Don’t leave alternative vehicles on the sidelines.
Side Business
read more
If you read Shop Press regularly you’ve noticed we’ve been running a series for the past couple of years. It’s called “Automotive Paragons,” and it’s a series where we look at automotive entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers who were exceptional, ahead of their time, or otherwise had a major impact on the way cars were later sold, fabricated, or constructed. Here’s a recap of paragons we’ve featured to date.
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy was not just an automotive designer, but also a graphic and industrial designer. Loewy designed cars for Studebaker, Lincoln, and the Hupp Motor Car Company, as well as the interior of the Boeing 307, the Sears Coldspot refrigerator, the Sunbeam electric toaster, and logos for Shell, Nabisco, Exxon, and USPS. For his contributions to the look of early- to mid-20th century America, he’s arguably the Frank Lloyd Wright of the automotive and industrial world. In this piece, I take a look at all the disciplines in which he excelled.
Brooks Stevens
Brooks Stevens was also an automotive, graphic, and industrial designer and a contemporary and rival of Raymond Loewy. He’s most known for popularizing the term “planned obsolescence,” but in this piece I argue that he didn’t mean it as an excuse for building crummy cars. Rather, he meant that new cars should be so attractive that customers want to buy them, even if their current car is still functional. I also talk about his work and how it reinforced his definition of the controversial term “planned obsolescence.”
Preston Tucker
Preston Tucker planned to manufacture a car called the Tucker 48 that featured many engineering and safety features that were later adopted by other car manufacturers. However, he was also accused of fraud and was the target of an SEC trial that bankrupted his company and led to only 50 complete Tucker 48s being produced. In this piece, I contend that he was a visionary, not a villain as the SEC and contemporary media attempted to portray him.
Frederic J. Ball
For this piece, I spoke to my friend Jack Ball about his great-grandfather, Frederic J. Ball, and his invention of the first American-built car that had a reverse gear. Although Frederic Ball’s impact on the automotive world wasn’t as profound as the others on the list, his story is still an important piece of lost automotive history. Originally designed for boats, Ball applied his reverse gear to his Ball Tonneau Touring Car. I detail this history of this invention, as well as his legal fights with Ford and Buick. It’s a fascinating, dramatic, and somewhat tragic story.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the Automotive Paragons pieces as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. Stay tuned to Shop Press for more stories in this series!
The articles and other content contained on this site may contain links to third party websites. By clicking them, you consent to Dorman’s Website Use Agreement.
Related Articles
Sergio Pininfarina: Sculpting Speed and Beauty in Metal (Part 2)
Tracking Pininfarina’s career from the beginning to 1987.
Sergio Pininfarina: Sculpting Speed and Beauty in Metal (Part 1)
Tracking Pininfarina’s career from the beginning to 1987.
The History of the “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington” Bumper Sticker
These ubiquitous stickers have a longer history than most people may think.
Chrome Overload: GM’s “Mistake of ’58”
What happens when chrome goes too far?
Symbol of a Stumble: Edsel’s “Horse Collar” Grille
This one part became the symbol of the Edsel’s failure.
SLABs: Slow, Loud, and Bangin’
The unique culture of slab cars.
Shop Press Comment Policy
Participation in this forum is subject to Dorman’s Website Terms & Conditions. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
Newest