LMAO!!!! I've been spending more time recently looking for concept car sketches/web sites.... Where did they all go? Lately all I seem to find is Photoshop chops are "concepts" rendered in Blender. I'm all for going digital but either no one sketches ideation any more or they just don't post it. What happened to sketch books?
It seems only fitting that for my 1000th post on Fchat, I'm fortunate enough to be able to post this item on the great Bruce Meyers; the man responsible for one of the industry's most iconic designs ( and a lot of other really cool stuff!). Sorry to see you go - do not rest in peace (just keep havin' fun!) https://www.historicvehicle.org/a-tribute-to-bruce-meyers-father-of-the-fiberglass-dune-buggy/
Well the postal service made their decision. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hagerty posted a (design) comparison of the new 911GT3 and the '93 Firebird, and in an era when all and sundry electric cars have massive "grilles" the F'bird could pass for a Tesla model 3. Not exactly certain what this says about design trends, but I'm pretty sure it's not good...
Well, they were comparingonly the frontal aspect of the the 2 cars, not the tech or performance - LOL! My point is that the Firebird with its rather large water pumper didn't need a trad air inlet to cool that lump; so the entire "brand face" argument needs a "refresh"
I hear ya. There’s currently a big debate around electric vehicles & the need or lack thereof for a traditional grille. Some of those older cars took all the air in underneath. C4 Vette comes to mind.
Don't forget this jewell: the original bow tie car without a front grill. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Did anybody else notice those gorgeous red leather seats? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
https://www.carscoops.com/2021/02/qotd-forget-bmw-whats-going-on-with-mercedes-styling/?fbclid=IwAR3WoBBbcKzOh09rZySNTtW1brBIZfwSSWKnvAdbXDftIMbEWHWR4BUvRoM QOTD: Forget BMW, What’s Going On With Mercedes’ Styling? BY SAM D. SMITH | POSTED ONFEBRUARY 27, 2021 77 Lately, the motoring press seems to agree on one thing: panning the designs of BMW. I can’t recall the last time any car company has come under heavy fire for their design blueprint. And I’ll gladly admit to being one of the many critics lambasting the ever-increasing grille size and buck-toothed form factor. But since this week’s launch of the new C-Class, there’s yet another German stylistic query that I just can’t seem to get my head around: Is Mercedes‘ cookie-cutter design policy a good thing or a bad? I’m leaning towards the latter. Related: $10,000 Budget, What Used Fun To Drive Car Would You Get? Don’t get me wrong; I understand the need to have an overarching brand identity. When done properly, it can solidify the connection people have with your cars in real terms, whether they see them on a screen or on the road. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login From top to bottom, the latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class, CLA, C-Class, E-Class and S-Class sedans Mercedes-Benz were pretty much the masters of that approach. Take the designs of just a few generations ago. The pillars of the brand, the C, E, and S, were all designed in a way that not only instantly screamed “Mercedes”, but enabled even the casual observer to identify the model from just a few key elements. A W203 C-Class had a smaller rump, and styling didn’t try to compensate for a lack of physical size. It played to the “baby Benz” narrative and didn’t try to be something it wasn’t. The W211 E-Class, by virtue, was a more elegant shape. The trunk was pronounced, the bonnet longer, and the silhouette just a touch more squared off, lest those soft lines of a C-Class devalue your perceived purchasing power. At the top of the food chain, the W220 S-Class may not go down as the most loved Sonderklasse shape, but time has been kind to that generation S. Yet again, if you happened to see one on the road, you wouldn’t be in any doubt of its stature. Image Unavailable, Please Login But today, Mercedes’ designs are less distinct from each other. The C-Class embodies the looks of the smaller A-Class Sedan (or is that the CLA – they too both far too similar), with the E and even the S. While the designers will probably have a field day pointing out the many small nuisances and individual changes, that’s the very problem: they have to be pointed out. Let’s be clear: it’s not just about size. Because looking at one in real life is, granted, a very different experience. And yes, I — like most of you — haven’t yet seen the new C-Class in the metal. But in a world that bases impressions and judgment through a screen, having a model line whose products look distinct on a monitor and in-person are both equally important. Image Unavailable, Please Login Perhaps I’m looking at it the wrong way. Maybe those who aspire to own an S-Class will be more than happy that their C-Class looks like an E- or an S-Class. But surely, with the dawn of electrification where platforms and drivetrains will be shared, the importance of car’s design will become one of its USPs? Either way, even though I’m a staunch critic of them, at least with a buck-toothed M3, or a gaping-mouthed 2-Series Gran Tourer, I instantly know which one is racing towards my rear-view mirror, furiously flashing their lights. But hey, by all means, tell me I’m wrong. Have at it in the comments below. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
My quick impression is that the front ends of the smaller cars seem to be taking styling ques from the Mustang while the S Class looks a bit influenced by a Toyota Camry or Avalon. From what I see in the pictures, each car line seems to have their own wheel design. I recall in the 1970s to early 1990s, MB had a single wheel across all car lines. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Bet you haven't seen this little beauty...... 1923 Audi Jaray designed by Paul Jaray an Hungarian engineer, for Audi. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mr. Petersen had the trafficators relocated so as to not bisect the trim line ... Image Unavailable, Please Login
He's not wrong - Seriously, notwithstanding the (extremely) suspect technical superiority of the German brands, the only one of them with even a hint of sophistication is Audi. Mazda, Honda, and even the Chev Malibu are more distinctive & subtle (or in the case of BMW - less offensive!) than this pablum -
I have seen it – there's even a 1/43 model by Autocult! Jaray was also head of 'streamlining' at Zeppelin as well as a consultant to Tatra and many other European marques.
Anybody know if Simon Cox is still a college instructor? The guy moved from one car company to the other and is known for the Isuzu Vehicross, Cadillac Cien, Cadillac Converj, and the Opel Speedster. Cox worked subsequently established another UK based Advanced Design studio for General Motors and operated as the Design Director. Cox later designed for McLaren and then joined Infiniti, creating a new Advanced Design studio in Paddington, London, UK. He brought all that experience to a job as. Assistant Professor in Transport Design at Coventry University, UK. September 2016. I'd like to talk to him about the Cien but wonder where he hangs his hat at present.
RE JOHN BLATCHLEY THE FAMOUS ROLLS AND BENTLEY DESIGNER I was asked by an editor who normally separates design renderings and dine art into two separate categories of there are collectors of John Blatchley's work and if it is in galleries and at auctions? I gather the late Mr. Blatchley, who started at Gurney Nutting and then went on to Rolls & Bentley, took quite a stack of drawings with him into retirement. Image Unavailable, Please Login