Dialogue between one of the worlds most experienced racing car designers and a technical author-graduate engineer on the theory and technique of racing car design and development.
Contents include:
- The anatomy of a racing car designer
- Len Terry – A Biographical Sketch
- Description of nearly 30 Terry designs from clubmans sports car to Indianapolis winner
- A blank sheet of paper – Len Terry explains his procedure for advancing a new design from the sketch pad to the race track
- Handling characteristics – The theoretical aspects; oversteer and understeer; practical implications
- Structural considerations – Space-frames and monocoques; the cockpit area; the structural engine; progress and legislation
- Suspension – Changing needs and layouts; the torsion bar; self-levelling systems; anti-dive and anti-squat; progressive-rate springing; stiffness/weight ratio
- Brakes, wheels and tires – Influence of smaller wheels; twin-disc brake systems; attention to details; low-profile tire phenomena
- Aerodynamics – Basic considerations; wings and things; intake ram effect; ‘ground effect’ vehicles
- The cooling system – Radiator location; cooling the oil
- Safety and comfort; primary and secondary safety; driver comfort
- Materials
- Components – Ball joints, batteries, brakes, clutches, dampers, driveshafts, electrics, flexible bearings, flexible fuel cells, gearshift linkages, instruments, non-return valves, nonspill fuel fillers, oil and fuel pipes, Perspex mouldings, radiators, springs and steering gear; design versus development
- The competition – nine other racing car designers discussed
- Future developments
The Leading Edge summarizes the aerodynamic design and construction issues of solar cars and ultralight land vehicles. Author Goro Tamai draws on his own experience in designing solar cars at MIT to produce a book for the ground-up streamlined land-vehicle designer or constructor, as well as for the solar/electric/ultralight vehicle enthusiast. As with any engineering problem, the “best” body shape for solar cars, HPVs, or Electrathoners is not the body of absolute lowest drag. The vehicle system, in-cluding the driver, chassis, and energy/drive system must work in concert to produce the maximum output. The Leading Edge will help designers quantify the trade-offs, and make logical decisions.
Technical highlights:
- Vehicles covered include solar cars, human-powered vehicles (HPV), solar bikes, electrathon racers, ground-up hybrid or pure electric vehicles, and fuel-economy record cars.
- Numerous examples using specific race cars and teams, and how designers solved problems.
- Full definition of terms, with equations and examples provided for determining key aerodynamic parameters.
- All design and construction issues, from body shape, to wheels, to canopy integration, to solar panel sizing.
- How to do in-the-field testing and diagnosis of aerodynamic performance.
- Special overview section reviews the history of ultra-streamlined land vehicle development.
When Bruno Sacco walked through the doors on his first day at Mercedes-Benz on 13 January 1958, it is highly unlikely that his Daimler-Benz colleagues could ever imagine that this nervous young man would not only revolutionize design but would change the way design and innovation connected with brand tradition forever.
Bruno Sacco is one of the most influential automotive designers of the late twentieth century; many models launched during his era now characterize the Mercedes-Benz brand. When Nik Greene asked Bruno Sacco to assist with this book, he replied humbly “No-one designs a car alone, and more to the point, I never, for one minute, wanted to. From the moment I became Head of Design, I put down my pens and became a manager of minds.”
With over 330 photographs and illustrations, this book includes an overview of the early days of functional vehicle design and the influence of safety on design evolution. The protagonists of Daimler-Benz design from Hermann Ahrens to Paul Bracq are covered. Design philosophy and innovation under Bruno Sacco is discussed along with the Sacco-designed cars and, finally, the Bruno Sacco legacy.
Henry Dominguez’s newest book The Cellini of Chrome, introduces the surprisingly unknown but truly fascinating career of George Walker, the Ford Company’s first full Vice President of Styling.
In the same flamboyant vein as other design greats such as Harley Earl, Gordon Buerig, Vergil Exner, Raymond Loewy and William “Bill” Mitchell, Walker developed the standard for key Ford Motor Company Products for the 1950s and ‘60’s. Beginning with the enormous success of the 1949 Ford, George became the catalyst for the iconic appearance of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln models, elevating Henry’s company to one of the all-around best-selling Automotive operations in the World.
With a personal history anything but bland, his elegant style of dress, appeal to attractive women, signature winning smile, and willingness go toe to toe with industry giants such as Henry Ford II (“The Deuce”) and other top executives, Walker made himself a key figure in the highly competitive environment of mid-20th Century automotive design.
His story is a must for any automotive enthusiast looking for an inside view of how the stylistic character of Ford products was created by Walker and his associates.
An English Car Designer Abroad is the humorous and personal account of a life spent working on the design of some of the world’s best known cars. Commencing his career as a designer at Vauxhall Motors, Luton in 1973, Peter Birtwhistle then left the UK in 1977 to take a position abroad, at Audi in Germany, where he lived for the rest of his working life.
From Audi, his career took him to Porsche in Stuttgart, and eventually, in 1988, to the Japanese company Mazda, with whom he would help develop a Design Centre close to Frankfurt, eventually becoming Chief Designer for Mazda Motor Europe. During his career, Birtwhistle was involved in the design of some very significant cars and in his work and travels, crossed the paths of many significant personalities from the car industry.
Car design has changed enormously since the time he commenced his career, and for Birtwhistle it was clear, his story needed to be documented before it was lost in time. Featuring original photographs and illustrations from the author’s own collection, this highly humorous and very personal story creates a fascinating collage of anecdotes and historical facts, not only from the secretive world of car design, but also his private life.
Concept, design, production and development of the road-homologated cars
A dazzling tribute to the KTM X-Bow car – the world’s first production sports car with a full carbon composite monocoque. To fully understand and enjoy this car, it can, and should be appreciated on many different levels: a racing car for the road, and a road car that can excel on the track; its unique composition and aerodynamic qualities; its design and aesthetics. This is a car that was brought to life by the virtually unlimited monetary resources of an industrial giant, steeped in motorsport, who demanded that it be technologically cutting-edge. The car was honed to perfection by arguably the finest racing car engineers in the world, for whom ‘best in class’ was a minimum requirement. It is an objét d’art that can race in anger, or can transport in style. It startles, it fascinates, it wins.
As Mr Toad (of Wind in the Willows fame) would undoubtedly have said, it is ”A Most Unusual Car!” – we are lucky that this most unusual car, the KTM X-BOW, exists in our lifetime.
This book details the design and development, the build process, racing history, and what it’s like to live with and maintain an X-Bow, written by joint owners and enthusiasts, with the full cooperation of the designers and developers.
The car industry and the way in which cars are created have changed beyond all recognition over the last half-century. Automotive styling was once the grudging afterthought when the engineers had finished their work. Now, following a short flirtation with exotic Italian design houses, it has evolved into sophisticated design carried out by multitalented in-house teams honing carefully crafted brand identities.
One of the visionary designers at the forefront of that revolution has been Patrick le Quément. Most widely acclaimed for his 22 years in charge of Renault Design, resulting in such standout models as the Twingo, Scénic and Avantime, le Quément has enjoyed a 50-year career that has also taken in Simca, Ford and Volkswagen-Audi. In his foreword to the book, Stephen Bayley calls le Quément ‘perhaps the very most original designer working in the conservative car business at the turn of the millennium’. Some 60 million cars across the world now bear the unmistakable stamp of le Quément.
Design: Between the Lines is not a straightforward autobiography; rather, le Quément charts his journey through five decades of thoughts, actions, failures and successes. He offers fascinating commentaries on design and the creative process, and on some of the extraordinary automotive brands that make up our shared cultural heritage. As Bayley notes, for le Quément, design is ‘as much a matter of thinking as a matter of drawing’. On a broader, more philosophical level, le Quément also shares his views about life in general and that remarkable contraption called ‘the automobile’, which has so influenced the lives of millions of people the world over from the late 1800s to the present day.
Presented as a series of 50 brief essays or ‘perspectives’, le Quément’s thoughtful and astute observations from the street, from the design studio and from his seat in the boardroom give the reader a penetrating and often amusing insight into the high-level workings of a global industry, its triumphs and tragedies, and the foibles of the decision-makers responsible for running it. A lively complementary text by the automotive journalist Stéphane Geffray accompanies each of le Quément’s perspectives, and illustrations are provided by the automobile designer Gernot Bracht. Design: Between the Lines will appeal to all motoring fans and enthusiasts of good design. As Chris Bangle, the former Director of BMW Design, remarks: ‘Few car designers have had a career so filled with innovative successes that they have inspired a whole industry; fewer still have the skills to share it. Engaging and revealing, Patrick relates his personal experience and deep knowledge of car design in a very enjoyable manner.’
Details how to select, install, and calibrate high-performance aftermarket brake systems specifically for your classic muscle car.
Other brake system books cover all cars and all applications, but this book is dedicated to muscle cars only! With this volume, you can follow detailed, thorough, step-by-step procedures to install systems on a variety of popular muscle cars from Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. As a result, you will have a car with brakes on par with the handling and horsepower of modified cars today.
Many 1960s and 1970s muscle cars still carry the outdated and rudimentary OEM drum or under powered stock disc/drum brake systems. These hinder handling agility and stopping performance, and they are a subpar safety system. Muscle cars are meant to be driven aggressively, and the brake system needs to match the performance of the drive train.
The fundamentals of system design, operation, and component function are clearly explained so you understand all principles, equipment, and available kits. With this knowledge, you can select the best brake system for your car and application. However, selecting the right equipment is just the first step. This book delivers detailed step-by-step instructions and photos so you can confidently install an aftermarket high-performance brake system, such as a kit from Wilwood, Baer, CCP, and others on a variety of muscle cars. Covered are aftermarket brake conversions for factory size 14- to 15-inch wheels as well as installs for 16- to 20-inch wheels. You are shown how to select individual components and install master cylinders, steel-braided brake lines, calipers, rotors, and proportioning valves. Whether you’re driving a high-performance street, Pro Touring, autocross, drag racing, or road racing car, these brake system installs dramatically increase performance and safety.
Every carnut’s indispensable sketch- and notebook. 80 designers – big names or young guns – from Porsche, Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari, McLaren, Audi and many other brands made a unique sketch especially for WAFT. We gathered those, together with their CV, in a lovely sketch book that leaves enough space for your own creativity.
Walter de’ Silva from the VW Group, Ed Welburn from GM, Lorenzo Ramaciotti from the Fiat Group, J Mays from Ford, Peter Schreyer from Kia, Jean-Pierre Ploué from PSA, Adrian Van Hooydonk from the BMW Group, Laurens van den Acker from Renault and Gorden Wagener from Daimler.
Nine people that are key to contemporary car design. Nine design chiefs influencing the appearance of almost every car in the world. This book shows the men behind the machines, tells their stories, presents their compelling personalities, and unveils some drawings that have never been seen before.
John Barnard revolutionised Formula 1, and motorsport as a whole, through his unrelenting quest for perfection in racing car design. Written with Barnard’s cooperation and with input from dozens of associates, drivers and rivals, this biography tells the entire story, both personal and professional, of a British design genius. Barnard’s technical achievements are explored in detail–and in accessible language–with special emphasis on his brilliant initiatives while at McLaren (the first carbon-fiber composite chassis) and Ferrari (the first semi-automatic gearbox). The Perfect Car is also a human-interest story, telling a tale of innovation under intense pressure while Barnard endeavoured to maintain a stable family life. This is a landmark book that will be relished by anyone interested in motorsport and design.
A landmark new history from design journalist Nick Hull, Land Rover Design – 70 years of Success offers a detailed insight to the company’s design story, from the early days of Land Rover in Solihull to the latest generation of the Range Rover Velar in 2018.
The Land Rover was born from a desperate need by the Rover Company to develop a stop-gap model to provide cashflow in the post-war years. The original aim of a simple 4×4 agricultural tool soon developed into a multi-purpose vehicle that became the mainstay of the British Army and produced numerous offshoots for the emergency services, police, forestry and aid agencies worldwide.
This book details the personalities involved in the various projects since the late 1940s up to today: the designers, modellers and studio engineers. It charts the development of Land Rover and Range Rover projects in the UK, particularly those designed in the Gaydon studio that opened in 1996, and is still a key part of JLR’s design resource. From the early days of chalk drawings and wooden models to today’s digital renderings and milled clays for the latest Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover’s designers and technicians have never been short of creativity. This book tells their story, in their own words, and is a fitting tribute to the spirit and ethos of Land Rover design and engineering.
Without question, the 1964-1/2 Mustang is one of the most important and influential cars in automotive history. When Ford launched the Mustang, it created an automotive revolution. Award-winning designer and stylist Gale Halderman was at the epicenter of the action at Ford, and, in fact, his initial design sketch formed the basis of the new Mustang. He reveals his involvement in the project as well as telling the entire story of the design and development of the Mustang.
Authors and Mustang enthusiasts James Dinsmore and James Halderman go beyond the front doors at Ford into the design center, testing grounds, and Ford facilities to get the real, unvarnished story. Gale Halderman offers a unique behind-the-scenes perspective and firsthand account of the inception, design, development, and production of the original Mustang. With stinging losses from the Edsel fresh in minds at Ford, the Mustang project was an uphill battle from day one. Lee Iacocca and his assembled team had a herculean task to convince Henry Ford II to take a risk on a new concept of automobile, but with the help of Hal Sperlich’s detailed market research, the project received the green light. Henry Ford II made it clear that jobs were on the line, including Iacocca’s, if it failed.
The process of taking a car from sketch to clay model to prototype to preproduction and finally finished model is retraced in insightful detail. During the process, many fascinating experimental cars, such as the Mustang I two-seater, Mustang II prototype, Mustang Allegro, and Shorty, were built. But eventually the Mustang, based on the existing Ford Falcon, received the nod for final production. In a gala event, it was unveiled at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. The Mustang received public accolades and critical acclaim, and soon it became a runaway hit. After the initial success, Ford designers and Gale Halderman designed and developed the first fastback Mustangs to compliment the coupes. The classic Mustang muscle cars to follow, including the GT, Mach 1, and others, are profiled as well.
The Mustang changed automotive history and ushered in the pony car era as a nimble, powerful, and elegantly styled sports coupe. But it could so easily have stumbled and wound up on the scrap pile of failed new projects. This is the remarkable and dramatic story of how the Mustang came to life, the demanding design and development process, and, ultimately, the triumph of the iconic American car.
Vehicle Design guides readers through the methods and processes designers use to create and develop some of the most stunning vehicles on the road. Written by Jordan Meadows, a designer who worked on the 2015 Ford Mustang, the book contains interviews with design directors at firms including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Hyundai Motor Group, and Ford Motor Company, amongst other professionals. Case studies from Ford, Mazda, and Jeep illustrate the production process from research to execution with more than 245 color behind-the-scenes images in order to help readers create vehicles drivers will cherish.
The world’s premier pony car is in the spotlight this time in Motorbooks’ Speed Read series.
Get a full look at every iconic Mustang model, from the first car to bear the name in 1964 that became the fastest selling car of all time, to the astounding 526-horsepower supercar Mustang produces today.
Part of Motorbooks’ Speed Read series, Mustang:The History, Technology and Design Behind the Original Pony Car covers 50 aspects key to understanding the Mustang’s amazing history. With accessible language, compartmentalized sections, and specially commissioned artwork, readers will learn about Mustang’s history in racing, production cars, design and technology, and the personal histories of key figures. It will make anyone an instant Mustang expert!
From the first complete car Enzo Ferrari constructed in 1940–the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815–to the masterpieces produced by Ferrari S.p.A. from 1947 to today, they’re all here.
The Speed Read series breaks subjects into easily understood sections, Ferrari: The History, Technology and Design Behind Italy’s Legendary Sports Cars covers 50 aspects key to understanding Ferrari’s amazing history, from racing to production cars to design and technology to the personal histories of key figures. This book will make anyone an instant Ferrari expert!
Accessible and compartmentalized sections illustrated with commissioned artwork come together to create a package attractive to neophytes, established enthusiasts, and those simply curious.
In the mid-1950s, an innovative group of women at General Motors (dubbed the Damsels of Design by marketers) and their counterparts at Ford, Hudson, Studebaker, Packard, and Tucker changed automotive history forever. Read the untold story of the women who excelled in the Mad Men era of automobile and industrial design. Recruited by top CEOs at automotive companies, they developed many of the products we take for granted today. Learn about Helene Rother, who designed the instrument panel, hardware, and seat construction for midcentury Cadillacs; Elizabeth Thatcher Oros, the first female trained in industrial design; and discover the history behind the child safety seat latch and car doors with lights. An extraordinary story of exceptional women, Damsels in Design sheds light on those who have too long been in the shadows.
This comprehensive new edition of How to Design Cars Like a Pro provides an in-depth look at modern automotive design. Interviews with leading automobile designers from Ford, BMW, GM Jaguar, Nissan and others, analyses of past and present trends, studies of individual models and concepts, and much more combine to reveal the fascinating mix of art and science that goes into creating automobiles. This book is a must-have for professional designers, as well as for automotive enthusiasts.
It is not a coincidence that the year, 2017, marks the 70th anniversary of both Ferrari and the historic Gilco brand. It’s the natural consequence of a joint all-Italian piece of history, one that saw the two enterprises start together and tightly cooperate for many years.
It was 1947 when Gilberto Colombo set up his operations to design and develop new ground-breaking, ultra-light car frames, drawing on his precious experience, especially his work with the aviation industry.
Among further applications, he also started producing rational tubular furniture, as previously produced by his father’s company, on Bauhaus designs, since the 1930’s.
While Enzo Ferrari was turning his machine tool production business into a racing car development firm, thus launching the Ferrari brand, Gilberto Colombo, after transforming his GC Automotive Application unit into Glico Autotelai (Gilco car frames), founded the Gilco brand.
Gilco (obviously an acronym for Gilberto Colombo) has since signed an incredible series of innovative ideas that revolutionised quite a few of the basic concepts on which racing car development was based. His new sophisticated design for industrial production gave a great impulse to some then uprising Italian companies that are still among the most important worldwide today.
Among these, on top of major car brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Zagato and more, are the most important bicycle companies: Ernesto Colnago, Columbus and Cinelli; and nautical companies: Cantieri Folli and Lillia, whose most valued, world championship winning Star sailboats were designed by Gilberto Colombo. On top of all that, interesting architectural designs, and, obviously, tubular furniture.
Today Gilco is a historical brand, strong of a prestigious archive of original designs, but also engaged in building the future. An important part of the legacy of Gilberto Colombo, on top of said archive, is Trafiltubi, the company he founded to produce super-high-performance tubes aimed at extreme applications and whose enduring high-quality production bears witness to its motto: “il tubo non tradisce mai”. (a tube will never let you down).
