Car Design is the process of conceiving, planning and developing an automobile, taking account of sociological, environmental, anthropological and aesthetic aspects .
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About Car Design
The task of car design is usually split into three main aspects: exterior design, interior design, and color and trim design. Design focuses not only on the isolated outer shape of automobile parts, but concentrates on the combination of form and function, starting from the vehicle package. The aesthetic value will need to correspond to ergonomic functionality and utility features as well. In particular, vehicular electronic components and parts will give more challenges to car designers who are required to update on the latest information and knowledge.
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Car Design History
Car design was born with the car that established a mass market for automobiles, the Model T, that was introduced on Oct. 1, 1908. The first Model T had a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine, reached a top speed of about 45 miles per hour. More than 15 millions T’s were built and sold. The Model T was the first low-priced, mass- produced car with standard interchangeable parts. The engine design, a single block with a removable cylinder head, became the industry standard. Henry Ford called the Model T “the universal car,” a low-cost, reliable vehicle that could be maintained easily.
Henry Ford’s initiation of mass production of vehicles on the moving assembly line led to lower car prices and the $5 workday. And it is thanks to the introduction of the assembly line, that we can talk about the birth of Car Design.
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The most important figure in the world of Car Design certainly possess to the Pinin Farina company. On May 22nd Battista “Pinin” Farina founded Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in Turin. The company was designed to build special car bodies for individual customers or in small production runs. In 1955, with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, the so-called by Pinin ‹‹fair girl››, the decisive passage to the industrial dimension.
The biggest contribution to Car Design gave thanks to the countless collaborations with Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati, Peugeot, Fiat, Lancia and Gm, which led Pininfarina to the role as standard-bearer of the aesthetic values of Italian design in the world.
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Surely two of the cars that have most marked the history of Car Design are the Fiat 500 and the Wolkswagen Beetle.
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The former was more than just a car. It made history. It gave italians the ability to move freely and with confidence as they recovered from World War II. A liberating form of self-expression. Since its initial launch in Italy on the 4th of July 2007, exactly 50 years after the launch of the original, the FIAT 500 has evolved into a beloved global icon, winning the hearts of enthusiastic drivers and automotive journalists.
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The latter was rear-engine economy car manufactured and marketed by German automaker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003. Although designed in the 1930s, the Beetle was only produced in significant numbers from 1945 on when the model was internally designated the Volkswagen Type 1(“People’s Car“). The Beetle marked a significant trend, led by Volkswagen, Fiat, and Renault, whereby the rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout increased from 2.6 percent of continental Western Europe’s car production in 1946 to 26.6 percent in 1956
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In the 1999 Car of the Century competition, which determined the world’s most influential car in the 20th century, the Type 1 came fourth, after the Ford Model T, the Mini, and the Citroën DS.
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The latest models come out, and perhaps the most representative of car design are Ferrari SF70H and Bugatti Chiron, respectively for the world of track and road cars.
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For the SF70H the lengthened nose and arrow-shaped front wing are a consequence of the new rules, as is the obvious fin on the engine cover and the more complex aero appendages. Visible at the front is a duct that has an aerodynamic role. The suspension layout is also updated; it still retains a push rod design at the front. The hubs and wheel nuts have been redesigned to facilitate the work of the mechanics when changing wheels during the pit stops. Finally, also as a function of the expected increase in performance this year, the power-steering and braking systems have been upsized.
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The second is the result of efforts to make the best even better. Bugatti has tested the limits of physics. The Chiron1 is the most modern interpretation of Bugatti’s brand DNA. The styling accentuates the performance aspect of the super sports car. Inspired through Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic the new design language is characterised by extremely generous surfaces, which are demarcated by pronounced lines in the case. In order to achieve a 25 percent increase in performance compared to its predecessor, almost every single part of the engine was developed. The result is unbelievable acceleration which only comes to an end in the twilight zone somewhere beyond the 400 km/h mark.
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Info source:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2017/2/ferrari-launch-the-sf70h.html
http://www.bugatti.com/chiron/
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/08/05/model-t-facts.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_design
http://www.pininfarina.com/en/company/history/history.htm