Future Retro: Drawings from the Great Age of American Automobiles

by Frederic A. Sharf

These drawings from a private collection showcase the beauty and ingenuity of automobile design, focusing especially on presentation drawings used to showcase concepts, present fun design ideals, or act as selling tools. From preliminary sketches to carefully drafted full-color illustrations, many of these drawings have never before been published. Future Retro looks at cars from a landmark period in automobile design in the 1940s to 1960s, providing a rare glimpse into the thinking of premiere Detroit auto makers. The text by Bill Porter, formerly chief designer for General Motors, details such matters as the role of the designer in auto styling, the demands and expectations of the major manufacturers, and the ways in which airplanes, rockets, and emerging technologies influenced postwar car design. Over 40 color plates showcase the drawings themselves, introducing us to cars that are highly retro, sometimes decidely wacky (a number of them were too outlandish to build), and always very, very cool. Future Retro offers an ideal lesson in car design and history lessons to practitioners and students of graphic and industrial design... as well as to anyone who has ever succumbed to the lure of the great American automobile.

Genres: Art, History

Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tim Lapetino]

Great introduction to the topic of automotive illustration. Even though this book is pretty short, it packs some important context into its introduction to help set the stage for how and why auto illustration was important. Great inspiration for artists and industrial designers of all stripes.