Cooper Hewitt says...
Peter Wozena grew up in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1937, the same year that his car model won first prize in Michigan at the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild Competition. Wozena soon started working as a clay sculptor for Briggs Manufacturing Company, working on various automobile bodies that Briggs supplied to many American automobile companies. Wozena won another Fisher Body Contest in 1939 and was quickly hired by General Motors (GM) to work in the Pontiac studio.
He served in the Navy during World War II, designing bomb sights and military hardware before returning to GM in 1946. There, assigned to the Cadillac studio, Wozena worked alongside designers Carl Renner and Homer LaGassey. He remained at GM until his retirement in 1974.
Wozena, known for his offbeat, futuristic concept designs, was responsible for designing detail elements in the Cadillac Studio for tail lights and the iconic fins for the 1950 model. Wozena is also credited with designing the popular Vista-Cruiser roofline available on 1964–72 Buick and Oldsmobile station wagons.
