Appreciating The Beauty Of Classic Automobile
Abstract:
The designers of automobiles are artists. From the initial idea
to final production, the creativity, ingenuity and vision
required are all characteristics of an artist. Close your eyes
and think of the last automobile that really stuck in your mind
for its elegance, style, and beauty. It seems that no matter
what age you are, chances are you think of an automobile from
your impressionable teen years. The intent of this article is to
open your mind and think about the elegance, grace, and styling
of cars before you were born, to the present. If you have not
been to one of the large automobile shows that cover all classes
of vehicles and years you must do this. One of the most popular
shows that I have seen is "World of Wheels" where you can see a
large diversity of vehicles. However, do not neglect the smaller
local shows where you can still get a great sampling or
vehicles, and actually talk with the owners.
Appreciating The Beauty Of Classic Automobiles
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I grew up in the muscle car era of the 1960's and early 1970's,
where there was enough time to still influence me before the gas
crisis of $1 per gallon gas. These teen years left a lasting
impression from that point on where a car must have big V8, loud
rumbling exhaust, and big tires, otherwise it did not get a
second glance. It was the power hungry performance cars from
Detroit's Big Three. The Mustang, the Camaro, the Firebird as
well as the Chevelles, and Chargers to just name a few that you
could hear coming a mile before they arrived. They got my
attention! Over the years as I've traveled around to car shows
my appreciation for the automobile expanded. The common thread
that intrigued me about all of the car owners was, the pride
they took in their vehicle, but what was I missing? Many of
these cars did not meet my criteria of a big V8, loud rumbling
exhaust, and big tires, so what's the big deal? The intent of
this article is to open your mind and recognize the elegance,
grace, and styling of cars before you were born, to the present.
It seems that many automotive enthusiasts have at one time
encountered a similar dilemma. There are the Mustang specific
clubs, the Ford Model A clubs, even the Orange Colored Car club.
Everyone has they primary interests, but if you look beyond
this, you can see the elegance, style, and beauty that was
finely crafted by the automotive artists. Imagine looking
through the viewfinder on a camera as you focus on composing the
perfect image. With your naked eye, many of the details may not
initially jump out. However, when you see the image as the
camera does, you notice the shadows, the lighting, and the
elements of the vehicle that appear to be magnified and stand
out. This focusing forces you to not only look complete vehicle,
but down to the individual details that make it up. These
details are the core elements of that the artist creates. Like
each stroke of the brush, each curve in the chrome makes up the
masterpiece.
You do not have to look far to see what I am talking about. Look
at a 1958 Chevrolet Belair with its massive grille, large
amounts of chrome and the intricacy of the trim accent pieces
all flowing together like a sculpture. Unless you pay attention
to even the most minuet areas you will not see the entire
masterpiece. A person once told me that when he didn't win
people choice awards, his wife would say, "Did A Red Car Win?"
This statement has some truth. I have seen that if there were
two almost identical cars, the red or brightly colored one
usually faired better even if it was not in as good of
condition. The point I am trying to make is first impression is
exactly that, first impression. Whereas, a seasoned judge, goes
to the next level looking at the quality of the paint, and in
concours judging down to the finish on the bolts. Within this
spectrum is where the real artistic nature is.
I recently did some photography and show board work on a 1957
Ford Fairlane 500 that I initially seen at a local car show.
When I first seen this car what stood out was its massive size,
and the glistening shine of the perfect black paint. This was my
first impression as it caught my attention. After talking with
the owner, Joe, and learning more about his car, the real beauty
of this classic vehicle was evident. You could almost see the
air flowing along the sleek and graceful body lines as the 30
spokes of each wheel reflected like mirrors. It was obvious that
he was focused on a perfect display, ensuring that there was a
blinding shine on the chrome and paint, and every component,
even the underside was perfect. One could only imagine the many
hours and years spent getting to this level of perfection.
The next time you see one of these classics driving down the
road, or at a car show try to vision what the automobile artists
has in mind. To get a jump start on seeing these classics there
is a nice selection of pictures showing exactly what I have
talked about at www.PalmieriConcepts.com. The information and
pictures on this site will give you many examples of these
classics as well as alternative ways of composing your pictures
into works of art. Palmieri Concepts focuses on transforming
your everyday pictures into custom art, and as a result,
attention to detail is key.