Automotive design

Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance, and to some extent the
ergonomics, of motor vehicles, including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and
vans.

Designers at work in 1961. Standing by the scale model's left front fender is Dick Teague, an automobile designer at
American Motors Corporation (AMC).

The functional design and development of a modern motor vehicle is typically done by a large
team from many different disciplines included within automotive engineering, however, design
roles are not associated with requirements for Professional or Chartered-Engineer qualifications.
Automotive design in this context is primarily concerned with developing the visual appearance
or aesthetics of the vehicle, though it is also involved in the creation of the product concept.
Automotive design as a professional vocation[1] is practiced by designers who may have an art
background and a degree in industrial design or transportation design. The terminology used in
the field is found in the glossary of automotive design.

Design elements

The 2003 Bertone Birusa concept car on display at the Geneva Motor Show. In the background are some concept
sketches.

Draft of OScar design proposal

A futuristic original sketch for the Ferrari Modulo 512-S concept car by Paul Martin in 1967. There are already many
features of the final product, including the reduced height, wheels coved for low drag and the characteristic entry system.

The task of the design team is usually split into three main aspects: exterior design, interior
design, and color and trim design. Graphic design is also an aspect of automotive design; this is
generally shared amongst the design team as the lead designer sees fit. The 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
automotive designers who are required to update on the latest information and knowledge
associated with emerging vehicular gadgetry, particularly dashtop mobile devices, like GPS
navigation, satellite radio, HD radio, mobile TV, MP3 players, video playback, and smartphone
interfaces. Though not all the new vehicular gadgets are to be designated as factory standard
items, some of them may be integral to determining the future course of any specific vehicular
models.

Exterior design

The design team(s) responsible for the exterior of the vehicle develops the proportions, shape,
and surface details of the vehicle. Exterior design is first done by a series of manual sketches
and digital drawings. Progressively, drawings that are more detailed are executed and approved
by appropriate layers of management, followed by digital rendering to images. Consumer
feedback is generally sought at this point to help iteratively refine vehicle concepts according to
the targeted market and will continue throughout the rest of the design refinement process.
After more progressive refinement, industrial plasticine and or digital models are developed from
and along with the drawings and images. The data from these models are then used to create
quarter-scale and finally full-sized mock-ups of the final design. With three- and five-axis CNC
milling machines, the clay model is first designed in a computer program and then "carved"
using the machine and large amounts of clay. Even in times of photorealistic 3D (three
dimensional) software and virtual models on power walls, the clay model is still the most
important tool for a final evaluation of the exterior design of a vehicle and, therefore, is used
throughout the industry.
Interior design

The designer responsible for the vehicles' interior develops the proportions, shape, placement,
and surfaces for the instrument panel, seats, door trim panels, headliner, pillar trims, etc. Here
the emphasis is on ergonomics and the comfort of the passengers. The procedure here is the
same as with exterior design (sketch, digital model, and clay model).

Color and trim design

The color and trim (or color and materials) designer is responsible for the research, design, and
development of all interior and exterior colors and materials used on a vehicle. These include
paints, plastics, fabric designs, leather, grains, carpet, headliner, wood trim, and so on. Color,
contrast, texture, and pattern must be carefully combined to give the vehicle a unique interior
environment experience. Designers work closely with the exterior and interior designers.

Designers draw inspiration from other design disciplines such as: industrial design, fashion,
home furnishing, architecture, and sometimes product design. Specific research is done into
global trends to design for projects two to three model years in the future. Trend boards are
created from this research in order to keep track of design influences as they relate to the
automotive industry. The designer then uses this information to develop themes and concepts
that are then further refined and tested on the vehicle models.

Graphic design

The design team also develops graphics for items, such as badges, decals, dials, switches, kick
or tread strips, or liveries.

Computer-Aided Design and Class-A development

The sketches and rendering are transformed into 3D digital surface modeling and rendering for
real-time evaluation with Math data in initial stages. During the development process
succeeding phases will require the 3D model fully developed to meet the aesthetic requirements
of a designer and well as all engineering and manufacturing requirements. The fully developed
CAS digital model will be re-developed for manufacturing meeting the Class-A surface standards
that involve both technical as well as aesthetics. This data will be further developed by a Product
Engineering team. These modelers usually have a background in industrial design or sometimes
tooling engineering in the case of some Class-A modelers. Autodesk Alias and ICEM Surf are the
two most widely used software tools for Class-A development.

Development process

A 1986 Ford Taurus clay model on display in Ford Detroit Styling Studio

Opel Monza Concept in its early design stages

Design development cycle

Several manufacturers have slightly varied development cycles for designing an automobile, but
in practice, these are the following:

Design and consumer research

Concept development sketching

 CAS (Computer Aided Styling)

Clay modeling

Interior buck model

Vehicle ergonomics

Class-A Surface Development

Color and trim

Vehicle graphics

The design process occurs concurrently with other product engineers who will be engineering
the styling data for meeting performance, manufacturing, and safety regulations. From mid-
phase, back and forth interactions between the designers and product engineers culminate into
a finished product be manufacturing ready.

Apart from this the engineering team parallelly works in the following areas. Product Engineering
(Body In White Sheetmetal Design and Plastic engineering), NVH Development team, Prototype
development, Powertrain engineering, Physical Vehicle validation, Tool and Die development,
and Manufacturing process design.

Development team

The design team for a specific model consists of a chief designer and an exterior as well as an
interior designer. In some cases, all three roles are done by one designer. Several junior
designers are involved in the development process as well who make specific contributions all
overseen by the chief designer. Apart from this, the color and trim designer works closely with
other designers. The clay model team and digital model team work closely with the styling team
all located within the studio. Apart from this, there would be studio heads, studio managers, and
prototype engineers who would work across all teams in the studio. The total team size for
developing a full car usually ranges from 25 to 40 members and the development time lasts for
more than 24 months until signed-off for tooling and production. Thereafter a smaller team
would be working until vehicle launch.

Components
The integration of an automobile involves fitting together separate parts to form a monocoque
body or units and mounting these onto a frame, the chassis.

An automobile chassis basically comprises the following:[2]

1. Body shell: forms the skeleton of the vehicle.

2. Engine: power train unit of the vehicle; which in the past has been in large part, the internal
combustion engine.

3. Transmission system: aids in transferring the drive from the engine to the wheels. Its main
components are the clutch, gearbox, final drive, and differential.

4. Suspension system: used to connect the wheels to the body or chassis frame.

5. Steering system

6. Brakes

7. Electrical equipment

8. Interior: dashboard, door panels, headliner, seats, etc.

The chassis is complete in itself as a road vehicle. It can drive and control itself just as in the
case of a complete car and therefore, in many motor works, the chassis is usually tested on the
road before the complete body of the vehicle is attached as the chassis alone can behave as the
propulsion means.[3]

History

United States

An early example of Harley Earl's work seen in the 1938 Buick Y-Job
An early example of the Forward Look design, along with the tailfin by Virgil Exner on the 1956 Plymouth Fury

Jeep Cherokee (XJ), a design that was later imitated by other automakers

In the United States, automotive design reached a turning point in the 1920s when the American
national automobile market began reaching saturation. To maintain unit sales, General Motors
head Alfred P. Sloan Jr. suggested annual model-year design changes to convince car owners
that they needed to buy a new replacement each year, an idea borrowed from the bicycle
industry (though Sloan usually gets the credit or blame).[4] Critics called his strategy planned
obsolescence. Sloan preferred the term "dynamic obsolescence". This strategy had far-reaching
effects on the auto business, the field of product design, and eventually the American economy.

The smaller automakers could not maintain the pace and expense of yearly re-styling. Henry
Ford did not like the model-year change because he clung to an engineer's notions of simplicity,
economics of scale, and design integrity. GM surpassed Ford's sales in 1931 and became the
dominant company in the industry thereafter. The frequent design changes also made it
necessary to use a body-on-frame rather than the lighter but less adaptable monocoque design
used by most European automakers.
Some U.S. designers include Gordon Buehrig, who was
responsible for the Auburn 851, as well as the Cord 810 and 812 (hence also the Hupmobile
Skylark and the Graham Hollywood).

In the 1930s, Chrysler's innovations with aerodynamics helped launch the Chrysler Airflow in
1934, which was revolutionary and radical compared to the contemporary vehicles. However,
inadequate consumer acceptance of the advanced appearance of the cars forced a re-design of
succeeding models of the Airflow. This marketing experience made the entire industry take note
of the high risks involved in incorporating major design advancements into their production cars.

A major influence on American auto styling and marketing was Harley Earl,[5] who brought the
tailfin and other aeronautical design references to auto design starting with the rear fenders of
the 1948 Cadillac. Another notable designer was Chrysler group's designer Virgil Exner, who
developed the Forward look design in the mid-1950s. Exner is also credited with using wind
tunnel testing to justify incorporating tailfins, thus moving the company away from boxy-looking
cars into more aerodynamic and futuristic designs. Raymond Loewy was responsible for a
number of Studebaker vehicles, such as the Starlight (including the bullet-nose).

Starting in the 1960s, Dick Teague, who spent most of his career with American Motors
Corporation (AMC), originated the concept of using interchangeable body panels so as to create
a wide array of different vehicles using the same stampings, starting with the AMC Cavalier.[6]
Teague was responsible for unique automotive designs such as the two-seat AMC AMX muscle
car, the subcompact Gremlin, the Pacer, and Matador coupe, as well as the original and market
segment-creating, Jeep Cherokee (introduced in 1983, and built to 2001 in the U.S. and through
2005 in China).[7][8]

Additionally during the 1960s, Ford's first-generation Ford Mustang and Thunderbird marked
another era leading into new market segments from Detroit. The Ford Mustang achieved record
sales in its first year of production and established the pony car segment.

Personal injury litigation has had an effect on the design and appearance of the car in the 20th
century.[9]

Europe
An early radical French Voisin C26

Until World War I, most of the automakers were concerned with mechanical reliability rather than
its external appearance. Later, luxury and aesthetics became a demand and also an effective
marketing tool. Designs from each nation with its own strong cultural identity reflected in their
exterior and interior designs. World War II slowed the progress, but after the early-1950s, Italian
designers set the trend and remained the driving force until the early part of the 1980s.

France

Citroën DS

In France notable designs came from Bugatti and Avions Voisin. Of the mass-selling cars
Citroën, launched their vehicles with innovative designs and engineering and mostly aided by the
styling of Flaminio Bertoni as evident from Citroën DS.[10] After World War II, with the
disappearance of the coach building industry,[11] French automakers (except Citroën) followed
British and other popular trends until they gained financial stability. During the 1980s,
manufacturers like Renault cultivated their own strong design identities with designers like
Patrick Le Quément. Peugeot, which was dependent on Pininfarina since the early post-war
period, later established its own brand identity from the 1980s onwards. Its other company,
Citroën, still retains its distinctive French innovations for its designs.

Great Britain

1981 Ford Sierra with "jelly-mould" or "aero look" (low CD) styling was advanced for its time

Great Britain was Europe's leading manufacturer of automobiles until the late-1960s. During that
era, there were more British-based automakers than in the rest of Europe combined. The British
automobile industry catered to all segments ranging from compact, budget, sports, utility, and
luxury-type cars. Car design in Britain was markedly different from other European designs
largely because British designers were not influenced by other European art or design
movements, as well as the British clay modelers, used a different sweep set.

British cars until World War II were sold in most of the British colonies. Innovations in vehicle
packaging and chassis engineering combined with global familiarity with British designs meant
vehicles were acceptable to public tastes at that time. British skilled resources like panel
beaters, die machinists, and clay modelers were also available also partly due to their
involvement with the motorsport industry.

Still, during the 1960s, British manufacturers sought professional help from the Italians, such as
Giovanni Michelotti, Ercole Spada, and Pininfarina. Notable British contributions to automobile
designs were Morris Mini by Alec Issigonis, several Jaguar Cars by Sir William Lyons and
Malcolm Sayer,[12] Aston Martin DB Series, and several cars from Triumph and MG. Ford Europe
based in Great Britain, is notable for the Ford Sierra line, a creation of Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz,
and Patrick le Quément. Other British designers were William Towns for Aston Martin cars and
David Bache for Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles.

Germany
1972 BMW 2002, designed by Giovanni Michelotti

Germany is often considered the birthplace of industrial design with Bauhaus School of Design.
However, the Nazi regime closed down the design school. Ferdinand Porsche and his family
played a significant role in German design. Mercedes Benz passenger cars were also in the
luxury segment and played more importance to aesthetics. After the 1980s, German design
evolved into a distinctive Teutonic style often to complement their high engineered cars suited to
Autobahns. The early German design clues of present-day owes some part to Italian designers
like Giovanni Michelotti, Ercole Spada, Bruno Sacco, and Giorgetto Giugiaro. During the mid- and
late-20th century one of the most influential coach builder/designer in Germany was Karmann.

German designs started gaining popularity after the 1980s, notable after the formation of Audi.
Volkswagen, which was dependent on Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Karmann, later
formed the contemporary design language along with Audi. BMW entered the automobile design
with sporty-looking everyday sedans using Giovanni Michelotti. These models were later
enhanced by Ercole Spada into the 1980s, and Klaus Luthe until the mid-1990s. The American-
born designer Chris Bangle was hired by BMW in the late-1990s to re-define the brand. Bangle
incorporated new single press technology for compound curves to add controversial styling
elements to his designs.

The Porsche family contribution was instrumental in the evolution of Porsche cars, while the
Italian designer Bruno Sacco helped create various Mercedes Models from the 1960s to the
1990s.

Italy
Lamborghini Miura from Bertone Studios, designed by Marcello Gandini

In Italy, companies like Fiat and Alfa Romeo played a major role in car design. Many
coachbuilders were dependent on these two major manufacturers. Italian manufacturers had a
large presence in motorsports leading to several sport car manufacturers like Ferrari, Lancia,
Lamborghini, Maserati, etc. During the late-1950s, Italian automobile designs gained global
popularity coinciding with the modern fashion and architecture at that time around the world.
Various design and technical schools in Turin turned out designers on a large scale. By the late-
1960s, almost all Italian coachbuilders transformed into design studios catering to automakers
around the world. The trend continued in the 1990s when the Japanese and Korean
manufacturers sourced designs from these styling studios. One example is Pininfarina.

Italian designers whose designs services were sought globally are Giovanni Michelotti, Ercole
Spada, Bruno Sacco, Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Walter de Silva.

Scandinavia

Ursaab, an early Saab concept illustrating an advanced headlamp treatment

Sweden had Volvo and Saab as domestic automakers, and the nation's northern location
required that cars needed to withstand Nordic climate conditions. The Scandinavian design
elements are known for their minimalism and simplicity. One of the early original Scandinavian
designs was the Saab 92001 by Sixten Sason and Gunnar Ljungström.

Czechoslovakia

1934 Czechoslovakian Tatra 77, the first serial-produced aerodynamically designed automobile, designed by Hans
Ledwinka and Paul Jaray

Prior to World War II and until the early-1990s, Czechoslovakia had strong presence in the
automotive industry with manufacturers like Skoda, Jawa, Tatra, CZ, Praga, and Zetor. Czech
automobiles were generally known for their originality in mechanical simplicity and designs were
remarkably Bohemian as evident from Tatra cars and Jawa motorcycles. During the Communist
regime, the design started falling back and ultimately the domestic automakers ended up as
subsidiaries of EU-based companies.

See also

Automotive aerodynamics

Industrial Design

Automotive Engineering

Alternative propulsion

Automobile layout
Computer-aided industrial design

Automotive design terminology

Coachbuilder

Car body style

Car classification

Car model

Car safety

Cab forward

Concept vehicle

Dashtop mobile

List of automotive designers

Ecodesign

Facelift (automobile)

Virtual tuning

H-point

Mass production

Packages

Platform

Ponton styling

Pre-production car

Prototype

Solid freeform fabrication

Three-box design

Wind tunnel

References
 1. Bullock, Alan (1999). The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought. London: Harper-Collins. p. 689.

2. Hillier, Victor Albert Walter (1991). Motor Vehicles Basic Principles. Nelson Thornes.
ISBN 9780748705313.

3. Judge, Arthur W. (1971). The Mechanism of the Car-Its principles, design, construction and operation
(7th ed.). Chapman & Hall.

4. Babaian, Sharon (1998). The Most Benevolent Machine: A Historical Assessment of Cycles in Canada.
Ottawa: National Museum of Science and Technology. p. 97. ISBN 0-660-91670-3.

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greatest_cars/0604_jeep_cherokee/index.html) . Automobile. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20
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ndex.html) from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.

9. Jain, Sarah S. Lochlann (February 2004). " 'Dangerous Instrumentality': The Bystander as Subject in
Automobility" (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/anthropology/cgi-bin/web/?q=system/files/jain_dangerousi
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10. "French car – with Italian ties – is tops with 6 famous designers and 1 humble reporter" (http://www.auto
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12. Swales, Neville (21 October 2011). "Designing the XJ13" (https://web.archive.org/web/20161024231436/
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Further reading

Nikolaos Gkikas, ed. (2013). Automotive Ergonomics: Driver – Vehicle Interaction. Boca Raton,
FL.: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4398-9425-5.

Lamm, Michael; Hollis, Dave (1996). A century of automotive style - 100 years of American car
design. Stockton, CA: Lamm-Morada. ISBN 9780932128072.</ref>

External links

Learning materials related to New car design at Wikiversity

Media related to Automotive design at Wikimedia Commons

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