I was recently in the presence of a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, designed by the Chevrolet Studio Team. Apparently, Clare Mackichan and his team had to redesign the front end of the car in quite a rush, but created another icon in the process.
Her Art Deco lines are bold and decisive. I cannot say for sure, but I think it was Disney’s rendering of Captain Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus, that first introduced me to transporation design as an art form. I have strong memories from my childhood of drawing submarines and spacecraft, filling both typical notebook paper and grid paper with designs that would certainly not work if manufactured. Those early experiences probably led me to the depth of my interest in design in the present. I wish I had all those sketches to look at again!
These vintage cars invoke something in me that I can’t quite describe, and even though I truly appreciate modern car design, the mid-century auto industry made beautiful objects that continue to provoke my imagination.
