The car and its designers

The very first body designs for the automobile were mostly derived from the horse drawn carriage. However, this design was not suitable for installing the engine and drivetrain.

People therefore soon began designing a rolling chassis with an engine and a matching body on top of it. In this way, the design of the motorized horse carriage gradually evolved into that of the automobile as we know it today.

This article provides a brief overview of developments in passenger car body designs during the 20th century. It offers a look at the movements in car design and at the designers who created them. Because of its brevity, this article is not comprehensive; it is merely a selection from the many existing examples. Moreover, it deals mainly with exterior design, the aspect that stirs emotion in us. After all, an attractive but low performing car will always have more admirers than a car that drives like a dream but is less pleasing to the eye.

The first designs

The concept of the bodywork for the automobile was often derived from the bodywork of the horse drawn carriage from the late 1800s onward. The body consisted of a wooden frame, often ash, with wooden panels mounted on it. There were also designs that had hardly any bodywork at all. These were open 3 or 4 wheeled vehicles with a metal or wooden frame on which the engine and seats were mounted. The limited engine power of the first automobiles also made it impossible to use large and therefore heavy bodies. Examples of this are the Benz Motorwagen from 1886 (Germany), the De Dion Bouton 3.5HP from 1899 (France) and the Oldsmobile Curved Dash from 1897 (US). The first two can be viewed in the Louwman Museum.

It was from 1910 onward that manufacturers generally began using a steel chassis on which the bodywork was mounted. By using different bodies on the same chassis, a great degree of flexibility in production was achieved. This way, consumers could choose, for example, a 2 door, a 4 door, or a pickup model based on a standard chassis. A striking example of this is the Ford Model T (1908-1927).

In addition, there were also customers who bought a complete rolling chassis with engine from a manufacturer, and then had a suitable coachbuilder create the bodywork of their choice. Custom made, so to speak. These coachbuilders were actually the very first car designers. For their bodywork design, however, they depended on the supplied chassis and engine concept. As a result, the body design often had the fixed, characteristic layout of radiator (with brand logo and mascot), (long) engine hood, passenger compartment and luggage compartment.

In the 1930s this gradually changed. Bodies and chassis began to be built as a single unit from sheet steel, the so called monocoque construction or self supporting bodywork, as we know it today. This was structurally simpler, lighter and more efficient, and safer for the occupants. As a result, manufacturers started designing the cars themselves or a (renowned) designer was hired. Vincenzo Lancia, manufacturer, engineer and designer, created the worlds first monocoque passenger car in 1923 with the Lancia Lambda (see photo). Vincenzo Lancia was talented as an engineer but also as a designer, an ideal combination.

Later, others also adopted the monocoque construction, such as the Citroen Traction Avant (1934-1957), which made this type of construction popular.

Developments in the various countries

France

In Europe, unlike in the US, there was a great diversity of designs, which had to do with the individual cultures of the different countries. Special designs in France included those by Gabriel Voisin, originally an aviation pioneer. Together with Andre Christina he designed the 1934 Voisin C27 Aerosport, an impressive yet also elegant car with an aluminum body on a steel chassis. The imposing design, with its long hood, the five angled windows in the doors and the large sliding roof, made it one of the most distinguished cars to be described as a moving work of art (see photo).

Of equal stature was the Bugatti brand, exemplified by the 1932 Bugatti 50T Coach Profilee, designed by Jean Bugatti, then the 23 year old son of Ettore Bugatti.

Another example of a brand with remarkable designs from the prewar era was Talbot-Lago. Antonio Lago, the founder of the company, set himself the goal of producing a number of highly exclusive sports cars. One of the top models was the 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 SS Coupe, for which he had the bodywork designed by the design house Figoni and Falaschi. The car, nicknamed 'goutte d'eau' (water drop), stands out for its design with aerodynamic fenders, the extremely slanted windshield and the headlights, door handles and turn signals recessed into the bodywork (see photo). The car is widely regarded as a masterpiece by coachwork designers Giuseppe Figoni and Ovidio Falaschi and ranks among the absolute top in automotive design. After the war, due to the limited demand for special coachwork and also because of the rise of the unibody construction, the company had to close its doors. The Talbot-Lago T150 SS Coupe can be admired in the Louwman Museum.

Other famous designers from the same period were Henri Chapron (for Delage and Talbot-Lago), Jaques Saoutchik (for Delahaye and Talbot-Lago) and Marcel Pourtout (for Delage, Peugeot and Delahaye). These designers also had to end their work after the war because of the reconstruction and the low demand for extravagant and therefore expensive cars.

In the postwar period it was above all Citroen that produced some beautiful automobiles, with bodies designed by chief designer Flaminio Bertoni, originally a sculptor and architect. From his hand came, among others, the Citroen Traction Avant (1934-1957) and the one shown here Citroen DS (1955-1975). The innovative engineering on these models was the work of engineer Andre Lefebvre, such as the front-wheel drive, independent suspension and hydraulic brakes on the Traction Avant, and the disc brakes and hydropneumatic suspension system on the DS.

England

In the field of sports cars, England was leading in the prewar period, but also afterwards. A fine example of a typical English sports car from before and after WW2 is the MG Midget T series (1936-1955). The model was designed by Cecil Kimber, an engineer and designer who was appointed by William Morris to develop a relatively inexpensive sports car. The car, with its stylish radiator, long straight bonnet, fold down windscreen and running boards, became a great success, including in the US (see photo). Due to the rise of more streamlined cars in the 1950s, production of the classically built MG T series was halted in 1955 and the more aerodynamic MG A was introduced to the market (1955-1962).

Other examples of British popular and beautifully designed sports cars are the Triumph TR2 and TR3 models (1953-1962), the Austin Healey 3000 (1959-1967) and of course the Jaguar E-type (1961-1975).

Until late in the 1960s, England was Europes leading manufacturer of automobiles. The British car industry supplied an enormous variety of types of cars in every segment. Moreover, because of their isolated position relative to the continent, they had their own design development and their own homogeneous market. A number of eye catching cars were designed by Sir William Lyons, including the Jaguar XK120 and the Jaguar Mark 2 (see photo), and also by Malcolm Sayer, including the previously mentioned Jaguar E type.

Another famous designer in England was Alec Issigonis, who was responsible for the design of the Mini, a British icon of the 1960s. Because of the Suez crisis of 1956 and the limited oil supplies, British Motor Corporation decided in 1959 to create a cheap, extremely compact and lightweight vehicle. To achieve this, an existing engine was mounted transversely at the front, rubber cone-shaped blocks were used as suspension instead of traditional leaf springs or coil springs, and the door panels were single-walled and fitted with sliding windows to maximize interior width. The model was sold, among others, as the Austin Mini and Morris Mini and remained in production for 41 years. A total of 5.3 million units were built.

Germany

With the Bauhaus as an art academy (1919-1933), Germany is often seen as the birthplace of industrial design. Another clear example is BMW in Munich, founded in 1916, where after aircraft engines and motorcycles they began producing cars in 1928. After the Dixi (Austin Seven) built under license, they moved on to ‘real’ BMWs, including the BMW 328 (1936-1940). With this, BMW confirmed its mission to focus solely on building technically advanced and sporty cars. The BMW 328 (see photo) is an exclusive roadster designed by Peter Szymanowski and engineered by Fritz Fiedler. The model won many races, including the 1940 Mille Miglia. A total of 464 examples of the BMW 328 were built.

A remarkable coachbuilder in Germany was Karosserie Erdmann & Rossi, founded in 1906. The company, which originally built horse-drawn carriages, supplied magnificent bodies in the 1920s and 1930s for luxury car manufacturers such as Mercedes, Horch, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Due to the rise of mass production and the introduction of monocoque construction, the company was forced to close its doors after the war.

In the booming period after WW2 in the US, Max Hoffman, a successful importer of European luxury cars in New York, saw that there was strong demand among his dealers for special sporty automobiles. Hoffman was, partly thanks to his successful business, an influential man and was able to convince the manufacturer Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart to create a road-going version of the Mercedes-Benz W194 Grand Prix car, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (see photo).

The model, designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, became a great success. In total, 3,258 units of both the Gullwing version and the later Roadster version were built (1954-1963). Around 80% of the total 300SL production was sold in the US. Max Hoffman made similar recommendations to other German car manufacturers. At his request, the spartan Speedster version of the Porsche 356 was created, designed by Erwin Komenda (1957). Also at his request, the BMW 507, designed by Allbrecht von Goertz, was introduced to the American market.

Not to be forgotten is Ferdinand Porsche, engineer and founder of F. Porsche GmbH in 1931 and designer of, among others, the Mercedes-Benz SSK and the Volkswagen Kever (Beetle). The last two were part of two projects announced in 1933 by Adolf Hitler: developing a car for the people and creating a high-speed car racing program. Both projects came to an end because of the war. After the war, in 1948, the company Porsche GmbH started with the Porsche 356, the first car to carry the Porsche brand name.

Italy

Italian manufacturers such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo already had an important presence in motorsport before WWII. The successes they achieved led to the emergence of various manufacturers and designers who devoted themselves exclusively to producing sports cars, such as Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. As a result, Italian design became widely known, and many car manufacturers from Europe, but also beyond, were eager to use Italian designers for their models. Examples of renowned Italian designers include Ercole Spada, Battista Farina (Pininfarina) and Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Ferraris most successful postwar sports cars are the Ferrari 250 series (1953-1964). A particularly elegant version of the 250 series is the 250 GT Spider California SWB based on the Berlinetta (see photo). The car was designed by Sergio Scaglietti, who is also credited with the design of the Ferrari 250 GTO.

Several other very beautiful designs have been created by designers for Alfa Romeo. An absolute highlight is the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, of which no more than 30 units were built between 1937 and 1939 (see photo below).

The design is by Carrozzeria Touring, a coachbuilder from Milan known both for its exceptionally beautiful designs and for its superleggera construction method, which consists of using ultra lightweight metal frames that support the aluminum bodywork.

Czech Republic and Slovakia

From the period before WWII up to the early 1990s, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia) held an important position in the automotive industry with brands such as Skoda, Jawa, CZ, Praga and Zetor. They were distinctive for their original technical solutions and their special body designs. One example of this is the Tatra T87 from 1948 (see photo), which is regarded as one of the most remarkable designs to come out of the Czech lands. With this aerodynamic model, designers Hans Ledwinka and Paul Jaray achieved a drag coefficient of 0.36, allowing the air cooled three liter V8 engine to reach a speed of 150 km/h. During the communist regime, originality in design disappeared and several manufacturers were eventually absorbed into large car makers from the EU.

United States of America

In the US, after Henry Fords Model T (1908-1927), car designs changed from boxy to streamlined and a distinctive styling developed as part of each brands identity. One example is the 1934 Chrysler Airflow, an aerodynamic design by Chrysler engineer Carl Breer. He was among the first to use wind tunnel testing and showed that streamlined cars could achieve higher speeds and lower fuel consumption. However, because of its controversial appearance, the public never really warmed to the Airflow. Production of the model was discontinued in 1937.

Another well known designer from the nineteen thirties was Harley Earl, head of the design department at GM. He was the inventor of the concept car. In 1938 he introduced the Buick Y-Job, a one off production model, whose sole purpose was to gauge the public reaction so that only the accepted new styling and technology would be applied in mass production. For example, the car was equipped with pop up headlights, full width bumpers and flush mounted door handles in the bodywork (see photo). Within GM, Harley Earl did not receive much support for his concept car approach. His Design Studio soon got the nickname Beauty Parlor.

Putting radical styling concepts and new technologies straight into production without public evaluation can lead to costly sales flops. An example of this is the Edsel (1957-1959), which, despite its innovative features and distinctive styling, was not a success and cost its parent company Ford 350 million dollars in losses.

Harley Earl is also considered the father of the tailfin thanks to the design of the 1959 Cadillac. At that time the US had a booming economy and people lived in a world of aviation, space travel and rockets (the space age). The rear bumper of the Cadillac had on each side the appearance of two turbine engines, and the red taillights in the tailfin looked like rocket flames (see photo). Tailfins gradually disappeared in the 1960s and were only sporadically used in Europe. The Cadillac can be viewed at the Louwman Museum.

When the market began to reach saturation, a change also took place in the United States in the way cars were designed. To keep sales going, the model year concept was introduced, with small technical or cosmetic changes (facelifts). This encouraged car owners to buy the latest version every year with the newest features. This strategy had consequences for design departments, the car trade, and the American economy.

The design process

In general, car designers work in teams with various disciplines, including engineers who can indicate the technical and legal possibilities and limitations in the design. The exterior design is first created using a series of manual sketches and drawings, provided by in house and/or externally hired designers. When computers were introduced, a series of digital sketches and drawings were also produced.

The manufacturer can have several designers work on their designs at the same time. For a number of designs approved by management, a clay model is then made at 1/4 scale. From this series of small-scale models, the final design is ultimately chosen. In the accompanying photo we see Flaminio Bertoni in 1933 working on a clay model of the Citroen Traction Avant.

From the final design, a full size clay model is now produced using a computer program (1:1 scale). A computer controlled CNC milling machine shapes the roughly formed clay exactly into the form of the car as designed in the computer program. By applying colored foils and detail elements, the result is a very realistic appearance.

Even now, in an era of high end 3D software and virtual models on life size screens, the clay model is still the most important tool for evaluating a car design. However, the use of computer programs (CAD) has significantly shortened development time for the manufacturer. Fewer pre production models are also needed for quality and production testing, which saves costs. These days, the period from the first rough sketch on paper to the launch presentation to the public is only 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years, depending on the complexity of the model.

Alfred Koeten