Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives

May 16, 1991
Grosse Pointe News
Poin ter ..:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.;.:.;.:.:
From page 1
"An eight-hour charge wouid
have been an extended lunch,"
he said.
He hopes to make money to
build cars by first selling the
quick-charging batteries and
power stations. While the batteries
can be charged overnight
using a home's 220,volt outlet,
a special power station lB
needed for the 45.minute fast
charge.
The batteries and power sta
tions could be purchased for
golf carts, lift trucks and any.
where battery. powered electriC
motors are used. In the Baha
mas, where Lauve mtends to
build a car plant, there are
plans to produce converted golf
carts as passenger vehIcles
"These could be used all over
the Caribbean," Lauve saId
Already, 24 power statIOns
have been sold m CalIforma,
Pbct.o by John M1ruus
Automotl .. deslpu B.ary Lau .. of Gr~ PolDte Woods
shows em illustration of his electr1c car, the SU....r Volt. which
he holHtS to market soon.
where a certaIn percentage of
cal"hmust be electrIC powered
Because of such governmental
mandates for electrIC cars,
Lauve beheves there WIll be a
market for the company that
COmes out WIth more conven.
Ient battenes, and he thInks
hIS Silver Volt IS Just what's
needed.
And battery.powered cars
don't mean motorists will have
to go Without optIOns. Lauve's
cars have all' condltionmg and
are fully loaded WIth power
everythmg. He hopes to market
the flve.passenger car for
$30,000
Lauve got hIS automotIve de-
SIgn experIence under the tutelage
of General Motors' legendary
deSIgner, Harley Earl In
fact, Earl IS one of two deSIgn.
ers bemg honored at thIS year's
Eyes on the Classics festlVltles
June 29 and 30
The fourth annual car show
WIll be Sunday, June 30, at the
Edst>1 & Eleanor Ford House,
and Lauve has been asked to
sa} a few words about Earl.
Last year, two of Lauve's car
de,>II,'l1s - the 1948 Buick
Roadmaster and the 1972 CItroen
SM - took top awards at
the Eyes of the ClassICS.
Lauve worked for GM for
about 18 years, from 1939 to
1957 He held the positions of
chIef deSIgner fo. BUIck; chIef
deSIgner for all GM InterIOrs,
pamts and materIals, and staff
a&Istant In charge of automotive
deSIgn for all GM car dlVl.
slOns
After leaVIng the Umted
States' No. 1 carmaker, Lauve
became a consultant deSIgner
WIth CItroen-Maseratl, where
he spent as many years as he
had WIth GM He became affihated
WIth the European automaker
after he was asked by
the French consul general to be
an mterpreter when the head
of the car company VISIted the
Coachlight Chimney sweep Co.
Professional Chimney Cleaning
Animal Removal. DNR Uc. # B8171
Animal Proof Chimney caps Installed
FUIIVInSured NO Mess
Michigan Lt' II 5154
Certified Master ~weep # 280
SBS-373:S
News
United States.
Lauve earned his bachelor of
arts degree in France at the
UniversIty of Paris. He studied
deSIgn at the Kunstgewerbschule,
VIenna, and art at the
RIJksmuseum, Amsterdam.
He wanted to be a portraIt
paInter and even did a self.por.
traIt at the age of 17, but he
qUIckly learned that gettIng
started in the business was
nearly impossible.
"It's a vicious circle," he
said. "You have to pamt some.
one prominent to be noticed,
but you can't paint someone
promment unless you've
pamted other prominent pPOpie."
He has painted a general and
an actress, he said, and do-as
get portraIt work from time to
tIme. He was comrmssioned by
a Virginia bank to make portraIts
of famous Virginians
fl'Om history, such as George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
886-7670
OR
885-5511
9A
James Madison and James
Monroe.
He has also painted JlCenery
from around the world during
travels with his wife, Mary.
They fIrst met while students
In Paris, and he moved to New
York when they decided to be
married.
After answering a New York
Ttmes ad for a bilingual designer
at Geneml Motors, the
Lauves moved to Michigan and
soon bought their Grosse Pointe
Woods home, where they still
live.
"I'm from New York," Mary
Lauve said, "and I think it's
beautiful here. For a New York
CIty girl, this is country."
While Henry Lauve c:ontinues
to look forward to the challenges
of the automotive future
and his electric cars, he realizes
he's seen the best of times for
the American automakers.
"They tell me those were thr.
good old days," he said.
Family Law Specialists
Dtvorc" - Child Cw.tody - VISllaboo
Chtld Support - Probate- Estal~ P!an!o
Free Initial Consultation
NICH()LS & L