2 Apr 2016 – Driven To Write

First Of Its Kind/Last Of Its Kind: Mercedes W126 – Part Two

Conceived under a period of intense socio-political turmoil, the W126-Series S-Class proved tailor-made for the early 1980’s landscape.

kolossale-chromklasse — An S-class for each decade, Photo (c). focus.de

The W126 was met with great acclaim when it was first unveiled in late 1979 and well into 1980. Auto, Motor & Sport, Germany’s major automotive publication, devoted a number of issues to the new ‘Best Car In The World’. In September 1979, Clauspeter Becker summed up the W126’s conceptual formulation thus: Bekenntnis zur Größe – which could be read as both a “commitment to size” or a “commitment to greatness”. This boastful title was however immediately followed by a paragraph explaining that development of the new S-Class had been dictated by tomorrow’s energy situation. Continue reading “First Of Its Kind/Last Of Its Kind: Mercedes W126 – Part Two”

Eternal Flame Surfacing

Chris Bangle – the case for the defence.

642331d1146324780-bangled-bmw-ae_chris_bangle_683_01_2cx_pakwheels-com — A youngling designer, Photo (c) pakwheels.com

Close your eyes and imagine a car designer who actually has something to say. Who doesn’t just repeat the marketing fluff as dictated by his employer’s PR people. Who understands that there’s a world beyond the automotive, and, simultaneously, a world the car, inadvertently or not, helps to shape. The man this is referring to is none other than one Christopher Edward Bangle. Continue reading “Eternal Flame Surfacing”

Drive By Movies: Cars and Film Posters, Part 1

Movie posters have long held a fascination. As both a cinephile and a graphic designer, film advertising occupies a shared position in my Venn diagram of interests.

Like any form of commercial graphics, the compositions of movie posters tread a careful line between any number of competing and often mutually exclusive objectives. Done badly, they are simply more visible clutter plastered on the side of a bus stop shelter, easily ignored as you continue your daily drive to work. Done well, however, then the finest posters blur the distinction between art and commerce until the two become indistinguishable. Continue reading “Drive By Movies: Cars and Film Posters, Part 1”