I want a Jag – I own a Prius. So…
Welcome to my blog about automobilia. I have always had a warm interest for innovative aspects and design features of automobiles – although I believe as a transportation concept, the motor car is a dramatic failure. It’s just not smart to carry around 18x your own body weight in order to get somewhere. But I still want…
70 Years of TATRA
Coool Czech graphic design and studio photography commemorating a car brand with dazzling heritage. The rear-engined, extremely roomy luxury tourers looked like from a different planet . The heavy all wheel drive lorries got acclaim by winning 6 Dakar rallies between 1988 and 2001, way after this book was published in 1967.
Fisher Body Post War 194X
This, ladies & gentlemen, is one of three original post war planning documents of the Fisher Body Division of General Motors, Detroit, dated October 2, 1944, as handed out to Messrs. Albert Bradley, T.P. Archer and L.D. Crusoe (this very copy!). It’s called the ‘Interim Program’ and its purpose is to plan design, production and pricing as soon as the production plants
Tatra 603 folder 1959
“For lovers of grace style and speed” Tatra offers “a de-luxe six seater affording sheer excitement and pleasure of riding.” as this export folder boasts. Shown here are the three panels of the front side of an original A3 folder, printed in full colour. The rear side contains photos and myriad illustrations, showing the benefits offered by this stunning automobile with three headlights behind a curved glass front.
1954, when VW still meant: beetle
The layout of the beetle is reminiscent to an early Tatra design of 1931, which, allegedly, designer Hans Ledwinka discussed with another famous Austrian car designer: Ferdinand Porsche, who took the lead after ‘political intervention’ of his German friends. After the war, Tatra even received compensation from Germany – but Ledwinka didn’t get a penny.