Tony Lewin - Speed Read Car Design: The History, Principles and Concepts Behind Modern Car Design

THE HISTORY, PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS BEHIND MODERN CAR DESIGN

TONY LEWIN
FOREWORD BY GERRY MCGOVERN

From a very early age I was inspired by modernism and clean, reductive design. Whether its the design of a building, a watch, or an everyday object, I truly believe design has the power to enrich peoples lives and raise their spirits. The most compelling designs, of course, elevate themselves above the ordinary and create an emotional response.

For me, a product that resonates on an emotional level requires three key ingredients to be truly compelling. The first is visceral: When I look at it, do I desire it? The second is behavioral: When I use it, does it function properly? And the third is reflective: Having experienced it over a period of time, do I continue to desire it, does it still work, and have I built a positive relationship with it?

In my view, when it comes to vehicle design, this emotional connection can be even stronger. A compelling vehicle design demands your attention and can make the difference between success and failure in the marketplace.

Clearly there is a level of subjectivity when it comes to a customers appreciation of design. However, a professional designer knows that the core of a compelling design is getting the fundamentals rightsuch as volumes, proportions, stance, how the car sits on its wheels, its overall length relative to its height and width, its wheel-to-body relationship Car design is complex, but if you get these things right, youre well on your way to a successful design.

As an example of this approach, the Range Rover Velar has exquisite volumes and proportions, which combine to create a stunning silhouette. The relationship between its large, 22-inch wheels and its beautifully sculpted wheel arches communicates a finely tuned combination of drama and agility. The interior is a calm sanctuary where technology is hidden until lit, touch-screen smooth, and at your fingertips when you need it. Its design was driven by a single-minded modernist approach throughout.

Design leadership is crucially important for successful vehicle design. Its about taking people with you. If you can take engineers with you and help them, show that you want to support them, and create things that are truly special, youre going to get a much better relationship thats conducive toward creative harmony. The relationship between design and engineering is key.

Communication also plays an important role. Design leaders need to be able to articulate the design vision, while being competent at intellectualizing various arguments to successfully support the design visionand of course the brands DNA has to be at one with that vision. Design is the conduit that communicates what your brand represents.

At Land Rover Ive tried to embed a vision for the brand that has design excellence at its very core. While accepting that vehicle design is a collaborative and a multi-disciplined activity, there still has to be a singular view at design leadership level because design by committee is a recipe for mediocrityand Im not interested in that.

Gerry McGovern
Chief Design Officer, Land Rover
May 2017

From Model T to Model S, and from rich mans amusement to universal mobility tool, the motor car has come a long way in the 130 years since Karl Benzs flimsy Patent Motorwagen first spluttered into life.

There have been countless small steps along the way, as well as dozens of big stridessome of the most notable being the Ford Model T, which launched mass production to put America and, indirectly, the world, on wheels, and the remarkable Citroen DS and the leap into the future that it provided in 1955. Post DS, the Austin Mini revolutionized the way small (and later, almost all) cars were designed. In 1997, the Toyota Prius introduced the world to hybrid power, followed by Nissan and Tesla, which opened up pure-electric travel.

All these designs were landmarks in improving how a vehicle functions, what it sells for, and how it minimizes its impact on the global environment. Others have enriched the automotive universe by pushing the bounds of beauty, engineering endeavour, or sheer enjoymentand for this we celebrate them.

In Speed Read: Car Designwe trace the inspirations of the first car designers and track the craft, the art, and the science that have propelled successive generations of designers and shaped the contours of the vehicles we see all around us. We show how technical advances and tightening regulations have kept designers on the front foot to provide the aesthetically appealing vehicles demanded by consumers and their changing tastes. Finally, we chart the sometimes dramatic shifts in four-wheeled fashion that have provided breakthrough opportunities for some car manufacturers but spelled decline and despair for others.