History (More) Dream Cars and Nightmares -- the clay studio edition

Fortunately, good taste prevailed and the 300 emerged as one of the best looking of all mid-50's models.

 

I am also a clay sculptor hear in the Detroit area, I have only seen this modeling kit once in person. Another sculptor had brought it in to PDC to show it off back around 2002 when I was there.

 

FWIW.......European studios used plaster for modelling. American studios developed widespread use of clay. There's almost as much mess using clay as there is with plaster...............just different mess.

Jim

 

'Nother super thread Bill.
The La Salle is my pick.
Wow, Exner had H. Earl & co. on the ropes with the 'Forward look. And those those Edsels..

 

Never knew they made such a thing, did you make anything??

 

I'm not sure that's a Studebaker model. I seem to remember some pictures of Tucker models that looked something like this. I would guess the "grills" in the rear fenders would be to get air to the rear engine.

 

Heres a stude proto that has a similar nose.

 

Wow! I stand corrected.

 

Great photos, thanks!

 

I have seen one of those kits as well ...a fellow sculptor at work brought one in..was pretty cool. If I remember correctly , there was clay, a block of foam, some basic tools the instructions, maybee some balsa, and the tire/wheel combos...it has been a few years since I have seen one....Oh and there are still some pretty "off the wall" models done....you just won't see them for another 50 years....Shawn

 

Cool thread! A lot of resto purists complain that automotive design should be left to the "professionals," and that customizers can only screw up that "professional" design. Many of these concepts illustrate that even the "professionals" get it wrong sometimes!

 

I guess it just shows that there have to go through lots of misses before they settle on all those wonderful cars we know and love.
I must wonder how some of these weren't culled before they made it as far as the clay stage though - perhaps they just needed to see exactly how ugly some of them were - you know, so they could pull them out at Christmas parties or retirements to 'roast' some of the worse perpetrators......??? Hmmmmm.......???

 

That's exactly what became the fate for some of the models and renderings! Here's a couple from Ford New Year's party from the advanced styling studio. At the dinner party, they would put on skits usually poking fun at the design process and beaurocracy. In the first pic it appears they're using dynamite to alter the front end design. The second pic they're using more direct measures. This was Alex Tremulis' group of stylists (he's the one restraining the clay model) putting out some great iconic designs and then some not so good. They all had one hell of a good time! Happy New Year...

 

Exactly -- that's what makes the modeling phase so critical and fascinating.

 

The other aspect to this phase is that the design(styling) process is alway's at battle with the engineering community(the folks who have to make it functional).Designers are taught to always stretch farther with their design,with the fact in mind that it will generally get watered down.

 

As to the Studebaker/Tucker designer.....check Raymond Loewy...Lucky Strike, Coke, streamline locos, Studebaker say no more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Loewy

 

sorry they're so big....

 

check out topic "for your edsel lovers", tons of weird looking edsel clay models there!

www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=592687&highlight=edsel&showall=1

 

Just a tidbit of info for you guys who are into the "clay" aspect of modeling. When I wanted to do a custom part and have it cast, I found that a local company, in Wall, NJ, still makes all the grades of professional modelling clay, and supplies some of the auto industry. They are called Chavant Clay, and have been around for 60-70 years, supplying to the sculpters, as well as industry. They sell small amounts, too!

 

Absolutely. Even the concept cars you see on the show floor have features that can never make production.

 

It did, not as a Merc but as a smaller sized Ford in France.

 

Also as Lincoln.

 

Yes but the Cosmopolitan doesn't have the Merc belt line whereas the Vedette had, anyway none of those three were the same size

 

Thanks for all the responses!

 

I'm actually a clay modeler. The kit in the box is so mint I didn't want to mess with it. It's like a beginners kit to get a taste of what it's really like to model a full size car (sort of). I will take pictures of the inside and post them later


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Must have been a shocker to kids used to plastic kits!

 

Indeed, it is interesting how, to one degree or another, all the Detroit automakers embraced the jellybean fastback roof in these years. The fad sure did die quickly.