Early futuristic clay model of Mustang or Falcon that never came to be. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login https://**********.com/2021/11/design-the-first-generation-mustang-could-have-looked-weird-in-1965.html
Another interesting story The ‘59 Chevrolet and the Ford Quicksilver November 12, 20212 CommentsFord Design, George Barbaz, Jim Farrell, Joe Oros Image Unavailable, Please Login The ‘59 Chevrolet and the Ford Quicksilver By Jim and Cheryl Farrell Whether they admit it or not, GM, Ford and Chrysler all used spies to find out what other car companies were planning. It’s now called “industrial espionage” but it used to be called just plain spying. Ford was late in getting into the spy game, but by the mid-1950s the Ford Marketing department had set up a small studio in the basement of the Ford Design Center. They hired two Ford designers, Ken Nelson and Bill Boyer, to clay model competitors’ cars in the evenings after their workday was finished. One of the full-sized clay models of competitors’ cars Nelson and Boyer built was based on “information” the Ford Marketing department had obtained from a friendly tool and die maker who did work for GM. Ford first became aware of the finned, “forward looking” cars Chrysler planned to market in 1957 at roughly the same time GM did. As a result of knowing what Chrysler was planning for 1957, GM changed design directions for its entire ‘59 car line. Ford’s response was to wait and see. One result of Ford’s wait and see response was the boxy ‘59 Ford. In 1956, Joe Oros was appointed head of Ford design studio. He encouraged Ford’s wait and see response—and the design of the ‘59 Ford. As a backup plan, Oros also decided to begin designing Ford’s own finned car proposal he simply called the Concept. The Concept was designed in the Ford Preproduction studio. It was based on Oros’ sketches and design ideas, but the actual design work was done by Ford designers Jim Darden (manager), George Barbaz, Stu Denker, Chuck Mashigan, Chuck Harbison, and Jack Telnack. Oros followed the progress of the Concept daily offering plenty of his own suggestions. Most designers agree that Oros personally directed, approved and suggested many of the features of the Concept’s design. Oros’ general design idea was to create a proposal that looked long with fins that laid on top of the deck lid, but that were integrated into the entire design, front to rear. In the meantime and by the time the Concept was nearing completion, in another studio downstairs, Nelson and Boyer were finishing their clay model of the ‘59 Chevrolet 4-door sedan. Everyone at Ford from management on down, on seeing the ‘59 Chevrolet clay model, soon convinced themselves that GM had somehow caught on to what Ford was doing and was purposely trying to mislead them. (The consensus among Ford designers was that GM would never build such an ugly car.) When spy photos of the ‘59 Chevrolet later became available they confirmed that Ford’s ‘59 Chevrolet clay model was for real, but by then It was too late to change the design of the ‘59 Ford. Jim Wright, the new head of Ford Division, soon convinced himself and others that the ‘59 Ford was the wrong design and that Ford needed a new, fresh design direction—more like GM and Chrysler. Sales increases made by the ‘57 Chrysler products further convinced Wright and others that Ford was on the wrong design track. After the Concept was finished, and as more and more of Ford’s management stopped by to see it, the consensus soon became that it showed the new design direction Ford needed to follow. After that, the Concept was renamed the Quicksilver. Next, the car originally planned as the ‘60 Ford, which looked like a continuation of the ‘59 Ford with updating, was ash-canned, and a crash program was undertaken to turn the Quicksilver into the all-new ‘60 Ford. That all happened before the boxy ‘59 Ford went on sale. By that time, however, Ford was also committed to a ‘60 Ford based on the Quicksilver. You can imagine the reaction at Ford when their boxy ‘59 Ford won design awards and outsold the bat-winged Chevrolet. By then, however, it was too late to change the design of the ‘60 Ford, which was the second totally new Ford built within 2 years. The ‘60 Ford was designed and engineered in such a hurry it had all kinds of problems which hurt sales. There may or may not be a moral to this merry-go-round of a story, but the story itself sure is interesting. Related posts: How GM’s Radical 1959 Chevrolet Came to Be Joe Oros, Ford Designer Hatching the 1955 Thunderbird Studio Art Found Online, Part 3 More Studio Art, George Barbaz George Barbaz Image Unavailable, Please Login Posted by permission. Photos courtesy of Ford Archives. Check out Jim and Cheryl Farrell’s book, Ford Design Department—Concepts & Showcars ISBN 0-9672428-0-0 Book review to come. For book ordering information, email: [email protected] Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login 2 Comments November 12, 2021 at 6:36 am DICK RUZZIN Amazing story. I thought the1960 Ford was a real home run. Not wild and crazy like GM cars, which were fine, but a car that was very well executed with a distinctive and very Ford theme. Like many cars of the time, cost and manufacturing requrements appear to have driven the car to a sane design solution. It worked well after all that because the theme was very strong. There are GM Design stories about planes that used to fly over the Tech Center whenever there was an outside show. I was told by Ford designers that a couple of cars that I had worked on had been modeled full size from tooling data. I asked them how they liked them and they said they thought that they were awful. This led me to believe that the Ford and GM Design cultures were polar opposite. Thank you, a wonderful story. November 12, 2021 at 9:28 am jim simpson It is always interesting to see which design themes made it to clay for 3 D study, and which features wound up on production vehicles…
Just think what industry styling direction might have taken had Ford put those triple headlights on the 1960 Ford! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Way cool! Looks like they may've given some of the early fender effort to T-Bird? The '60 Starliner sketcher sure knew when the pencil's work was done ...
From today's Autoextremist: Following its global debut in Munich earlier this year, the MINI Vision Urbanaut concept vehicle makes its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The MINI Vision Urbanaut concept "creatively maximizes its use of space as a small urban car, both inside and out, to provide a direct perspective of MINI’s innovative ideas for the future of mobility. In doing so, the vehicle’s design looks to evoke the unforgettable feelings drivers experience behind the steering wheel, coined 'MINI Moments,'" according to BMW PR minions. Editor-in-Chief's Note: MINI Moments? You have got to be kidding. Why not put the brand out of its misery now? -PMD Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Then there's this....... Corvette Stingray Racer Concept Re-imagined 60 Years After Its Birth For The 21st Century BY SERGIU TUDOSE | POSTED ONJUNE 10, 2019 6 540 SHARES This article includes independently designed renderings made by Dejan Hristov that are neither related to nor endorsed by Chevrolet. The Corvette Stingray is one of the most iconic cars in the world as far as its design is concerned. Its shape transcends decades of automotive advancements, as it is considered by many to be beautiful even by today’s standards. It’s why Chevrolet is still reaping the benefits of having invented the Stingray to begin with, using the name within their current lineup for cars, but also building concept vehicles along the way, like the Stingray Concept from 2009 that starred in a Transformer movie. That particular concept car marked the 50th anniversary of the nameplate, but what about its 60th? Well, a designer by the name of Dejan Hristov has that covered, putting together a digital iteration of the original Corvette Stingray Racer from 1959, albeit with a modern twist, of course. The thing is, you can hardly use the term ‘modern’ in the same sentence with ‘Original Corvette Stingray’, because its design is simply put, timeless, and even a modern interpretation will inevitably have to adhere to a specific set of lines and curves that just don’t work anymore if they’re streamlined by 2019 standards. Also read: A Visual Comparison Between The 2019 Corvette Stingray And The 2009 Concept Model According to Hristov, his project drew inspiration from the 1959 XP-87 Stingray Racer, but also the second-generation Vette. “At the same time, I tried to keep the DNA of all generations of Chevrolet Corvette,” he said. We can also see the design of the interior, which is properly modern thanks to that massive infotainment display. Also, the top of the dashboard acts as a sort of continuation of the bonnet in terms of styling, which is a pretty neat touch. PHOTO GALLERY Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Volvo Recharge Concept - clean, crisp, a bit dramatic; I like it...a lot. Maybe I can replace my 745 soon... https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1134204_volvo-shows-off-sustainable-interior-of-concept-recharge Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
They really do. Nice too see that there hanging in with the estate. It could use smaller wheels though What are those 24"s? Makes it look as if it has a foot of ground clearance! Can't be good for aero that -
Also, those skinny roof pillars on a hardtop design. Doubt that using conventional materials could survive the roof crush test.
It could use smaller wheels though What are those 24"s? Makes it look as if it has a foot of ground clearance! Can't be good for aero that -[/QUOTE] ah, you guys are a bunch of killjoys. If that’s a word.
Storied brand MG makes a comeback...........as an SUV. MG MARVEL R, A ZERO IMPACT REBIRTH Home/NEWS/MG MARVEL R, A ZERO IMPACT REBIRTH View Larger Image Image Unavailable, Please Login After being acquired by China’s Siac, the British-born MG is returning to the European market with an almost fully electrified range, headed by the Marvel R. This mid-size electric SUV, designed by the MG style centre in London, focuses on personal design and premium content. At just under 4.7 metres long, it has soft lines with a strong “technological” flavour. Image Unavailable, Please Login The front has a strong character, with the protagonist being the thin LED strip that runs the full width of the upper part of the bumper, connecting the light clusters. Lower down, on the sides of the only opening that is present for battery cooling, are the main headlights, with the low-beam and high-beam parts also as LEDs. The side is sinuous, featuring a low beltline that leaves ample space for the glass surfaces, while the rear goes back to the motif of the light clusters, linked by a light strip. Image Unavailable, Please Login The interior is minimalist but of high quality. The interior is spacious and displays carefully chosen materials. The star of the show is the large, vertical infotainment system screen which, with a 19.4 inch diagonal, replaces all the physical buttons on board. The model’s premium ambitions are expressed in the presence of elements such as the air conditioning system with electronically controlled vents, a subtlety that today is exclusively available on a few brands such as Porsche and Tesla. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login The new MG Marvel R is powered by a 70 kWh battery that, depending on the version, supplies power to two rear electric motors for an output of 180 hp or three motors, two at the rear and one at the front, for a total of 288 hp. The range can go up to 402 km. By Pietro Cardone|17 November 2021|NEWS
