Prototype, maquette et exercice de style - concept car & style

Early sketches of the Imperial D'Elegance by Bill Brownlie on tracing paper. When placed on top one another they show the outline was precisely traced. They are intriguing permutations of a designs evolution. The blue drawing most closely resembles the D’Elegance and brandish the Imperial emblem. Bill Brownlie and Cliff Voss headed up the 1958 Imperial D’Elegance project two years after their Norseman concept, and both cars share some ideas, The similarities are most apparent in the cantilevered roof, long downward sloping rear deck & the front fender profile with its sharp “S” shape. In a search for a new direction for future products, the Imperial D’Elegance, a pillarless fastback was conceived. It is widely known that Virgil Exner was not happy with the finished product.

the Plymouth is by George Krispinsky, who will be featured in our upcoming documentary "American Dreaming", the other image is attributed to Richard Arbib. Both artists are demonstrating our confidence (back in the 1950s) in a future with unlimited possibilities -- space, technology, luxury, beauty in our lives.

Ben Kroll
Packard "Solar Sprinter" concept art
Ca. 1955

A graduate in 1935 of Wayne State University in art education, Ben Kroll began his design career during WWII as a designer/draftsman at Ford’s Willow Run bomber plant (home of Rosie the Riveter).

With war’s end Ben Kroll was assigned to Gil Spear’s Advanced Studio at Ford and did design and layout work on most of Gil Spear’s 3/8 scale concept cars. In early 1955, Kroll along with 4 other designers (including George Krispinsky, who we recently interviewed for our “American Dreaming” documentary) left to work with Bill Schmidt, who had joined Studebaker-Packard as VP and Head of the Packard Design Department.
Ben Kroll’s “Solar Sprinter” concept art shares several ideas that were being developed while Kroll was in Ford’s Advanced Studio, particularly the Plexiglas roof of the XL-500 concept car.

George Krispinsky holding a photo of the USS Innovari II taxi van he designed while Head of Automotive Design at William M. Schmidt Associates. "American Dreaming" will film George on Monday, Sept. 15th. Our interview will focus on his time at Packard, (particularly the Predictor) AMC and his William M. Schmidt Associates years. Pictured are two drawings Mr. Krispinksy did for William M. Schmidt Associates.

Roy Brown chief Edsel designer, he also designed the Ford Cortina.

Just another day in the Buick design studio.

Chevrolet designers - 1948

The picture follows is from "Ford at Fifty" published in 1953. Found on page 78 is the photo with the painted plaster models. I know of one other model in a private collection in Michigan. Making 5 total known. Any more out there? The two men are Walker A. Williams, V.P. for Sales and Advertising, and kneeling is Earle S. MacPherson, V.P. for Engineering.

A mid 1950’s design of Russinoff’s with bubble top and rocket-like gun-sight taillights.

Al Borst was a GM designer in the early 1950’s.
Airbrush renderings of Buick, Cadillac & Oldsmobile concept art. Automotive studio artwork courtesy of the collection of Frank Walton. Later Mr. Borst worked for AMT Corporation where he was art director and created the illustrations for model car kit packaging. Does anyone have any other information on automotive designer, Al Borst?

George Camp, El Camino sketches and concepts GM Truck Studio 1964-1968

Rodell Smith for Ford. Three artworks following dating from the early 1960’s; Thunderbird proposal, Mustang proposal for 1967, a concept done in 1963, forecasting what a 2013 model year might look like.

Rodell Smith, Art Center of Design Graduate (1948) discussing his Edsel 2 seater sports car proposal.

3 Packard Clipper proposals by Bill Brownlie for Briggs Design Ca. 1952/53
all images private collection, Detroit Michigan (last image never before published)

George Krispinsky is one of the heroes of American Automotive art. He was one of the few to work at Ford, AMC, Chrysler AND Packard and he influenced automotive design for decades to come. Chances are if one of these cars is a favorite of yours, he had a role in its design. George is 91 years old now, and we interviewed him for our documentary. You'll love his perspective on the inner culture of the design studios, and insight on the individuals who transformed the automobile into its iconic status in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Check out this drawing of a Plymouth Fury from George's days at Chrysler. What do you think?

Wayne Kady, GM automotive designer
drawing signed and dated 1960.
Image courtesy of the “collection of Mark Davis"
Wayne Kady was hired in at GM prior to graduating from the Art Center School of Design (then located in Los Angeles) in 1961. This early artwork shows Kady’s strong sense of following a design theme through in a concept drawing. The ‘belt line’ runs along the side of the car from front to rear in a smooth flowing manner. The bubble top canopy is futuristic yet still plausible. The whole effect is powerful, modern and elegant at the same time. Bill Mitchell, GM’s Vice President of Design from 1958 to 1977 Liked to say he wanted “cars designed to look as if they were going 100 miles per hour standing still”, Kady accomplishes that feeling in this artwork. Wayne Kady worked at GM in various Cadillac Studios, having influenced in particular the highly successful 1971 Eldorado. This artwork was the first piece of automotive art and the beginning of my collecting friend Mark Davis’s superb collection of automotive design.

John Gump Automotive Stylist for Ford Motor Company
The late John Gump spent the majority of his career at Ford.

The first photo shows him at his drawing board and the second shows his offer of employment letter from Ford, dated October 4th, 1955. John Gump loved to draw cars from an early age. After serving in WWII he began working in the industrial design field. The third photo shows an early drawing of a camper and car with a unique trailer hitch and is dated 1948. He attended Pratt from 1951-54. After being hired in at Ford he helped design concept vehicles, including the Ford Pantera ( a convertible pick-up). The last photo is of an early 1970's LTD. Among his contributions that made it into production were elements of the following; Edsel's, Lincoln's, Thunderbird's, and LTD's. He retired in 1980 from Ford.

Rodell Smith, Automotive Designer
Proposal for the Chrysler New Yorker 1956.
Rodell is 90 years old and a friend of mine. His career as a designer is long and varied. It includes the following companies: Ford (1950-53) Hudson Motor Car Company (1954-55) Packard Motor Car Company (1955) Ford (1956-64) He worked as a product designer from 1964-1972 and then Chrysler from 1972 until he retired in 1989.
Rodell created this artwork in 1956 for his interview at Chrysler. Rodell had hoped to be hired in at Chrysler after Packard closed (being personally thanked when let go by Richard Teague). Rodell updated the New Yorker with subtle changes to the tail fin and front grill. He ended up instead at Ford, designing interiors for the Edsel and devising the color scheme for the Edsel Citation.
Rodell Smith will be filmed for "American Dreaming" later this month. He is one of the only living designers who worked for the Hudson Motor Car Company as well as Packard Motor Car Company.

Walter Becker, Automotive Designer for Ford Motor Company
Proposal for 1954/55 Mercury tail light. 

Automotive designers would draw 100's of variations of every detail of a car. Over the course of the 2 to 3 year lead time required in designing a automobile, final production decisions would be made. None of the three concepts illustrated here were chosen, making this drawing a fascinating document of the visionaries who created the cars. Today automotive designs are created on a computer. The artist, Walter Becker achieved realistic renderings using airbrush in only red, black and white ink allowing the color of the Canson paper to serve as the middle tones. This artwork is from the early 1950's, "Atomic-Age" design was beginning to take hold; rocket-shaped pointed bumpers and tail fins inspired by jet planes would soon appear on automobiles. The standing red light on the chrome mount was definitely influenced by the space-age!

“Plymouth” Side View with Figures

Artist: A Borst
Year: 1959
Dimensions: 11" x 22" Image / Framed
Price: $12,500
Medium: Gouache on Artist's Board

Signed by A. Borst for General Motors Corp. Detroit, Michigan.
Oldsmobile Two Seater Concept

Artist: A Borst
Year: Mid 1950s

Dodge Branded Concept Car (on the test track )

Artist: A Borst
Year: 8 - 3 - 1959
Dimensions: 22" x 11"
Price: Inquire
Medium: Mixed /On Black Artists Paper

Designer Dean Swanson took a daring but tasteful approach to what could have been the direction for the Charger / Challenger / Barracuda branded cars of the Chrysler Corporation fleet in this set of three renderings from the late nineteen sixties to early seventies.
Chrysler Plymouth Styling Proposal: Set of Three Illustrations

Artist: Dean Swanson
Year: 1968-1971
Dimensions: 14" x 17" Framed
Price: Set of Three, framed: $7,500.00
Medium: Prisma Color on Artist Papers

Six styling and color variations on this theme from the mid nineteen fifties by designer A. Borst for General Motors corporation, Detroit Michigan, U.S.A.
Cadillac Sports Coupe / Roadster Concept

Artist: A Borst
Year: Mid 1950s
Dimensions: 26" x 16" Image / Framed
Price: Inquire
Medium: Gouache on Artist's Board

Illustrations Gallery
Dodge Branded Concept Car illustration for sale
Chrysler-styling-proposal-(three)
Cadillac Sports Car Concept
Oldsmobile-sport-roadster-concept-drawing
chevrolet-delivery-van-concept
P1060236
Mining-vehicle-concept-drawing
Ford-LTD-styling-proposal
Mercury-T7-(Cougar)-styling-proposal
Glasstop-Shark-Coupe
P1020196
P1010466-2