Designers Choose Favorite Cars of All Time
International Group of Designers Agree 'Form Follows Passion' at 1999 Motor
Press Guild Design Forum; Pick Best Design of the Century
ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- When challenged
at a forum last week, several of the world's top automotive designers agreed on
one thing -- that there were many cars to choose from when selecting the best
design of the century. A stellar group of eight of the top automotive
designers in the world gathered at the 1999 Motor Press Guild (MPG) Design Forum
to discuss "Form follows Passion," the official topic of the
panel. While the representatives from American, Japanese and European
automakers appeared to have some consensus on the need for inspiration in car
design, they parted company when it came to naming one vehicle as the epitome of
design for this century.
The panel included Ed Blandford, designer, Mazda North America Design Center;
Peter Brock, international design consultant; Ed Golden, design manager, Ford
Motor Company; Dave Merak, chief designer, American Honda; Simon Padian, design
manager, Saab; Chuck Pelly, president, Designworks USA BMW; Tom Tjaarda,
international design consultant; Tom Tremont, design director, DaimlerChrysler
Pacifica; and Kip Wasenko, chief designer, Cadillac.
Moderating the panel was Del Coates, design consultant and educator. One
of the key organizers of the event on behalf of MPG was designer and MPG special
events committee member Gene Garfinkle.
One of the most challenging questions posed to the panel was to pick one car
that was the best "statement of visual aesthetics" for the
industry. Many responses centered on Italian designers -- Ferraris,
Bugattis and Alfa Romeos.
For example, Cadillac's Wasenko picked the 1964 Ferrari GTO along with the
Ferrari Daytona as his favorites. The current Jaguar XK8 was cited by
Ford's Golden. Others, like the American Tjaarda who followed his love of
Italian car design from Michigan to Italy, mentioned the overall inspiration of
Ferrari-Pininfarina-Lancia designs from 1957-58. Specific choices like a
custom-bodied 1929 Alfa Romeo picked by race car designer Brock won nods of
approval from other panelists and attendees at the event.
When the discussion turned to design classics among current
cars, the Mazda Miata and RX-7, Dodge Viper and Porsche 911 were
proposed as "future collectibles." The panel's choice for
trendsetting vehicles among contemporary cars spanned from VW's New Beetle to
the upcoming Chrysler PT Cruiser to the Renault Scenic.
The Motor Press Guild is a Los Angeles-based association of
automotive journalists, public relations persons and others in the
industry. MPG is among the largest organizations of its kind, currently
with more than 525 members. MPG's president is B.J. Killeen. The
Design Forum was organized by Earl Gandel, Gene Garfinkle and Don Prieto.
For more information on MPG or this meeting, please contact Michael Coates at
(408) 399-9081 or mcoates@aol.com or visit the MPG website at www.motorpressguild.org.
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SOURCE Motor Press Guild
10/28/1999
  
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