Speaker: Dan Nicholson, Vice President of Electrification, Controls, Software & Electronics, General Motors
Monday, Apr. 17, 2023

Durant-Dort Factory One, 303 W Water St, Flint, MI 48503
5:00 PM Social
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Program

We’re electrifying the automotive industry, engineering EVs with purpose built, ground-up design, powered by our Ultium Platform1 technology. And because entertainment has a huge impact on culture, Netflix is joining the movement by increasing the presence of EVs in some of their original content. GM and Netflix are joining forces to give EVs the stage they deserve, reflecting society’s increasing excitement about an all-electric future.

Dan Nicholson was appointed General Motors Vice President Global Propulsion Systems in December 2014 and became Vice President of Electrification, Controls, Software & Electronics in 2019. Prior to that, Dan was the Executive Director for Global Powertrain Embedded Controls at GM. In that role Dan ran the day-to-day operations of the global engineering team responsible for all powertrain controllers and software as well all powertrain calibration.

Nicholson began his career with General Motors as a co-op student at Buick Motor Division in 1982. He has an extensive background in Product Engineering and subsequently progressed through a series of leadership positions including engineering group manager, director of controller integration, director of engine calibration, chief engineer for V8 engines, managing director of GM Powertrain-Germany GmbH where he led all powertrain operations for the country unit, and Vice President of Global Quality.

Nicholson earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University, a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, and a master of business administration degree from Stanford University.

Speaker: Collegiate Student Leaders
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
5:00 PM Social
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Program

We observe “National Engineers Week” with a banquet and technical program featuring presentations by students from Central Michigan University, Kettering University, Saginaw Valley State University, and The Kettering University AutoDrive Challenge Team. The students are members of SAE Collegiate Chapter project teams which compete in the SAE Collegiate Design Series http://students.sae.org/cds/ The design series has grown from a national competition to an international competition featuring students from Asia, Europe, North and South America. During this year’s banquet, the teams present will compete for the annual “SAE Collegiate Cup” presented by the Mid-Michigan Section. This event’s competition will be judged based upon the quality of the oral presentation of the team’s “Design Series” project.

Bavarian Inn Lodge Conference Center, Frankenmuth, MI 

Reservations required by Feb. 16, 2023 by emailing ms037@email.sae.org

Speaker: Tom Peters
Retired GM Design Chief, Consulting Curator of Exhibits at the National Corvette Museum
Program Chair: Mark Pope
Monday, Sep. 12, 2022
5:30 – 7:30 PM Tour & Meal
7:45 PM Program

The Lingenfelter Collection, 7819 Lochlin Drive, Brighton, MI

There is a tour of the Lingenfelter Collection. This is the premier car collection in the Mid West. It is not open to the public but it is available for special events. This event is scheduled for Monday Sept. 12, 5:30 pm to 9 pm, at 7819 Lochlin Dr. in Brighton, Michigan. View classic, exotic, and unique automobiles as Brian Baker discusses the legacy of Corvette and the National Corvette Museum. A lite meal of Michigan Pasty and beverage will be included with ticket purchase.

Do not miss this opportunity to visit the Lingenfelter Collection and meet Ken Lingenfelter. What started out as five cars packed into a modest three-car garage has grown into a huge, beautiful collection of unique cars in a 40,000 square foot space. Included is an outstanding collection of rare Corvettes While the collection is not open to the public, it is available for corporate and charity events. Ken supports the American Cancer Society with moneys from tour events. This tour is a charity event.

Tom Peters is the Retired GM Design Chief and Consulting Curator of Exhibits at the National Corvette Museum. 

Tom is no stranger when it comes to assisting with Museum exhibits, having co-curated ‘Car-toon Creatures, Kustom Kars and Corvettes: The Art and Influence of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’, a special exhibit that officially opened in January, 2020 and continues through April, 2021.
“Sean had the thought to see if Tom would be interested in being involved with the Museum in a more official capacity after his co-curation of the Rat Fink exhibit,” shared Derek E. Moore, Director of Collections / Curator at the Museum. “Of course, his design background with GM is huge and we figured the best use of his talents would be in aiding us in the overall visual experience of our exhibits at the Museum.”

Before the presentation, enjoy a genuine Upper Michigan Pasty prepared by Jason Edberg.

The Lingenfelter Collection, 7819 Lochlin Drive, Brighton, MI

Ken Kayser, Author
Saturday, 21-Aug-2021

Meeting cancelled due to COVID restrictions. To be rescheduled

Durant-Dort Factory One, 303 W Water St, Flint, MI 48503

Buick’s “Flint Flyers” Skylark & GRAN SPORT History

From GM’s ’53 Motorama Skylark  Dream Car to the ’87 Turbocharged GNX

David Dunbar Buick’s automobile company in one form or another has survived since 1898. However, to understand Buicks second fifty-year-span from 1953 through 2003 which is the subject matter of this book, one must first delve into Buick’s first fifty-year-span.

William C. “Billy” Durant helped re-found the Buick Motor Company in 1904 and began its racing program in 1905 with famous drivers Barney Oldfield, “Wild” Bob Burman and Louis Chevrolet. Billy Durant founded General Motors on September 16, 1908 with the Buick Motor Co. at its core and Buick’s U.S. Patented Over-Head-Valve engine as its financial juggernaut.

Buick Motor Co. executives Walter P. Chrysler, Charles W. Nash and Walter L. Marr’s FLINT FLYER aeroplane flew high above Flint, Michigan in September 1910 and Buick soon became #1 in the World. The Buick Motor Co. was at the forefront of GM’s new Proving Ground in 1926 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1929 just as the Great Depression crushed the United States. Buick’s powerful automobiles became the darlings of Hollywood during the 1930’s and the workhorses of World War II in the 1940’s.

In 1953 Buick’s management and its employees all fully expected its second fifty-year-span would be better than its previous fifty-year heritage epitomized in 1907 by William C. Durant’s When better automotive history is made, Buick will make it! Buick Motor Division and GM Styling created the 1953 Buick Skylark Dream car for its mid-century celebration with its brand new “Nailhead” V-8 engine.

Buick produced almost three-million Skylarks from 1953 through 1990 however only 115,163 (3.89%) were actual 1965-1972 “Gran Sport” Muscle Cars. From 1978 through 1987 Buick produced almost 2 million Regals yet only 8,369 (0.43%) were Grand Nationals.

Every Muscle Car devotee knows something about the Chevelle “SS-396”, Pontiac “GTO” and Olds “442” and the 1965 Malibu-SS clan knows all about the 200 highly prized Malibu-SS Z-16 396-in3 375-HP Police Specials. Virtually no one knows about Buick’s 1966 Gran Sport Ultra-High Compression two-hundred Police Specials inspired by Chevrolet’s Z-16 Chevelles.

Only twelve Buick “Pilot” RPO-L78 Promotional Drag-racing Gran Sports of the planned 200 were produced by Buick Engineering in 1966 and one very special FLINT FLYER has survived with its original powertrain and very rare metallic racing brakes… This is its story finally told!