Fast Company (approx 21 min B&W/Color)
This re-cap of the 1973 Grand Prix campaign shares many traits with another documentary we’ve reviewed, The Quick and the Dead. At 21 minutes long, Fast Company is obviously more compact and straight forward, but it does include some interesting bits that few will have seen before…
A few weeks ago, we featured formfreu.de as our Web of the Week. This blog has generated quite a buzz in design circles, most notably for its amazing photos and great attention to detail. Formfreu is the brainchild of German designers Thomas Sälzle and Markus Haub. They recently took a quick time out to talk to Car Design Fetish about their process, their vision, and what drives them as designers…
When it comes to Formula One helmets, less is definitely more. This is a principle that seems to be lost on a whole generation of drivers. Over the past 50 years, F1 helmet designs have become increasingly complex garish — much like the cars themselves. I used to be able to identify any F1 driver by his helmet inside of a half second. Now, I haven’t got a clue. Everything seems to be one big spaghetti junction of hot red, neon green and, of course, random advertisments. This makes me long for a time when F1 helmets were closer to Piet Mondrian paintings than, say, tribal tattoos. With that in mind, let’s take a look back at some timeless compositions which prove, without a doubt, that less is more.
For designers, there are few things more daunting than sketching in silence. Most need some music, casual conversation or something else to fill the void around them. A few take this one step further, filling the void with something specific that sets the tone for their work. Enter the phenomenon of the background film — one that you watch out of the corner of your eye. Le Mans is one of these films.
Whether you’re a student, a seasoned designer or just an enthusiast, FORMFREU.DE is a site you simply must see. This German blog is chock full of beautiful photographs, mainly of automotive details. The portrait format is a curious choice, but the content is beyond amazing. Bottom line, these guys get it. They have a deep understanding of the importance of detail. We’ll try to arrange an interview with them. In the meantime, I suggest you click on the banner above — and prepare to be blown away!
Pegaso may not be a household name like Seat or Hispano-Suiza, but they did produce a number of gorgeous sports cars – in between cranking out their commercial trucks, tractors and omnibusses…
The late John Frankenheimer directed all kinds of films. Some were resounding successes like The Manchurian Candidate and Ronin; others were abysmal failures like Reindeer Games and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Where Grand Prix falls in that wide spectrum depends on your point of view. If you’re a design student who’s looking for some inspiration while sketching, this film is a treasure trove. If you’re the kind of person who has a low threshold for melodrama, then you may want to look elsewhere…
The Quick and the Dead (approx 88 min B&W/Color)This notorious documentary borrows its title from the Apostles’ Creed. It’s meant to suggest there are two types of Grand Prix drivers. It may seem a cold, unfeeling distinction. But after watching the first few seconds of this film, you’ll find it all too apt. Indeed, there’s a reason why the re-release is rated R.
I hate undos. You’d think they would encourage the designer to take a few risks in a rendering. But paradoxically, they don’t. Without the danger of making a mistake, something is lost. Some kind of raw nerve. Passion. In real life, after all, there are no undos. Click the above image to see a tutorial rooted in the unexpected and the unforgiving. Not unlike the subject matter, when you think about it.
I wonder how this car would have fared with a conventional rear end solution. Or an ergonomically sound interior. Or headlamps that didn’t implore, “Won’t you be my friend?” We’ll never know. Still, despite all its flaws, the Milano (also sold as the 75 in Europe) managed an impressive seven year run.
