WHAT A CONCEPT! In every era, car designers have looked to the future

Jan/Feb 2024 edition
Issue #32 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
​​By Patrick Kelley

I want to first thank AutoMobilia Resource for this opportunity to share my information and love of vintage automobile concept art. I’ve been a fan of the magazine for many years, but I never thought I’d have the honor to write for it. I never thought I’d write anything at all, for that matter, but I now have two books under my belt (Imagine!) and ideas for more books to come. Over the course of this next year, I’ll be sharing some of the images from my collection, stories about some of the artists and ideas on automobile design in general.

I think one of the important things to remember is that everything that is made first needs to be designed… the natural world withstanding. All creation starts with an idea, and that idea is fed by the imagination. Einstein wrote that “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” He also wrote that “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there will ever be to know and understand.”

The images and drawings that I’ve collected over the years are certainly full of imagination, as are the artists and stylists who created these works. Even the very first piece of concept art I bought, drawn in 1936, changed the way I looked at things. It’s just a simple line drawing on some old vellum paper, but it made me think about what this unknown artist was trying to achieve.

Design concepts being drawn, and full-size clay modeling being created, at the GM Tech Center.

Six different Cadillac concepts by Al Borst, late 1940s to early 1950s, 25"x15", mixed media on paper. Valued at $2,000-$3,000.

My very first piece of automobile concept art, unknown artist, 1936, 10"x7", pencil on vellum. Value: (to me) priceless!

Red concept car by John Jungwirth, 1930s, 14"x7", airbrush on paper. Valued at $500-$700.

Remember, the ultimate goal of the large car companies was (and is) to sell cars… and sell more cars. To give the auto-buying customer something new and exciting every year has always been tricky. So, the car companies employed thousands of individuals from various art schools around the country who had the skills needed to create new and fascinating designs.

​The Golden Age of automobile design is considered to be from the years after WWII into the 1970s. During this time period, automobile designers had a wide range as to what they created. With the nation fresh from the war victories, the sky was the limit, and America was ready to embrace the new creations coming out of Detroit. Incredible designs were coming forth, but they were not always looked upon in a positive manner. The realities of cost, implementation, and engineering meant that many of the designs proposed were discarded or destroyed.

Orange concept with male and female, by George Camp, 1966, 30"x24", mixed media on paper. Valued at $2,000-$3,000. This art is featured on the cover of my first book, “IMAGINE!”. Published in 2019, it is currently out of print, but can still be found for sale “used” on several websites in various conditions anywhere from $150 to $975.

Gold concept cruiser art by Bob Cadaret, 1977, 30"x18", mixed media on paper. Valued at $1,500-$2,500.

“The Futura”, a futuristic hovercraft car by Norman Griffith, 1950, 13"x9", pencil on vellum. Valued at $500-$800.

Silver Mercedes SL concept car ​art by Joe Sohn, 1957, 24"x18", mixed media on paper. Valued at $2,000.

Red concept car by Don Alleyn, 1960, 22"x16", crayon, pen and airbrush. Valued at $1,500.

Blue “StratoCoupe” concept with female, by Richard Arbib, 1951, 17"x12", mixed media on paper. Valued at $1,500-$2,000.

Design heads and chiefs were quick to dismiss sketches for myriad reasons, often driven by their own egos. It’s thought that up to 90 percent of the work that was drawn in and around Detroit was ultimately destroyed intentionally. Much of the work that did remain was often damaged by weather or other such natural occurrences and commonly wound up beyond salvage. The resulting scarcity is one of the motivating factors in collecting this type of art: These pieces are survivors. They shouldn’t exist, but they do, and I want more people to know the stories behind the work, and the artists who created them.

​The majority of car styling drawings, sketches and paintings in my two books haven’t seen the light of day since they were created, making them a rare pleasure to share with you. Upcoming articles will focus on individual artists and some of the best work they created. In the meantime, I hope these images from my personal collection (not for sale) will pique your interest, and I trust you will enjoy the future columns. Please feel free to reach out with questions or share your ideas with me.

​Patrick Kelley

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