Henry Ford may be attributed to the invention of the automobile, but it just isn’t the case.
This week, the oldest running car in the world, a steam driven 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux was auctioned off for $4.62 million dollars.
It’s pretty amazing that this 127 year old automobile is still around, alive and working. Pre-dating Gottlieb Daimler’s auto by at least two years, this French beauty may well be worth the trunkload of cash that was paid for it.
Unlike most industries, automotive design arguably already hit it’s zenith years ago. Though the features available in cars today are mind boggling, their pure forms are, frankly, pretty lame compared to some of the designs that erupted out of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.
The Portland Art Museum is currently showing a traveling exhibit called The Allure of the Automobile, which showcases some of the very rarest, most exquisite cars ever designed. From PAM’s own website:
June 11 – September 11, 2011
The Allure of the Automobile is the first exhibition to consider the stylistic development of cars in the context of prominent design movements such as Art Moderne and Postwar Modernity. Visitors will learn about the contrasts between European and American design, the influence of decorative arts, and the significant changes in automotive styling and engineering before and after World War II.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an array of programs and opportunities to learn more about these remarkable automobiles, the technology behind them, and their historical and cultural context.
Though the exhibition is small at only 16 cars, they’re very much one-of-a-kind models, all in pristine shape, all positively glowing in the art museum setting. I visited the exhibit knowing I’d be appreciative of the artfulness of these cars. But I was blown away at the utter beauty of these vehicles. More sculpture than cars, the collection holds extremely rare, unusual models like the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT racecar, 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, and the show-stopping 1937 Hispano Suiza H-6C “Xenia” Coupe. The Xenia is one of those designs destined to go down as one of the most gorgeous of all time. I didn’t expect it to be gargantuan, which it is. Everything down to the exhaust pipe is exquisite, and at the time, it was an extremely futuristic design. It still is, 75 years later.
Here are just a few photos I took on my brief tour of the exhibit. For anyone interested in industrial design, sculpture or craftsmanship, I highly recommend a visit.
Every so often a concept car will come along that initially may make you gasp. The BMW 328 Hommage is one of those. It’s strange, ‘dead-eye’ look is both off-putting and extremely simple and beautiful. The skintight metal wraps the car in an impossibly low stance, and the absence of rearview mirrors add to the simplicity and intrigue.
Dubbed the BMW 328 Hommage, this ultra-lightweight sports car was built to mirror the principles used to create the original 328. The 328 Hommage weighs in at a svelte 1,720 pounds, accomplished through the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. While CFRP wasn’t exactly around in the 30’s and 40’s, BMW engineers of that era kept the 328 light through the use of aluminum and magnesium. Both cars are cut from a similar cloth to achieve a lightweight end result, even if the methods to get there are very different.
Via the official BMW press release:
BMW 328 Hommage.The BMW 328 is considered the most successful and best-looking sports car of the 1930s. The BMW 328’s success was the result of its design parameters – through the use of systematic lightweight construction, aerodynamic lines, optimum engine types and outstanding suspension technology, it laid the foundation stone for a new vehicle concept, by which performance only leads to success if combined with perfect harmonisation of all parameters and maximum efficiency.
With these characteristics, the BMW 328 was even then the embodiment of what the BMW brand still stands for today – dynamics, aesthetics and a high level of innovation.
Don’t look for this car on the road, ever. It will probably never arrive in dealerships, but makes for a stunning design exercise, anyway.