car design thread | Page 578 | FerrariChat

car design thread

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by jm2, Oct 19, 2012.

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  1. NeuroBeaker

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    The Cadillac Sixteen was such a cool car. It amazes me that car companies devote so much effort and publicity into a vehicle, receive such a positive response, and then just decline to put it into production. o_O


    Even if they didn't sell very many of them, it would have been great to have gotten a few Sixteens out there into the wild. It still looks more attractive now than the Celestiq. I just don't get the logic of not producing the Sixteen. :oops:

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
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  2. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Wheels too big and ugly.
     
  3. Tenney

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    Job ticket read "build a Cadillac"? Could've called it Fleetwood or DeVille - ripe for dual-cowl Biarritz (or Phaeton?) version? Sixteen might make cool last gas Caddy ...
     
  4. energy88

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  5. jm2

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    The great Harry Bradley is featured on Dean's Garage today. One of my heroes!

    Threesome
    August 1, 20223 CommentsHarry Bradley
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    Threesome
    By Harry Bentley Bradley

    Street Rodder, September 2000

    In street rodding, there are two highboy styles: the upright, proud design of the ’32, and the graceful, energized ’34. Combining these fabulous images into one car is a marvelous challenge. I’ve concluded we need sleek at the front and strong at the rear.

    But first, the tech data. We have a carbon fiber body mounted to a fairly traditional and beautifully detailed frame stretched out on a long 112-inch wheelbase. Virtually all roadsters have way too much frame twist and flexure, so the front of the frame should be triangulated up to the firewall for stiffness and much-improved handling. This allows the suspension to do its job.

    Rather than just another Chevy motor, I chose a vertical-valve, 401ci Buick, which is narrow, stylish, powerful, and historically correct. And the two four-barrels are, I think, sensational. I really wanted to use a ’30s Cadillac V-12 flathead; a big, gorgeous, strong, smooth motor, but I’m afraid nobody would buy into this.

    You’ll find details on the tubular front axle and unique front suspension on page 72. The rear axle is fully independent with all of the bells and whistles. The wheels are 18 inches up front and 19 inches in the rear, with BFGoodrich Comp T/A tires. I’ve embedded a red stripe in the sidewall at the rim. Frankly, today’s ultra-low profile tires look frail and early invisible to me. Tires need something to make them more exciting.

    Our grille is alive with chiseled styling. At the top, an upright face lends dignity and authority, while the lower, inclined portion imparts grace and speed. The closer to the ground, the faster the profile and we also get a longer hood this way! It’s simply a classy look that brings together the ‘32 and the ‘34 signature designs.

    The three-element headlamps (low and hight beams plus directional signals, each using motorcycle lights behind flush-fitting acrylic lenses) flank the grille. These shouldered headlight forms accelerate back through the hood into the main body and become an accent edge wrapping over the rear wheel arches. This long line puts style and tension into the car and is a tasty substitute for the traditional raised bead lines found on all ‘30s automobiles. The absence of this detailing can make a street rod look unimportant, even immature.

    Down below, a long power boom emerges out from the body along the rocker, blending into the rear wheel arch. This design element lends vitality to the rear wheels and integrates the tires into the body so they don’t seem to float away from the rear quarters…a persistent highboy dilemma.

    This lower boom actually covers the rear radius rod and is kind of a sculptural substitute for that device. In other words, up front we have the excitement of an exposed, tapered element. You know, front wheels are totally different in function from rear wheels. The front give direction, while the rear give propulsion. Why display identical chrome rods for both? Remember: sleek and dynamic up front, poised and strong at the rear.

    Across the back, there’s an over-and-under cove treatment. The lower is open and draws attention to the chromed independent suspension, the inboard discs, and very snappy exhaust works. Above this is a simulated ‘32 gas tan with flanking hand-formed taillights suggesting the Duce framerails.

    Okay…the modular cowl. Change the cowl, change the car! And bring your checkbook. This car’s a roadster, first and foremost…but it’s also a speedster and coupe.

    The roadster windshield has a unique cleft in its header because I’m just plaing tired of straight-across lines. Here, the glass is a ‘52 Studebaker with its V’d plan view and counter-sinks into the cowl so we don’t need big, exposed mounting pedestals on each side.

    The speedster cowl has genuine acrylic, wrap-around, low profile racing windscreen attached to a lower flange with authentic exposed screws. You can’t take this gem to Bonneville, but what a thrill to drive it through town now and then, Turn your cap around and get out the goggles!

    Hard tops don’t look so good attached to roadster windshields with rounded upper corners. There’s an obvious awkward mismatch here. The minute you see such a condition you think, “Here’s a roadster with a top…why?” Thus, to achieve a convincing couple look is to have a complete coupe roof, including a fully-integrated windshield with real A-pillars that flow naturally into the roof. Looks like and is a coupe.

    Each of these cowls latch in palace on the firewall with Corvette removable top fittings: flush, strong, and electronically activated. Oh…the girls don’t come with the car. That’s your job. I’ve done mine.

    Postscript: I was fortunate to have Harry Bradley as an instructor at while attending Art Center. See other Dean’s Garage posts featuring Harry Bradley.—Gary



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  6. bitzman

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    What was GM doing with an Iso Fidia?
    I read where a guy advertised one on ebay, one he bought a junkyard in Detroit where the rumor was he got it for $4000. it had been used by various GM officials including John DeLorean. i wonder if DeLorean was thinking of buying rights to US distribution from Iso? And who stole the bumpers?
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  7. Texas Forever

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  8. NeuroBeaker

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    You could always fit some bespoke tiny-spoked coasters to it afterwards. :)

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
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  9. jm2

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  10. Texas Forever

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  11. energy88

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  12. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Today's Design History lesson:
    design & desire in the twentieth century
    HARLEY EARL: FATHER OF AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN, PART ONE
    “Design dragged engineering kicking and screaming into the Twentieth Century.” – Harley Earl

    He was a pioneer of modern automotive design. He was first to employ “the use of freeform sketching and hand sculpted clay models as automotive design techniques…” and “first top executive ever appointed in design of a major corporation in American history” 1 He introduced the idea of the “concept car.” He was the first to hire women as car designers.2 He has had almost as much influence on the automotive industry as Henry Ford.3 Who was this amazing designer and businessman? Who was this person who influenced the process and marketing of automotive design for generations in both the American and foreign car industry. That man was Harley J. Earl. It is almost unthinkable that someone who had so much influence in an industry that affected the lives of millions during the Twentieth Century is largely forgotten now to most people except for classic car enthusiasts.

    Early Years

    Harley Earl was born on November, 22 1889 in the then sleepy village of Hollywood, California. Earl’s father was a coach maker and it was while working for his father that Earl “learned his craft”3. Earl studied engineering and art at Stanford, graduating in 1918. He returned to work in the family business. By this time the Earls had transitioned from making horse drawn carriages to building custom bodies and parts for automobiles. Customers for custom-built car bodies were leading stars of the Hollywood film industrythat was reshaping the Earl’s home town. In 1919, the Earl Automobile Works was purchased by competing luxury car maker, Cadillac. Harley stayed on as “consulting engineer” and became life long friends Cadillac’s owner Don Lee.4

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    Harley Earl behind the wheel of his 1927 Buick La Salle. Lawrence P. Fisher is the man standing behind the car. Image source.

    Harley Earl Goes to Work for General Motors

    During this time period Earl enjoyed great success designing custom cars for nouveau riche film stars but his real dream was to design automobiles for the masses. In 1922, he met two of General Motors largest shareholders Alfred and Lawrence P. Fisher of Fisher Body. He pitched them on the idea of offering the public the opportunity to buy cars based on those designed for Hollywood films stars. In 1926 Earl developed his first concept car the La Salle for the Cadillac Company; the La Salle began the “trend toward wider, more aerodynamic cars”4. The La Salle was also noteworthy as it was the first mass produced car designed by a stylist not an engineer.2,3

    With the La Salle’s success GM president, Alfred P. Sloan hired Earl as the first director of the company’s new Art and Color Section in 1927,1. becoming the auto industry’s first industrial designer.4 Before Earl came onto the scene, most car companies did not place much attention to a vehicle’s body’s appearance. “Volume manufacturers built bodies designed by engineers, guided only by functionality and cost”1. One had to have money like Earl’s film star patrons, to own a custom-designed automobile with a beautifully designed body. Earl was out to change all that.

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    Harley Earl, LaSalle Four-Door Touring Sedan (1935). Advertising illustration by Alden Jewell. Image source.

    Earl’s Buick Y-Job

    In 1930 Earl made history by designing the first 16 cylinder production vehicle, the Cadillac V-16. The same year the “Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild (FBCG) [was] formed to cultivate young design talent”3. By the middle of the 1930s Harley’s name had become synonymous with “cutting-edge design, style, and innovation”3 In 1938 Earl introduces the Buick Y-Job, the industry’s first concept car. The Y-Job was a convertible whose revolutionary design features “a power-retractable soft top that stored beneath a metal deck panel when the top was open”5 Other features, such as power windows and “its absence of running boards, revolutionary at the time, would soon become a design staple for all automakers”5. The car’s most dramatic design feature was its “broad grille with vertical slats”5. The Buick Y-Job was a fully functioning automobile, and it’s noted that Earl drove a Y-Job throughout the 1940s. Unfortunately the Y-Job was never made it into mass production. Later that year Earl’s turn signals innovation is introduced into the Buick line4.

    Part Two: Earl Takes General Motors to War!

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    Harley J. Earl, Buick Y-Job Concept Car (1938). Image source.

    REFERENCES

    1. Wikipedia.com, (8 May 2017). Harley Earl. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Earl
    2. HarleyJEarl.com, (2017). Car Industry Disruptor. http://www.harleyjearl.com
    3. Wilson, D., (Winter 2007). The Lost Legacy of Harley J. Earl, Valuerich Magazine. http://www.harleyjearl.com/lost-legacy/
    4. HarleyJEarl.com, (2017). Timeline of America’s Car Design Legacy. http://www.harleyjearl.com/timeline/
    5. Ernst, K. (14 November 2013). Cars of Futures Past – 1938 Buick Y-Job. https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/11/14/cars-of-futures-past-1938-buick-y-job/
     
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  13. jm2

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    Pt.2
    design & desire in the twentieth century
    HARLEY EARL: FATHER OF AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN, PART TWO
    This is the second in a two part series. Read Part One.

    Harley Earl and General Motors During World War II

    As America entered World War II General Motor’s production of civilian cars and trucks stopped in order for GM to build transportation for the military. Earl’s design innovations allowed GM to manufacture and market their automobiles faster than their competitors. In fact, around this time Earl became known as the “so much faster” guy.4GM introduced Earl’s design principles to the United States military officials and explained how these ideas would give the country “an edge over how it’s enemies build their war time products”4.

    During the war “Earl [also] established a camouflage research and training division at General Motors”1. As women were entering the wartime job force in GM’s factories, Earl was hiring women to work as designers in the Art and Color Section. These women eventually became known as the “Damsels of Design”4,5. By the 1950s Earl had at least one woman designer working on each of his design teams.

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    Harley Earl (right) and General Motors’ “Damsels of Design” circa 1950. Photographer unknown. Image source.

    Earl Sparks Controversy with GM Management

    In the 1950s “America’s auto industry [was] heralded as the crown jewel of the business world”4. The automobile industry was the nation’s technology leader. In 1951, Earl’s most famous concept car was introduced – the Buick Le Sabre. The design work for the Le Sabre began shortly after WWII had ended. the Le Sabre was intended to be a “super streamlined” car.6 The front of the automobile resembled an airplane fuselage; on its rear were tail fins that would be featured on many other automobile designs of the decade. The La Sabre was Earl’s most expensive prototype up to this time, costing about a million dollars to produce.

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    Harley Earl behind the wheel of this 1951 Buick La Sabre. Image source.

    In 1953 Earl introduced GM’s first sports car the iconic fiberglass bodied Corvette which took much of its styling from the Le Sabre.4 Other concept cars Earl designed in the 1950s were the Bonneville Special which featured a plexiglas bubble top and the XP-21 Firebird, a turbine engine powered car that resembled a rocket ship more than a car. Unlike many of Earl’s earlier designs the Firebird was devoid of ornamentation as efficiency and performance were the its primary characteristics.5

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    Harley Earl, Corvette Convertible (1953). Image source.

    Unfortunately Earl’s road ahead was not a smooth one. Many of company’s engineers resented Earl’s great success4. Many male engineers and designers strongly disagreed with Earl’s insistence that his female designers were just as talented as his male designers. The women designers’ presence in the “GM Styling Section created a firestorm of tension”4.

    Another source of controversy occurred in 1956 when Earl’s son Jerry entered competitive automobile racing, and Earl had GM’s new Tech Center build a custom race car for Jerry “to take on the U.S. racing circuit. It was named the Corvette SR-2”4.

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    Harley Earl, Pontiac Bonneville Special (1954). Image source.

    Earl’s tremendous success also caused animosity between Earl and GM upper management. Earl was intent on giving his staff full credit for their successes and often threw lavish parties for his designers paid for out of his department’s budget. This added to the rancor between Earl and the company’s executives.

    Harley Earl’s Legacy

    Harley Earl retired from General Motors in 1958 having more influence on the company, its products, design processes, marketing and of our its success than any other individual in the firm’s history. At the time of Earl’s retirement General Motors was world’s the largest corporation.1 Many of GM’s “top designers began jockeying for position to become the next Earl of Detroit”6. Earl was succeeded as the vice-president of “the Design and Styling Department by Bill Mitchell,” although while quite influential in his own right, Mitchell never reached Earl’s level of design leadership or innovation.

    Earl died of a stroke in 1969 at the age of 75 in West Palm Beach, Florida.1“He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1986”1. A miniature replica of Earl’s Firebird concept car graces the top of the Harley J. Earl Trophy given to “the winner of the season-opening Daytona 500 NASCAR race”1.

    REFERENCES

    1. Wikipedia.com, (8 May 2017). Harley Earl. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Earl
    2. HarleyJEarl.com, (2017). Car Industry Disruptor. http://www.harleyjearl.com
    3. Wilson, D., (Winter 2007). The Lost Legacy of Harley J. Earl, Valuerich Magazine. http://www.harleyjearl.com/lost-legacy/
    4. HarleyJEarl.com, (2017). Timeline of America’s Car Design Legacy. http://www.harleyjearl.com/timeline/
    5. Ernst, K. (14 November 2013). Cars of Futures Past – 1938 Buick Y-Job. https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/11/14/cars-of-futures-past-1938-buick-y-job/
    6. Smith, G.D., (12 April 2011). Harley Earl’s 1951/1954 Le Sabre: Le Sabre—GM’s answer to pre-war Mercedes? http://www.deansgarage.com/2011/harley-earls-1951-lesabre/
     
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  14. Qvb

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  15. jm2

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    Car Designs of the 1937 Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild
    August 2, 20221 CommentFisher Body Craftsman’s Guild, Ron Will
    Car Designs of the 1937 Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild
    by Ron Will

    Heritage photos from 1937 provided with the compliments of General Motors.

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    Montage of 1937 Models entered in the very first Guild Car Design Contest.

    In 1930 the contest began with boys age 11 to 19 challenged to build, paint and upholster a scale model of the symbol of Fisher Body, the elegant Napoleonic Coach. A basic kit of unfinished wood, upholstery and castings along with a detailed assembly book were all that the boys were given to build a highly detailed model. The prizes included $47,350 in cash and college scholarships, a lot of money in 1930. The lack of income in the depression provided an added incentive for young boys to build a model that would get them a college degree that otherwise would be out of reach. Thousands entered and over 1,300 finished coaches were received in 1931.

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    1931 Paul Rafter from Missouri winning coach—1st Year of the Guild.

    In the 1930s, car design was becoming a more important part of the incentive to purchase a particular model. In 1927 Harley Earl, a California Hollywood custom car designer for the stars, was hired by GM to design the new Cadillac LaSalle. It was a resounding success and resulted in GM Hiring Earl in 1928 to head up a new Art and Color Section, later to be called GM Styling and now called GM Design. Besides engineers, Earl saw a need to find talented car designers and sought to add car design to the Guild contest.

    The coach contest continued, but in 1937 1/12 scale model car designs were finally added as a separate part of the Guild contest. The entrants only received a page of specifications and a guide book with methods of building their model. Only four door sedans were allowed in the beginning.

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    GM was kind enough to release many photos of those early 1937 Guild model years from their archives. We have posted a sample selection of those models.

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    World War I top Flying Ace, Eddie Rickenbacker, helped promote the early Guild contest in 1937.

    That first year of the car design produced some remarkable models, far advanced for their time. However to judge these designs, it’s important to have a reference to the production designs of the period, like this 1936 Chevrolet and 1936 Ford, still designed with flat glass, separate headlights, separate fenders and running boards. Guild models for the 1937 contest were started in 1936.

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    Just as in later years, there were models of excellent design and perfect craftsmanship. Others were not far removed from the block of wood they were carved from. Nevertheless, every model completed was an accomplishment. Of the hundreds of thousands that entered, only a few percent actually finished entering a car model or coach.

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    Cars of the ’30s only had flat glass, but these designers predicted curved glass as well as wrap around glass. The model on the right has a 4-piece windshield trying to achieve the effect with multiple pieces. Both models feature rear engine designs.

    Unfortunately, the war years interrupted the Guild contest after 1937. It was not re-started again until 1945. A few models were built for the 1938 Guild contest that was cancelled. We wonder how many young, gifted car designers lost the opportunity to show their skills and perhaps become top car designers during those missing years.

    In later years, the Guild models were built as part of school shop classes. Modelers formed Guild Clubs to trade ideas and compare designs. At one point, the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild was second only to the Boy Scouts of America as one of the largest youth oriented activities.

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    Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild School Shop Project.

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    J. Edgar Hoover, FBI Director, is shown inspecting a Guild entry.

    Many models moved far beyond the stodgy designs of the 1930s and looked forward to rear engine designs and sleek aerodynamics. Many got rid of running boards and separate fenders, styling smooth body sides that would not come into popularity until the 1950s. They also predicted that exterior door hinges should disappear.

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    The model on the right featured flip out headlights.

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    These smooth side models even started to integrate headlights into the design.

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    This model either predicted tail fins or a future Bat Mobile.

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    Others had cab forward designs like more modern minivans, but with rear engine designs like the later Volkswagen Microbus.

    Many young boys probably lived in homes with few tools to shape their models, but they did the best they could.

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    Why do I get the feeling that the model on the right is looking at us?

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    Others looked like gangster cars that James Cagney or G-Man, Elliot Ness could be seen in dodging bullets. Note the suicide doors featured on the left and center models.

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    Fastback designs with no trunk outline were the most popular designs. Model 30 was a First National Senior Car Design Winner.

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    Look how closely this 1937 model predicted the 1949 Nash Ambassador.

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    Sleek cab forward designs looked the most futuristic.

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    Winners traveled to Detroit and were given tours of styling studios.

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    1937 Winners in Model car design met with top GM executives. Teddy Mandel, 14, holding car model, was the Junior National winner. Charles Bangert Jr., 19, bottom model, was the Senior National Winner.

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    These pictures were part of a slide show taken to schools to promote the Guild.

    Not many of those early 1937 models survive today, but here are a few.

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    Laurence Groeper, Washington

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    A.L. Savage, Ohio

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    V.W. Cooper, 1938

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    Thomas L. Gonti

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    Washington State Entry

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    These 1937 models are from the Frederick Sharf Guild Collection.

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    John G. Vendrick, 1937

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    Kent Vendrick, 1967, Delaware

    These are the only known father and son entries in the Guild.

    The car design part of the Guild contest became far more popular than the coach contest. So, the coach competition was dropped in 1948. The Guild car design competition continued for 20 more years until 1968. GM was not the only benefactor in finding talented designers. Many Guildsmen were also hired by Ford, Chrysler, and even foreign car manufacturers. The influence of the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild is still felt far and wide with classic and distinctive car designs created by Guild car designers who are now part of automotive history.

    Postscript: Both myself and Gary Smith of Deans Garage owe our car design careers to our participation in the Guild contest many years ago.
     
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  16. tritone

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    Seeing a surprising amount of Stout Scarab and Fuller Dymaxion influence in those models......at least the kids knew where to look for inspiration....:cool:
     
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  17. jm2

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    Image Unavailable, Please Login This looks good to my eye from these photos.
    2024 DeLorean Alpha5: Motors, Power, Price, On-Sale Date, and More
    DeLorean is back with grand plans for a bright future.
    Mac MorrisonWriterThe ManufacturerPhotographer
    Aug 2, 2022


    WHAT IT IS: In spring 2022, DeLorean Motor Company released a teaser shot of its upcoming EV sedan, and you might have wondered exactly what year you were in when you absorbed that news. The DeLorean run by the late John Z. is long gone, but its spirit, if not look, lives on in the Alpha5 sedan concept. The Alpha5 is a product of DeLorean Reimagined LLC, headed by auto industry veterans Joost de Vries and Troy Beetz, and penned by ItalDesign—whose founder, Giorgetto Giugiaro, created the original DeLorean DMC-12's origami form.


    WHY IT MATTERS: The DeLorean name is recognized mostly for being a part of Americana rather than ever having been on a vehicle of marketplace significance. But the original DMC-12has maintained a loyal following for decades, thanks in no small part to the Back to the Futuremovie franchise. Stephen Wynn, who has catered to that crowd by running the Classic DMC business near Houston since the mid-1990s, continues in that role. However, the Alpha5 business is a separate project headed by de Vries and backed by CMO Beetz. They plan to set up a new corporate HQ in the San Antonio area as they look to enter the EV space and leverage the DeLorean name.




    PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: Alpha5 details are sparse, but its massive gullwing doors recall the original DMC-12 and the Tesla Model X. They provide a huge portal to the four-place interior, which has a clean look reminiscent of other American EVs. The initial official images of this future vehicle are paired to ambitious numbers, including a sub-3.0-second sprint to 60 mph and a range exceeding 300 miles from a 100-plus-kWh battery. There had to be a Back to the Future nod in there somewhere, so there's also an estimated run from 0 to 88 mph in a claimed 4.4 seconds. The new company plans to reveal more info and have an Alpha5 on hand during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August.

    ESTIMATED PRICE: $145,000

    ESTIMATED ON-SALE DATE: 2024
     
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  18. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    ^^^. I like everything but the price. ^^^
     
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  19. jm2

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    For all of you that have been dying to know the design story behind the ill conceived Cadillac Cimarron. Here is the unvarnished truth, warts and all.
     
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  20. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Full Name:
    John
     
    jm2 likes this.
  21. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
  22. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2012
    26,819
    West of Fredericksburg, VA
    Full Name:
    John
    Tenney, 330 4HL and jm2 like this.
  23. tritone

    tritone F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 8, 2003
    6,864
    On the Rock
    Full Name:
    James
    Heading toward 21st century Luigi Colani? :D
     
    330 4HL and jm2 like this.
  24. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    :rolleyes:
     
  25. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 8, 2005
    72,512
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    Question for @jm2 (or anyone)

    If you could have full autonomy to reboot any brands design language, what brand would it be?
     

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