Detroit style : car design in the Motor City, 1950-2020 /
Colman, Benjamin,1986-author.
Detroit Institute of Arts,host institution.
Detroit, nicknamed Motor City, has always been a leader in car design. As the city became the center of the American automobile industry in the early 20th century, its studios became incubators for new ideas and new styles. This volume highlights the artistry and influence of Detroit designers working in the industry between 1950 and the present day, giving readers a sumptuously illustrated opportunity to discover the ingenuity of influential (and surprisingly little-known) figures in postwar American car design. Detroit Style showcases 12 coupes and sedans, representing both experimental cars created solely for display and iconic production models for the mass market. Dozens of design drawings and images of studio interiors--along with paintings and sculptures--highlight the creative process and dialogue between the American art world and car culture. These materials in addition to interviews with influential figures in car design today bring new insights and spark curiosity about the formative role Detroit designers have played in shaping the automotive world around us, and the ways their work has responded to changing tastes, culture, and technology.
Published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, held at Detroit Institute of Arts, June 13, 2020-January 10, 2021.
Includes bibliographical references (page 138).
Foreword / Salvador Salort-Pons -- Introduction / William L. Porter -- Detroit style : car design in the Motor City, 1950-2020. Interview with William L. Porter -- 1951 General Motors Le Sabre -- 1957 Chrysler 300C -- 1958 General Motors Firebird III -- 1959 General Motors Corvette Stingray Racer -- Interview with Edward T. Welburn -- 1966 General Motors Oldsmobile Toronado -- 1967 Ford Mustang -- 1970 Chrysler Plymouth Barracuda -- 1983 Ford Probe IV -- 1987 Chrysler Portofino -- Interview with Ralph V. Gilles -- 1998 Chrysler Chronos -- 2002 Ford GT Concept and 2017 Ford GT -- Interview with Craig Metros -- Exhibition checklist.
Detroit, nicknamed Motor City, has always been a leader in car design. As the city became the center of the American automobile industry in the early 20th century, its studios became incubators for new ideas and new styles. This volume highlights the artistry and influence of Detroit designers working in the industry between 1950 and the present day, giving readers a sumptuously illustrated opportunity to discover the ingenuity of influential (and surprisingly little-known) figures in postwar American car design. Detroit Style showcases 12 coupes and sedans, representing both experimental cars created solely for display and iconic production models for the mass market. Dozens of design drawings and images of studio interiors--along with paintings and sculptures--highlight the creative process and dialogue between the American art world and car culture. These materials in addition to interviews with influential figures in car design today bring new insights and spark curiosity about the formative role Detroit designers have played in shaping the automotive world around us, and the ways their work has responded to changing tastes, culture, and technology.
Automobiles
Automobiles
General Motors automobiles
Automobiles