on a specific segment of automobiles each year. Not surprisingly, design and styling has been at the forefront of every event. Dennis Little, President and Director of Santa Fe Concorso, sees to it that that homage is paid to automobile design and styling. This should not be a shock to anyone that knows Little and his 30-year career with the General Motors’ design team.

In those 30-years, Dennis Little focused on design projects with Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. On the international scene he interfaced with General Motors counterpart, Opel, in Germany, as well as working with the team at Pininfarnia Design in Italy. As Chief Designer of Cadillac Design Studio, he led many innovated projects and kicked off the new direction of Cadillac during the 90’s.

Little’s entry into the General Motors Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild design contest in 1968. Photo from bdavidcathell.com

Little began his design career in 1964 when he submitted a car of the future design to the General Motors Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild design contest. This very distinguished contest was initiated by General Motors in the 1930 to identify talented people that could design great cars. The competition was held annually until 1968.

The contest received regular coverage in The New York Times, as well as countless magazines. An estimated 35 percent of the winners were recruited by the “Big Three’s” design studios.

“I entered and won numerous awards including a national styling award,” Little says. Contest entrants were required to imagine a futuristic car and make a scale replica of the design. His association with the guild led to career with the General Motors Design staff where his expertise in automotive design has become respected industry-wide.

Little’s latest activity is keeping the Santa Fe Concorso’s annual event on track and running. This year’s edition of the event is set to feature cars of Maserati and OSCA, along with Legends of Racing. Among those legends that will be honored are Al Unser Sr and Al Unser Jr., Parnelli Jones, Johnny Rutherford and Eddie Cheever.

Carstories.com recently published an interview with Dennis Little, which covered his life in the General Motors design center and after retirement. Many of the items will intrigue you as he discusses his favorite modern cars. “Any Aston Martin, they are absolutely beautifully proportioned cars,” Little told representatives from the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Little’s first automobile design memory comes from his soap box derby car. Photo from carstories.com

He discussed his first memories of a car that he designed and built: ” That car was a Soap Box Derby race car that I built at the age of eleven,” he recalled. This is truly a man that has lived his entire life dedicated to automobile design.

When asked what inspired him to start the Concorso, Little explained that a group of eight was put together with some prodding from racing greats Phil Hill and Denise McCluggage, beginning in 2008. Little’s wife Beverly, who was probably tired of having the recently retired professional man hanging around the house, nudged him to move forward on the plans.

Classic cars from all designs will be hosted at the Concorso. Photo from carstories.com

“Timing was not in our favor with the down turn in the economy so we applied the brakes for one year, and then we went after doing the event in full force in 2010. Phil Hill never was able to see the germ of his idea, but I’m sure he is looking down with approval,” he told Petersen representatives.

The 2014 Santa Fe Concorso is set to be held on September 26, 27, and 28. For more information visit the event site at santafeconcorso.com