Art Deco and the Automobile – American Design the Big Three and Three Littler Ones
As the premier GM line, Cadillac received special design attention. The 1933 Aerodynamic Coupe by Fleetwood is stunning, especially for the time. Fortunately, the lines continued on later Cadillacs.
The Hudson Terraplane grille is among the most attractive of all time.
In the June 2012 issue of Vintage Roadcar, four American Deco automotive designs were contrasted – Chrysler Airflow with Lincoln Zephyr and Stout Scarab with Cord 810/812. There were, of course, many other American cars that included Deco elements. Some were very streamlined and others a lot less so. With a few notable exceptions, such as the two mentioned in the June 2012 issue, the Big Three were pretty conservative. Still, there are other good examples of American automotive Deco design. Examples from six manufacturers, the three big ones and three smaller ones, will show how various American designers approached streamlining.
There are some references suggesting that General Motors was at the forefront of streamlined design. C. Edson Armi, in his book The Art of American Car Design, said “. . . [Harley] Earl initiated a creative change during this period [1930s] by developing a personal pseudo-aerodynamic style based on the streamlined envelope.” Actually, there were others who seem to have provided the examples Earl followed. First, though, the Big Three in reverse order.
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