car design thread | Page 380 | FerrariChat

car design thread

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

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Tenney likes this.
  2. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2012
    26,819
    West of Fredericksburg, VA
    Full Name:
    John
    ^^^. . That sure was a L o o o o n g article!
     
    jm2 likes this.
  3. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    But informative, with plenty of sketches......
     
  4. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    anunakki and of2worlds like this.
  5. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    The legendary Syd Mead passed away earlier today.
    His work had a big influence on a whole generation of designers
     
    crinoid likes this.
  6. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2012
    26,819
    West of Fredericksburg, VA
    Full Name:
    John
    I remembering entering in the mid-1960s. Got OK scores for design but pitiful scores for craftsmanship. The model set around the basement for many years thereafter until finally becoming old enough to sacrifice to the gods in the fireplace in the early 1970s. I think I still have the full scale model profile drawing in a box of old papers. Would be an interesting project to see if I can find it on a snowy day.
     
    jm2 likes this.
  7. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    They have an extensive display of FBCG models and memorabilia at the Gilmore Museum in Kalamazoo, MI. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    anunakki and energy88 like this.
  8. Qvb

    Qvb F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 9, 2003
    2,827
    Newport Beach Ca.
    Full Name:
    John Dixon
    Sucks!
     
    330 4HL and jm2 like this.
  9. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
    BANNED Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
    Edwardsville, IL
    Full Name:
    Jeff Kennedy
    I first saw his work in some of the US Steel books - a neighbor was head of Friden's Industrial Design department. Lots of weird mutant animals.

    While at Art Center there was an exhibition of his work in the gallery. He attended the opening and sat with a bunch of us in Trans for a discussion. He had presentation renderings for Guigaro. Turns out that a major Industrial Design client was Phillips but more an more of his work had become for Hollywood. He did the visual concepts for Blade Runner and the design work for Tron.

    Later when I was designing corporate/VIP aircraft it was a huge deal that Syd did the conceptual designs and related renderings for several aircraft. 747-300 for the King of Saudi Arabia, 747SP for the Sultan of Oman, 747SP for Sultan of Brunei (not executed) then a 727-200 for the Sultan of Brunei. Syd changed some of the direction of design for these large aircraft. The way he did the perspective views was incredible - got all 4 walls into a view and it made visual sense. At that time, early/mid 1980s he was getting $10,000 per rendering.

    Could stage and render like no one else. But his aesthetic sense could be head scratching sometimes as he seemed to be more interested in making the presentation sometimes to the design's detriment. Remember the then ID department head at Art Center, Keith Teeter, saying that Syd did not stay long at Ford after he graduated from Art Center. Turned out that Ford hired Syd as the ace presentation artist for the studios while Syd was thinking he was hired for his design acumen.
     
  10. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Had the opportunity to meet with him on several occasions. I was asked to give he and his manager a tour of the Cadillac Studio and the Design Center. They told me how much they liked Cadillacs. He was such a big influence on myself and so many designers. Heard some great stories of when he was at Art Center. He was a super talent from a very early age.
     
  11. tritone

    tritone F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 8, 2003
    6,864
    On the Rock
    Full Name:
    James
    Syd Mead was 'God' when I was in Design school. Then he critiqued one of my designs and I didn't like him so much anymore......:D
     
    anunakki, Boomhauer and jm2 like this.
  12. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Yes, that does happen. :eek:
     
    Boomhauer and tritone like this.
  13. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Coventry University Automotive & Transport Degree show 2019

     
    colombo2cam likes this.
  14. Tenney

    Tenney F1 Rookie
    Consultant

    Feb 21, 2001
    4,085
  15. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    I can still remember seeing his work for the first time in the US Steel books.
    Wow!
     
    of2worlds, Tenney and anunakki like this.
  16. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    anunakki likes this.
  17. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
    BANNED Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
    Edwardsville, IL
    Full Name:
    Jeff Kennedy
    Interesting list, unfortunately a couple on here are better at getting great concept cars than they are with the regular production ones.

    The list does give further proof to how Ford and FCA are wandering in the design wilderness. Toyota remains its continual enigma, a marketplace powerhouse but a non-player in any form of design leadership.
     
    anunakki and jm2 like this.
  18. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    And I would agree. Ford, Toyota, Nissan are still looking for that elusive signature style. Lincoln appears to have finally got their design mojo down. Stay tuned.
     
    anunakki likes this.
  19. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
    BANNED Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
    Edwardsville, IL
    Full Name:
    Jeff Kennedy
    Nissan has been an utter embarrassment for way too many years. They did some excellent work under Hirschberg at NDI. To me the Murano was the last time they did something that was credible.

    Toyota is the perpetual enigma. The ability to afford anything they could possibly want. Unfortunately their ability to put together anything more than a sporadic blip of something worth looking over the decades is their legacy.

    Ford just can't do anything unless it is a truck or recycling another Mustang.

    I agree that Lincoln has found something but question if they will again "revert to mean" by letting models run well past their expiration date before doing any updates or replacements. Their other "mean" over the last decade or so is to discard design language as they install a new head of design [see their changing nose jobs]. Hopefully this time will be different but Ford has a history of their internal politics being a blood sport.
     
    anunakki and jm2 like this.
  20. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Internal politics. Ford? No way...........;)
     
  21. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Bill Porter, design legend

    https://www.motorcities.org/story-of-the-week/


    Bill Porter: A Talented and Skilled Automotive Designer
    By Robert Tate, Automotive Historian and Researcher
    Images courtesy of Bill Porter; General Motors Archives; and David A. Mann
    Published 1.1.2020

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Pontiac Bonneville rear design sketch, 1963 (Courtesy of Bill Porter)

    Throughout the history of automotive design, there have been many designers that made a positive mark from which we can learn a great deal.

    I was introduced to Bill Porter when I was a student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, studying Industrial Design. I had taken a course in Industrial Design history taught by Porter, who was still designing automobiles for General Motors at the time. It was the best of times for me as a student because I learned so much from his class about automotive history and industrial design. Porter was one of the best instructors at the school because of his great talent and leadership in automotive design and for being a perfect gentleman and presenting his love for automobiles as well.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Front end design for the Pontiac GTO (Courtesy of Bill Porter)

    Porter’s career started when he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Louisville in 1953. He once said, “I found no greater depth or sophistication than I had experienced in Louisville.” In 1960, Porter received his Masters in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Front end Pontiac design (Courtesy of Bill Porter)

    The General Motors design team hired Porter in 1958. In his early days with GM, he became a talented automotive designer, which would lead to the development of some of the most popular styling models that GM manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s. The 1960s introduced the popular muscle car era, which offered power as well as great automotive styling.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Bill Porter standing next to a 1970s GTO model (GM Archives)

    Porter’s first assignment at GM was as a junior designer in the design studio, which was essentially a designer in training. Later, he developed a great idea for the 1962 Pontiac production models that became very popular and a four-element front grille design for the Pontiac Tempest compact, which many consumers thoroughly enjoyed.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login A colorful front end design by Bill Porter (GM Archives)

    Porter was a part of the team that introduced the popular GTO design. The GTO became an icon of automotive styling among young people in that era. Even today, the 1968 Pontiac GTO models have a strong following. Porter became executive chief designer for Pontiac in 1968. Another popular design that came out of Porter’s leadership was the 1970 Pontiac Firebird, which was one of my favorite GM designs from the early 1970s.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Bill Porter and his GM Design staff with a Buick model (GM Archives)

    Throughout Porter’s GM career, he developed a great interest in sketching radically advanced design concepts. He once said, “I was mastering the idioms. I could draw a new car that looked like it was out of the same stuff as a Corvette or Stingray, and the boss would come in and like it and so, I got transferred to Pontiac.”

    After GM Chief of Design Bill Mitchell had retired, Irv Rybicki took over. It was Rybicki who had placed Porter in the Buick production studio, where he created many great ideas for Buick’s future designs. Porter was assigned to the Buick studio for the next 15 years. Porter’s most significant design in his career was the last generation of the Riviera coupe, which came out in the spring of 1994 as a 1995 model. The design proposal for the next generation Buick was a great looking design that many automotive consumers and enthusiasts admired. In 1996, Bill Porter retired.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Bill Porter in 2015 standing next to his design art (Louisville Business First)

    In conclusion, Bill Porter left his mark on the automotive world with great designs for all to admire. He leaves a great legacy that will always be a part of our automotive history. For me personally, he will always be a great friend!


    Bibliography

    Mann, David A. “Louisville Native talks about designing the Pontiac GTO.” Louisville Business First. July 15, 2015.

    Dean’s Garage. “The future is back” interview with Bill Porter Pontiac designs in the 60’s.

    Boyce, Terry V. “William Porter Moving the Mainstream (Part 1).” Collectible Automobile. August, 2017. Vol 34, #2, page 72-81.
     
    of2worlds, Tenney and G. Pepper like this.
  22. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 8, 2005
    72,512
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Full Name:
    Jerry
  23. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 19, 2002
    17,900
    michigan
    Full Name:
    john
    Like many 'lists', always open to interpretation.
     
    tritone and anunakki like this.
  24. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 8, 2005
    72,512
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    Of course, but that name just really struck me odd.
     
    jm2 likes this.

Share This Page