Dream Cars: Innovative Design, Visionary Ideas

23 July 2014

Edsel Ford Model 40 Special Speedster, 1934. Designed by Edsel Ford and Eugene T. “Bob” Gregorie. Courtesy of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan — Image caption,
An exhibition showing the evolving design of automobiles has opened at High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Here, the Edsel Ford Model 40 Special Speedster, 1934, designed by Edsel Ford and Eugene T “Bob” Gregorie.

Bugatti Type 57S Compétition Coupé Aerolithe recreation, 1935. Designed by Jean Bugatti and Joseph Walter; made by The Guild of Automotive Restorers. Courtesy of Christopher Ohrstrom

Concept designs, scale models and conceptual drawings, by some of the most famous car manufacturers from across Europe and the US, are on display. Here, the Bugatti Type 57S Competition Coupe Aerolithe recreation, 1935, designed by Jean Bugatti and Joseph Walter and made by the Guild of Automotive Restorers.

Stout Scarab, 1936. Designed by William B. Stout. Courtesy of Larry Smith.

“The concept cars presented in Dream Cars demonstrate how design can transcend the present and offer new paths and opportunities for the future,” says Sarah Schleuning, exhibition curator and curator of decorative arts and design at the High Museum of Art. Here, the Stout Scarab, 1936. Designed by William B Stout.

L’Oeuf électrique,1942. Designed and fabricated by Paul Arzens. Courtesy Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France.

“While these cars were never mass produced, they shaped the future of the automotive industry by challenging the notion of what is possible, technologically and stylistically,” adds Schleuning. L’Oeuf electrique,1942. Designed and fabricated by Paul Arzens.

Norman Timbs Special, 1947. Designed by Norman Timbs. Courtesy of Gary and Diane Cerveny.

Mechanical engineer Norman Timbs created the Timbs Special in 1947 for his personal use. It took him more than two and a half years to complete at a cost of about $10,000.

General Motors Le Sabre XP-8, 1951. Designed by Harley J. Earl and GM Styling Section staff. Courtesy of General Motors Heritage Center, Warren, Michigan.

After World War Two, General Motors needed a new head-turning car. Sketches began in 1946, and by 1951 the result was the Le Sabre XP-8.

Buick Centurion XP-301, 1956. Designed by Harley J. Earl and Charles “Chuck” Jordan. Courtesy of Sloan*Longway Museum, Flint, Michigan.

Showcasing the latest of its brands to an eager American public, one motor show stood out over any other, General Motors' Motorama. It ran from 1949 to 1961 and in 1956 the Buick Centurion XP-301 debuted.

Cadillac Cyclone XP-74, 1959. Designed by Harley J. Earl and Carl Renner. Courtesy of General Motors Heritage Center, Warren, Michigan.

One of the later concept vehicles to appear at the Motorama was the Cadillac Cyclone XP-74. Inspired by aviation it was designed in 1959 by Harley J Earl and Carl Renner.

General Motors Firebird I XP-21, 1953. Designed by Harley J. Earl, Robert F. “Bob” McLean, and GM Styling Section staff. Courtesy General Motors Heritage Centre

Dream Cars: Innovative Design, Visionary Ideas runs until 7 September 2014 at High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. (General Motors Firebird I XP-21, 1953. Designed by Harley J Earl, Robert F “Bob” McLean, and GM Styling Section staff. Courtesy General Motors Heritage Centre.)

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