In a few other threads, we've talked about how today's professional car designers and stylists are approaching coachbuilding. I posted a response in one of them a technical sketch Tom McPherson drew up one night while we chatted pro cars. Not so much to talk about what others are doing, but rather what they should be doing, I wanted to start this post separately.
I remembered one point he explained, and as we touched on elsewhere, that the landau bar should not come above the side windows. I didn't however remember the second very important point, which as he explains, is the area at and below the landau shield.
............”In order to better illustrate my point regarding styling balance, I have attached several original Superior and S&S drawings appropriately marked to show what I mean. On professionally designed vehicles, the landau bow should never exceed the height of the side windows (marked in red as section B) while the distance between the back door and the rear wheel opening should always be the same as that occupied by the landau shield area ( marked in red as section A). These basic styling tenets are either unknown to or have been forgotten completely by those who are responsible for the styling of some of the latest creations - most of which are monstrously ugly and completely without balance or proportion. Look at any "professionally" designed funeral car from the past, and you will see that by-and-large these basic styling rules are in evidence."
I remembered one point he explained, and as we touched on elsewhere, that the landau bar should not come above the side windows. I didn't however remember the second very important point, which as he explains, is the area at and below the landau shield.
............”In order to better illustrate my point regarding styling balance, I have attached several original Superior and S&S drawings appropriately marked to show what I mean. On professionally designed vehicles, the landau bow should never exceed the height of the side windows (marked in red as section B) while the distance between the back door and the rear wheel opening should always be the same as that occupied by the landau shield area ( marked in red as section A). These basic styling tenets are either unknown to or have been forgotten completely by those who are responsible for the styling of some of the latest creations - most of which are monstrously ugly and completely without balance or proportion. Look at any "professionally" designed funeral car from the past, and you will see that by-and-large these basic styling rules are in evidence."