I'm guessing that most Hambers are familiar with at least some of the work of industrial designer Raymond Loewy. You might enjoy this article that explains a bit about his basic design philosophy and the influence it still continues to have with design and designers today. https://getpocket.com/explore/item/...-just-about-anything?utm_source=pocket-newtab If nothing else it helps explain why the design of certain vehicles, as well as Hot Rods and Customs over the years, has been so enduring. And why some lesser designs have fallen by the wayside rather quickly.
I loved most of his designs, but his personal Corvair was anything but tasteful. Sorry that I don't have a picture to post.
The Corvair would of been a hit if it had the traditional rear drive, engine up front driveline.. Could you imagine what that light little car would of been like with a 327. I remember them weighting in at around 2400 while the Vette was 3500.. This is the first time I ever heard of him...
He also designed some nice fridges. This one is a 1948 that was originally white but my grandmother had it painted green. Still works and is a nice beer fridge. Sent from my SM-N960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Coke bottles Coke lunch counter fountain dispenser, the Studebaker Lazy S logo, the Greyhound bus appearance, the Shell oil Logo, the USPS logo, kitchen appliances,and hand held hair dryers, power tools and more.
Just like an orchestra, there is no music without the musicians. There would be no Loewy designs without his team of designers..! Most seem to think that Loewy did it all himself. While he WAS the director, the designers that worked for him had many of the ideas also. There is much more information / deeper reading out there in Google land. Mike
He also redesigned the Farmall tractor line that was introduced in 1939. This line is what is known as the Letter Series Farmalls. A,B,C,H,M, as well as the styling for all of the other International Tractor lineup. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sorry for not naming them- Pic 1 is the GG1 (4-6-6-4) electric- they were used all the way into the 80's- beautiful lines! Pic 2 is the T1 (4-4-4-4) Pic 3 is Loewy's streamlined K4 Pacific (4-6-2)
I forgot to check back in here over the weekend. I had an aunt and uncle that had a similar Frigedaire many years ago. Then, as now, I'd still expect something magical to happen when you'd pull on the handle to release the door. The Avanti seems to be one of those love-it-or-hate-it, no middle ground designs. Not surprising for a car that seems to largely have been a clean-sheet design. To my eyes the Avanti never appears to be more than a couple of years old even though they've been around for almost 60 years.
I look at this one almost every day and it never gets old. When parked along side other era cars... it’s always turns heads. I even had a fella tell me it was the wildest car he’d ever seen! He was driving a Mecherschmitt KR200 3 wheeler!!!
I really dig a lot of Loewy designs but when I see the cars he had built for his personal use...they look awful. The difference is, the designs he sold to his clients were done by stylists in his employ, his personal cars were his own work. In other words if you like Loewy designs the credit belongs to others you never heard of.
He could travel on water, by rail, on the roads, and in the air - in vehicles he designed. He designed a pencil sharpener so iconic the Post Office made it into a stamp. https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tN...y-streamlined-pencil-sharpener.1383657066.jpg
Loewy is not my favourite designer. In fact I shall never forgive him for this: A pencil sharpener has no need for aerodynamic efficiency, but the teardrop form provides a pretext for hiding the mechanism from the user. This not only allowed the mechanism to be more cheaply made, it put forth the claim that it functioned for all intents and purposes by magic, in an effort to reduce the owner of the product from technological participant to pure consumer. It was the beginning of an almost century-long nefarious agenda, the effects of which we are suffering today. It is quite fitting that this design dates from 1933, i.e. around the time the development trajectory of the automobile underwent a radical and ultimately regrettable change due to political factors. I'm not big on his Studebakers, either. I don't hate them; I just don't see much point to them.
I'm a fan of his work, I really like his art Deco designs. People that don't know of him or his designs would be amazed at all of the things that is or has been seen or used in there every day life. He definitely didn't keep his design interests in one particular object. It would be a lengthy, and surprising, list. I happen to own 3 Bullet Nosed Studebakers, 50 Champion Starlight coupe, 50 Champion 4dr sedan and a 50 Commander 2dr, just sold a 55 Champion ht, coupe ...so ya I'm aware of his work. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I love the 53 Studes that he gets credit for, but it was actually Bob Bourke that designed them. Loewy was real good at taking credit for his employee's work....
Gee.... that NEVER happens anywhere else, does it? We know Larry Shinoda worked at Ford. Does he own his work, or does Ford? Important stuff here: The name is on the building tells you who owns the work.
Bonneville record setter Hello, When our dad was in the market for a new car based on his standard new car every 4 years mantra, my brother and I had some bright ideas. Number one, my mom was complaining about not having A/C. We wanted our dad to be a little sporty and sit in some cool leather seats in his daily drives to work. So, we took him to see a new Avanti in a local dealership. (three things we should have noticed: one, it was not a Buick. Two, he did not like it that the dealer was separate from his local Buick dealership and three, he did not know anything about a Studebaker.) He did see some 1957 Studebakers on the lot with the cool fins and one even had a centrifugal supercharger. But, he said he had an open mind. As my brother was pointing out the fine interior, the cool motor and overall streamlined look of the car, our dad was starting to get interested. He wanted something 2 door, but, not as large as his last 1957 Buick Roadmaster sedan. Plus, he was getting tired of putting a towel between the two wide sedans in our tiny garage and sometimes having to squeeze out of his Buick, so as not to scratch the 1958 black Impala. He liked the idea of being sporty looking and when we told him that it had or could have as much horsepower as the 58 Impala, he was impressed. But the topper was when he sat in the bucket seats. He was used to the standard GM 90 degree seat backs and these bucket seats were so comfortable, he was almost sold right then. Jnaki He told us that he would talk it over with his best friend in Los Angeles about the Avanti. When he came back to tell us about the Avanti conversation, he had a dark green 1963 Buick Riviera with A/C, leather seats and continued his line of Buicks owned since 1946. Both of us were totally impressed and immediately took the 63 Riviera out for a long cruise. The Avanti went away as the one we liked, but never owned in person. Here are samples of the Bonneville record setting Avanti cars during the 1963 era. "The gorgeous Paula Murphy set the Women’s Land Speed Record of 161 mph in a 1963 Studebaker Avanti." “I need the front low and rear higher for better control above 150 mph. Even at 201 mph the cars is stable with this rake and the 650 lbs of ballast I added to the car for better traction.” “The main reason for the window blowing out with windows up and rear vents open, is the air on top of the window at high speed causes a huge suction.” “AVANTI R1007 was one of three cars that were used by Studebaker for the speed record trials at Bonneville in 1962-1963. The Gold Avanti labeled number “9” was driven by Andy Granatelli and scored an American Class C closed car supercharged record speed of 170.81 miles per hour. In this same automobile, Paula Murphy was to became the “Worlds Fastest Woman on Wheels.” The prototype test car was a darker non-production red. The prototype became the test car in 1962 and the backup was the gold car. “ To top it off, Reggie, an Archie Comic Character drove a new Avanti in one of the extra editions of the Archie Comic Book Series. The Studebaker Avanti was designed in 1961 in a house in the Palm Springs desert. "Raymond Loewy leased this two-room building as a place for the designers he had selected to work and sleep. Loewy and his family lived nearby in a house built in 1946-47 that was designed by local architect Albert Frey."
six. A Dorsett Sea Hawk, another Lowey design, is on my list of boats to own, I'd like an early one powered by the Falcon six. Trouble is finding one.
Some of my herd and a couple Fiberglassic club members! View attachment 4866303 View attachment 4866304 View attachment 4866305
The Jalopy Journal
