I still have a copy of the Hardcastle and McCormick pilot on VHS.  The quality is poor and I have to fast forward through the commercials, but I don’t mind.  It’s a UHF time capsule that I unearth once in a while — okay, more than once in a while.  Like the Bricklin, the focal point of this TV series is a guilty pleasure I keep coming back to.  Yes, it’s a kit car, and the revving engine was a sound effect.  So?

The Cody Coyote was actually a modified Manta Montage — a kit car based on the McLaren M6GT.  Bruce McLaren had big plans for this car, plans that came to a halt with his untimely death in 1970.  But thanks to Manta, this classic shape did not go quietly into the night.  Contrary to popular belief, the Montage is a pretty faithful representation of McLaren’s original design.  It shares many cues with Porsche racing cars like the 917 and 908.  But the Montage seems much leaner, especially in a profile shot.  The Coyote takes this a step further, removing the rear glass and emphasizing an open-air feel.

Of course, everyone always points out the kit car taillamps.  Admittedly, these lamps clash with the overall feel of the car.  But it’s the only serious deviation from the original theme — one that I can forgive.  Many dislike the pin-striping and side decals, but don’t all TV cars need a little icing on the cake?  (Think of the A-Team van or Face’s Corvette)  The smoked headlamp lenses make a stronger impression than the clear McLaren lenses.  The deep dish rims are an excellent choice, meshing well with the car’s signature sound.  We never see much of the Coyote’s cockpit, and this is probably for the best.  Cars of this type are not known for their, uh… interior accouterments, shall we say.

Like most of our Misunderstood Classics, this one has an unhappy ending.  After season 1 of the show, the original Coyote was replaced with a DeLorean-based car (my brother and I used to refer to this version as the “boxy Coyote”).  Brian Keith, who played Hardcastle, had difficulty climbing in and out of the first car, and the new gull-winged configuration solved this problem.  But the boxy Coyote was so ill-proportioned and thrown together;  even a twelve-year-old could tell something looked seriously wrong.  After three seasons, the series was canceled, and the Cody Coyote was parked for good.

Several versions of the TV car, boxy and original, still survive.  Some die-hards have even built their own replicas from Manta kits.  As for the series, it’s available on DVD — albeit at outrageous prices.  Personally, I think I’ll make do with my grainy old VHS tape — at least as long as it holds together…

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]]> http://www.cardesignfetish.com/2010/02/01/viscom-101-mercedes-benz-sculpture/feed 1 http://www.cardesignfetish.com/2010/01/31/misunderstood-classics-1970-78-amc-gremlin http://www.cardesignfetish.com/2010/01/31/misunderstood-classics-1970-78-amc-gremlin#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:58:16 +0000 Jason White http://www.cardesignfetish.com/?p=4379

If there were ever an easy target for the peanut gallery, this is it.  Polarizing shape + negative name = turkey shoot.  It’s just too tempting.  And anytime a website compiles an ugly car list, you can bet your life the poor Gremlin will be in the top five.  Is this car really that offensive?  I mean, really? Why don’t we declare a momentary cease fire and have a look at the context surrounding this design…

American Motors was always the Detroit underdog, and its product history reflects this.  They couldn’t compete with the sheer volume of the Big Three, so they didn’t try to.  Instead, they were innovators.  Trail blazers.  They took the risks that a small company with little to lose could afford to take.  The Gremlin, introduced ahead of the Big Three’s subcompacts, was one of those risks.  I think we can all agree that the name gave it a handicap right from the start.  But as designers, we can evaluate the controversial shape in a more objective way.  What makes iconic small cars like the Beetle and the Mini so iconic?  A distinctive profile.  Even from 100 feet away, you can instantly recognize these cars.  AMC obviously wanted to field a subcompact that would stand out in a similar way.   In fact, the cover of one of their brochures directly compared the rear end shapes of the Beetle and the Gremlin.

Of course, when you make such a bold statement, most people are either going to love it or hate it.  That’s what happens when you play to win.  Frankly, I think the Gremlin deserves more flak for its front end. The carryover Hornet parts are painfully obvious, and the grille design almost comes across as incidental.  Throw in the bad fit and finish, and the Gremlin looks like it’s been in a schoolyard fight and lost.  The ‘77 reface is more palatable, but it looks way too ordinary next to the distinctive hatch.

After eight years, the Gremlin was retired, and popular culture has been making fun of it ever since (Hans Moleman drove a green one on The Simpsons).  Still, the brochure cover I mentioned earlier indicates to us what might have been.  Suppose AMC had a little more time and a little more money back in 1970.  Maybe then the Gremlin would’ve been the iconic subcompact they had envisioned…

I’ll admit up front that I’m guilty of calling the original Opel GT a “poor man’s Corvette” — that was back in my CCS days when I was young and impressionable.  While there are some vague similarities to the C3, I think dismissing this classic as a wanna-be is a bit extreme.  It’s like dismissing the Fiero as a “poor man’s Lamborghini.”   As design professionals, we can be a bit more discriminating than that…

When someone brings up the original GT, I immediately think of the egg-shaped headlamp shuts.  These quirky graphics reflect the car’s basic form language:  Soft, rounded curves with very few hard edges.  The front end is defined by two crisp lines that cone open as they wash into the fenders.  The gentle slopes in the profile are restful to the eye, like rolling hills in the countryside.  These slopes lead to an abrupt Kamm tail, similar to that of a Ferrari Dino.  The chrome, while sparing, is cleanly executed.

Today’s Opel GT is a different animal, of course.  The purest expression of the brand’s current design philosophy, very technical and exact — which definitely has its place.  But it’s rare anymore to find a new sports coupe that has the calm, quieting presence of the original GT.  To those who would label this car a wanna-be Vette, I would counter that its subtle exterior form indicates the exact opposite.  If it had dramatic, exaggerated curves like the C3, that would be one thing.  But this car seems quite comfortable in its own skin.  Self-assured.  Content to cruise the winding back roads, leaves blowing in the wind, without a care in the world.  That’s what this design professional sees, at least.

Like everyone who watched the unveiling of Apple’s new IPad yesterday, we have to throw in our two cents.  Were we disappointed?  Kind of, but give some credit, it had a lot to live up to.  I don’t want to repeat all of the issues that everyone else is talking about so I will focus on a Pro and a Con that relate to the auto/ design industry.  Lets start with the negative.

CON : Deisgn Language

Apple took a very safe move by not progressing the styling/ interface of this device.  As they so obviously pointed out, it is familiar to everyone who has used an IPhone.  The touch, interface is all an easy and familiar transition.  My question is……since they are now on top of the industry and no one seems to be able to beat them, is it too much of a risk to keep pushing and possibly do something that is not received well?

Hmmm, it is starting to sound like they are turning into the auto industry.  Small, minute tweaks that consumers are “comfortable” with.  Yes, how dare I compare the beloved and progressive Apple to the prehistoric slow moving auto industry.  I hope I am wrong.  Because if Apple stops innovating who is going to push forward?  I am sure I am just over reacting, since it is just one product.  The IPad is being way over-analysed before it has had a chance to prove its worth.  This is a product that could mature very well once the apps get developed for it.  This leads me to the positive for design.

PRO : Digital Sketchbook

The apps for the IPad will create the real need for this device.  As a designer I am looking at this product as a digital sketchbook.  Apple showed the Brushes app with all of its layers and brushes.  I am hoping Autodesk will follow with their Sketchbook app.  I love this app on my IPhone and the sensitivity is pretty darn good for my finger.  So could the IPad become the poor man’s Cintique?  There are pens you could buy for use on the IPhone, although I have not tried one to see how well they work.  Would a $499 price be acceptable for a portable sketching device?  I bet we see a new affordable Cintique at a portable size on the market in six months.  Apple could really capitalize on the creative consumers with this product.

Those are my thoughts on the “magical” product.  Am I going to get one?  So far I would say no, but as Will Ferrel once said “Once it touches your lips (fingers) it taste (feels) so good!”

Yesterday I opened my 401k statement, and it was actually in positive territory.  Double digits at that.  Am I going to run out tomorrow and make a down-payment on a premium luxury car?  No.  But as a designer, it’s vital to be in tune with the wants and desires of customers at all levels — regardless of your own financial sensibilities.  With that in mind, let’s have a look at the new A8, a product that is sure to satisfy the wants and desires of the premium luxury car buyer.

Two weeks ago, Audi Design Director Stefan Sielaff gave an excellent lecture at the College for Creative Studies.  In this lecture, he stressed the importance of different form languages for the three Audi lines — the Q, the A and the R.  The Q features more faceted shapes, while the R incorporates gentle curves.  The A series is the cleanest of the three, and the A8 reflects this with its stately exterior form.  The profile might remind you of a crisp, well-crafted suit.  It’s formal, but not stuffy.  The face is dominated by the now-signature Audi grille, which has become faceted and more technical.  The words “luxury freight train” come to mind.  The LED headlamps provide the second read with their new, solid running light graphic, improving upon the connect-the-dots graphic of previous lamps. The rear end fits well with the brand DNA, and features some nice surface details around the license plate and rear window.

These days, most Audi interiors feature a driver-oriented layout.  Wisely, the A8 team deviated from this approach and emphasized the width of the cabin.  This also ensures a more sociable arrangement of the interior elements, allowing both driver and passenger the full A8 experience.  Upon opening the door, it’s hard to say which I am more impressed by: The materials, or the craftsmanship.  Probably the craftsmanship.  Because it’s not enough to simply load the materials into a shotgun and blast them at the IP.  It’s the careful application of these materials as well as their inclusion that communicates luxury.  Consider the center console:

Here we have no fewer than six materials: Wood, leather, knurled aluminum, brushed aluminum, piano black and matte black.  Notice the extremely thin bezels set into the large slab of glossy wood.  The subtle finish difference between the piano and matte black. The sparing use of the brightwork.  The proportions of these elements and their juxtaposition are not random acts by any means.  This is the mark of a seasoned designer who is in tune with the market the A8 is intended for.  And when it comes to interior appointments, the tactile can be just as important as the visual.  Audi worked with its suppliers to develop a new foil application for its buttons.  So when you touch a brushed aluminum button, it’s cold like you would expect (despite the fact that the underside of the button is plastic).

The A8’s rear passengers are treated to some nice touches, like a curved wood application on the back of the front seats.  Stitching throughout is executed with tastefulness and precision.  Overall, every item in the cabin seems to be well thought-out — except for one thing:  The pop-up navigation screen.  Rising out of the center stack like the monolith from 2001, it seems a bit out of place against the landscape of the IP.  This is the only gripe I have with this car, and in the face of such flawless execution, I feel a bit picky pointing it out.  Will the A8 customer care?  I doubt it.

One other thing that struck me while I took in the new A8:  The continuous stream of industry professionals, wincing at the car and whispering, “Son of a..” — realizing that the flagship bar had been raised yet again.  It’s hard to imagine how Audi can improve on the content of this product, but you can bet your life they will.  In the meantime, it’s our job as designers to tune into the wants and desires of this segment and up the ante.  Is it easy?  No.  Vital?  Absolutely.

“I know my own needs. And what I need from an automobile, I know I get from this new… Corrrrdoba!”  (Cue Spanish horns)  And so, with a velvety voiceover from Ricardo Montalban, an amazing automotive success story began.  You young designers can go ahead and crack all the jokes you want, but here’s the truth:  If the Edsel was the single biggest design strike-out ever, then the Cordoba was likely one of the biggest design home runs ever.   Too bad most of these “small Chryslers” are just small cubes today…

The personal luxury segment in the mid 1970s was a sea of sameness.  It was said that if you lined up all the competing products, their profiles would look identical – which is probably a bit of an exaggeration.  Still, if Chrysler wanted a piece of this segment, they needed to stand out in a big way.  As usual, styling played the crucial role.

At the time, Highland Park designers were enamored with cars of the 1930s, such as Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs – which makes sense.   But would imagery like this still look appealing on a 115 inch wheelbase?  Thanks to some expert surfacing in the profile and the hood, the Cordoba has the grace and nuance we usually associate with much bigger cars.  And thus, it can carry off the kind of baroque detailing that would look wildly out of place on a Monte Carlo or a Ford Elite.

Inside, the Cordoba is not as notable for its forms as it is for its choice of trim – okay, the naming of its choice of trim.  One wonders how Chrysler arrived at the term Corinthian Leather (were the chariots from Ben-Hur equipped with this material?), but however it happened, it proved to be a marketing masterstroke.  Montalban’s smooth delivery of “soft, Corrrrinthian leather” became an overnight pop culture sensation.  And suddenly, Highland Park had a major hit on its hands.

But then came 1978.  A new rectangular lamp was available, and Chrysler decided to incorporate it into the Cordoba refresh.  In hindsight, this was a costly mistake.  Not only did these lamps dampen most of the front end’s classic appeal, but they made the ’78 look way too much like its cross-town rivals.  By 1980, the Cordoba was a Dodge Mirada derivative, and a shadow of its former self.  Mercifully, it was discontinued in 1983.

But for a brief, shining moment, this was the darling of the American automotive market.  They literally couldn’t build these cars fast enough.  And while a suave Mexican movie star was a big part of the equation, it was design that played the most critical role of all.

When I hear GMC’s tagline Professional Grade, the first thing that comes to my mind is the ubiquitous Bunn coffeemaker – the kind that you see in restaurants and bars.  Solid, metallic and built to last, these machines and others like them have a cachet all their own.  The sort of cachet that makes you think, “Well, if it’s good enough for professional needs, it’s good enough for me.”  Other brands are forging ahead on a similar path, such as Maytag.  Their Performance Series of appliances are sold under the banner Commercial Technology, drawing attention to the heavy duty springs and belts “under the hood”.  So with this context in mind, what will GMC’s Professional Grade aesthetic look like going forward?

Hopefully, the answer to this question is found in the GMC Granite. Styled in GM’s California studio and fabricated in Michigan, this ‘urban utility vehicle’ won the coveted Eyes On Design award for concept vehicles.  As an instructor at the College for Creative Studies, I constantly preach to my students that car design is all about two key ingredients: proportions and detailing.  The Granite is a great example of a theme that gets these two ingredients right – inside and out.

SUVs are generally not known for their distinctive profiles, so it’s refreshing to see a concept SUV with such a striking side view.  On sight, the Granite looks solid like a bank vault.  This is due in large part to its dramatic glass-to-bodyside ratio.  The generous door surface gives way to a sharp, beveled detail that goes from thin to thick to thin.  By themselves, these rough-hewn graphics might seem too primitive, but the designers took care to incorporate subtle blisters leading into the wheel wells. These shapes soften the profile and give it a touch of sculptural finesse.  The six-spoke wheels with their complex facets are the icing on the cake.

Moving to exterior detailing, the Granite builds on the successful execution of Acadia. The half-drop speaker grille pattern is a cue that can be found across the GMC product line.  Here, it takes on a more secondary role – promoting the brightwork and high-tech jewelry to the first read.  An important thing to note here is the scaling of these details.  The contrast of the thin speaker grille next to the thick metal bezels has a commercial or specialized feel to it – like the fine knurling on a bulky lab microscope.  Equally important is the fact that these multi-layered compositions don’t upstage the main theme, but provide a sort of counterbalance against the simplicity of the exterior forms.  The octagonal grille shape mates well with the faceted hood.

The combination of clean surfaces and dense detailing also defines the interior space.  Consider the door panel:  An array of materials and shapes that might remind you of expensive industrial equipment – and I stress the word expensive. If GM intends to evolve GMC into a truly premium brand, this would be clever way to go about it.  Tough and high-end at the same time is a rare automotive combination – an approach that would help GMC stand out from both the competition and its corporate siblings.

An analysis of the GMC Granite would not be complete without mention of the GMC stand itself.  Of all the GM displays at the show, this one leaves the most indelible impression: Rough, chiseled rock face combined with exact, mechanized lighting; large slabs of dark wood with bright red accents.  All of this paints a very encouraging picture.  And if the Granite is any indication, the GMC brand is heading in the right direction – thanks to the continued evolution of the Professional Grade aesthetic.

The name Studebaker is a rarity among orphan car brands – it offers a bridge between horse drawn carriages and modern automotive lore.  And as a designer, I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t know much about the history of this brand – that is until I visited the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.  This modern facility, opened in 2005, houses an amazing array of vehicles on three floors.  A friendly, dedicated staff is on hand to answer your questions and make you feel at home.

The Studebaker family specialized in blacksmithing before they progressed to wagons, and the first floor illustrates this with an interesting collection of vintage tools.  The iconic Conestoga wagon greets you at the door, conjuring up images of a wild, untamed American frontier.  A black funeral coach with large display windows is as creepy as it is graceful.  A 1905 sleigh, decorated with mistletoe and white lights, warms the soul.

It may surprise you to learn that the first Studebaker cars were all electric!  A pair of electric vehicles, a 1907 Runabout and a 1911 Coupe, speaks to this historic fact.  The rest of the first floor contains every variety of wagon and coach imaginable – including some presidential rides! The museum’s centerpiece is the imposing Lincoln Carriage, which enjoys a window-lit space behind a bust of our 16^th Commander In Chief.  The sculptural forms of this carriage seem curiously visionary for their time.

On the second floor, the styling of Raymond Loewy is explored in great detail.  A gorgeous, cream Champion coupe looks as fresh now as it did fifty years ago.  An Avanti clay model offers a rare snapshot of the designer’s craft.  Even Loewy’s product design work is here: From Dictaphones to lawnmowers.  Another design icon, Richard Teague, is represented by the 1956 Packard Predictor (Packard acquired Studebaker in 1954). This concept vehicle offers a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been, with its tambour door t-top and Edselesque grille.  Other concepts are stored in the museum basement, a sort of automotive wine cellar.  The vehicles are stacked with the aid of hydraulic lifts, and are periodically rotated up to the second floor display via elevator.

The museum also features an auditorium for movies, an extensive archive collection and a gift shop selling everything from T-shirts to books and DVDs.  If you have a weekend to kill and would like to learn about a uniquely American story, then the Studebaker National Museum is a must see.

For more information, visit them on the web at:

http://www.studebakermuseum.org/