Car Design

Automobiles are more than just a means of transport: they are social entities—societal developments are manifested in their design. In this cultural history Paolo Tumminelli introduces legendary brands, designs and their creators from the 1920s to the present day. With its concise and information-packed articles and some 400 original photographs, this first volume in a series on global car design is a must have reference work for all those interested in automotive culture. Whether the Cadillac fins of the 1950s, the Muscle Cars of the 1970s or the Sport Utility Vehicles that marked the beginning of the 21st century, American car design is primarily known for its excesses. However, from a broader perspective, a different picture emerges. America was the first to recognize the creative and strategic potential of design and to create a system of brands, models and version that set global standards. In this second volume of his series on the global automotive history, Paolo Tumminelli tells the story of American car design as cultural history—from the Streamliner experiments of the 1930s up to the recent resurgence of the American automobile industry—drawing intriguing parallels with the social developments of the time. With over 400 original images from the manufacturers’ archives, Car Design America is an indispensable reference work for every car enthusiast. The third volume in a series on automotive culture, Car Design Asia continues and concludes the narrative that has already explored Europe and America. Having started in the 1950’s as a smaller player, compared to Europe and the United States, East Asia’s automobile industry has since consistently grown, developing into the most dynamic global creative force in the process. At the forefront of technology and design, cars from Japan today include some of the most commercially successful automobiles ever built, as well as a great many of the odd, the whimsical, and the spectacular kind. Enriched by hundreds of original photographs and pointing out the links among the East Asian cars and the cultures they respectively originated from, this volume bridges the gap between fascinating heritage and promising future.