NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Automotive design

Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. The functional design and development of a modern motor vehicle is typically done by a large team from many different disciplines included in automotive engineers. Automotive design in this context is primarily concerned with developing the visual appearance or aesthetics of the vehicle, though it is also involved in the creation of the product concept. Automotive design is practiced by designers who usually have an art background and a degree in industrial design or transportation design. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2530x2100, 1315 KB)Image is of a photograph showing automobile designers at work. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2530x2100, 1315 KB)Image is of a photograph showing automobile designers at work. ... Richard A. Teague was a principal designer for the American Motors company. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with designing according to the human needs, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. ... Car redirects here. ... For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Truck (disambiguation). ... Autobus redirects here. ... For other uses, see Coach. ... This article is about the road vehicle. ... Automotive engineering is a branch of Vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of automobiles, buses and trucks and their respective engineering subsystems. ... Example of industrial design item - hanger chair Industrial design is an applied art whereby the aesthetics and usability of products may be improved for marketability and production. ...

Design elements

The task of the design team is usually split into three main aspects: Exterior design, interior design, and color and trim design. Graphic design is also an aspect of automotive design; this is generally shared amongst the design team as the lead designer sees fit. Design focuses not only on the isolated outer shape of automobile parts, but concentrates on the combination of form and function, starting from the vehicle package. A trim package is a set of cosmetic (mostly non-functional) embellishments to a vehicle. ... Graphics are often utilitarian and anonymous,[1] as these pictographs from the US National Park Service illustrate. ...

The aesthetic value will need to correspond to ergonomic functionality and utility features as well. In particular, vehicular electronic components and parts will give more challenges to automotive designers who are required to update on the latest information and knowledge associated with emerging vehicular gadgetry, particularly dashtop mobile devices, like GPS navigation, satellite radio, HD radio, mobile TV, MP3 players, video playback and smartphone interfaces. Though not all the new vehicular gadgets are to be designated as factory standard items, but some of them may be integral to determining the future course of any specific vehicular models. Dashtop mobile equipment collectively refers to wireless mobile devices mounted on the center of vehicle dashboards. ... // A satellite radio or subscription radio (SR) is a digital radio signal that is broadcast by a communications satellite, which covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio signals. ... HD Radio is an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio system created by iBiquity for broadcasting via existing FM and AM radio stations. ...

Exterior design (styling)

The stylist responsible for the design of the exterior of the vehicle develops the proportions, shape, and surfaces of the vehicle. Exterior design is first done by a series of digital or manual drawings. Progressively more detailed drawings are executed and approved. Clay (industrial plasticine) and or digital models are developed from, and along with the drawings. The data from these models are then used to create a full sized mock-up of the final design (body in white). With 3 and 5 axis CNC Milling Machines, the clay model is first designed in a computer program and then "carved" using the machine and large amounts of clay. Even in times of high-class 3d software and virtual models on powerwalls the clay model is still the most important tool to evaluate the design of a car and therefore used throughout the industry. Clay (Industrial plasticine) is a modelling material which is mainly used by automotive design studios; Clay is a modelling material on wax basis. ... Body in White or BIW refers to the stage in automotive design or automobile manufacturing in which the car body sheet metal (including doors, hoods, and deck lids) has been assembled or designed but before the components (chassis, motor) and trim (windshields, seats, upholstery, electronics, etc. ...

Interior design (styling)

The stylist responsible for the design of the vehicle interior develops the proportions, shape, placement, and surfaces for the instrument panel, seats, door trim panels, headliner, pillar trims, etc. Here the emphasis is on ergonomics and the comfort of the passengers. The procedure here is the same as with exterior design (sketch, digital model and clay model).

Color and trim design

The color and trim (or color and materials) designer is responsible for the research, design, and development of all interior and exterior colors and materials used on a vehicle. These include paints, plastics, fabric designs, leather, grains, carpet, headliner, wood trim, and so on. Color, contrast, texture, and pattern must be carefully combined to give the vehicle a unique interior environment experience. Designers work closely with the exterior and interior designers. The word trim can mean: Adjustment of sails on a ship or boat. ... For other uses, see Paint (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Textile be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Leather (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Carpet (disambiguation). ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Look up texture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Designers draw inspiration from other design disciplines such as: industrial design, fashion, home furnishing, and architecture. Specific research is done into global trends to design for projects two to three model years in the future. Trend boards are created from this research in order to keep track of design influences as they relate to the automotive industry. The designer then uses this information to develop themes and concepts which are then further refined and tested on the vehicle models. For other uses, see Fashion (disambiguation). ... This article is about building architecture. ... The model year of a product is a number used to describe approximately when a product was produced. ...

Graphic design

The design team also develop graphics for items such as: badges, decals, dials, switches, kick or tread strips, liveries, flames, racing stripes, etc.

History of automobile design in the US

In the USA, automotive design reached a turning point in 1924 when the American national automobile market began reaching saturation. To maintain unit sales, General Motors head Alfred P. Sloan Jr. devised annual model-year design changes to convince car owners that they needed to buy a new replacement each year. Critics called his strategy planned obsolescence. Sloan preferred the term "dynamic obsolescence". This strategy had far-reaching effects on the auto business, the field of product design, and eventually the American economy. The smaller players could not maintain the pace and expense of yearly re-styling. Henry Ford did not like the model-year change because he clung to an engineer's notions of simplicity, economics of scale, and design integrity. GM surpassed Ford's sales in 1931 and became the dominant player in the industry thereafter. The frequent design changes also made it necessary to use a body-on-frame rather than the lighter, but less flexible monocoque design used by most European car makers. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Cover of Time Magazine (December 27, 1926) Alfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr. ... Planned obsolescence (also built-in obsolescence[1] in the United Kingdom) is the process of a product becoming obsolete and/or non-functional after a certain period or amount of use in a way that is planned or designed by the manufacturer. ... Henry Ford (1919) Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 â€“ April 7, 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. ... Body-on-frame is an automobile construction technology. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...

Another turning point came in 1935, when automotive engineers abruptly dropped aerodynamic research after discovering, among other problems, aerodynamics would tend to produce one single optimal exterior shape. This would be bad for unit sales,^{[citation needed]} and for GM it would obviously work against their new strategy of market differentiation. Style and engineering went their separate ways, and all body shapes underwent cosmetic changes every year, whether or not the underlying automobile had changed. Aerodynamics is a branch of fluid dynamics concerned with the study of gas flows, first analysed by George Cayley in the 1800s. ...

Since 1935 automotive form has been driven more by consumer expectations than by engineering improvement. Form still follows function, but the primary function of the car was to get itself sold.

The most famous American auto stylist is probably Harley Earl, who brought the tailfin and other aeronautical design references to auto design in the 1950s. He is joined among legendary designers by Gordon Buehrig, responsible for the Auburn 851 and iconic Cord 810 and 812 (hence also the Hupmobile Skylark and the Graham Hollywood). Harley J. Earl (November 22, 1893â€“April 10, 1969) was an automotive stylist and engineer and industrial designer. ... The height of the tailfin era; the 1959 Cadillac Another view of the 1959 Cadillac tailfin Not fintails, but sight lines on a Mercedes 190D A British finned car, the Vauxhall Cresta PA Late 1950s Dodge Coronet For the tail fin of an aircraft, see vertical stabilizer. ... 1935 Auburn Speedster designed by Gordon Buehrig Gordon Miller Buehrig (June 18, 1904 - January 22, 1990) was a noted automobile designer. ... Auburn was a brand name of United States automobiles from 1900 through 1937. ... A 1929 Cord L-29 Phaeton on display at the 2005 United States Grand Prix Cord L-29. ... The Hupp Motor Car Company was founded by Robert Craig Hupp, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 8, 1908 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, and began manufacturing its first automobiles soon thereafter. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Graham-Paige vehicles Graham-Paige was an American automobile company organized in 1927 when brothers Joseph B., Robert C. and Ray A. Graham acquired the Paige-Detroit Motor Company. ...

Development process

Look up Sketch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The drive train of a vehicle is its engine, transmission, suspension (mechanical), and final drive (wheels, caterpillar track, propeller, etc). ... For other uses, see Prototype (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

See also

Alternative propulsion is a term used frequently for power train concepts differing to the standard internal combustion engine concept used in gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles. ... A glossary of terms as relating to automotive design. ... Automotive suspension design is an aspect of automotive engineering, concerned with designing the suspension for cars and trucks. ... A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... Car model can refer to a scale model car of an automobile, or in regard to real automobiles, to a particular brand of vehicle sold under a marque. ... Car safety is the avoidance of car accidents or the minimization of harmful effects of accidents, in particular as pertaining to human life and health. ... Computer-aided industrial design (CAID) is a subset of computer-aided design (CAD) that includes software that directly helps in product development. ... 1938 Buick Y-Job, the first Concept car A concept car or show car is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. ... Dashtop mobile equipment collectively refers to wireless mobile devices mounted on the center of vehicle dashboards. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Giorgetto Giugiaro (b. ... Example of industrial design item - hanger chair Industrial design is an applied art whereby the aesthetics and usability of products may be improved for marketability and production. ... A colored automobile engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ... An engine is something that produces an effect from a given input. ... Wind turbines The scientific definition of a machine is any device that transmits or modifies energy. ... now. ... Open content, coined by analogy with open source, (though technically it is actually share-alike) describes any kind of creative work including articles, pictures, audio, and video that is published in a format that explicitly allows the copying of the information. ... OScar is the first attempt to design an entire car using open source principles. ... Pininfarina logo. ... An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ... Category: ... For other uses, see Prototype (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Solid freeform fabrication (SFF) is a technique for manufacturing solid objects by the sequential delivery of energy and/or material to specified points in space to produce that solid. ... NASA wind tunnel with the model of a plane A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects. ...

External links

Car redirects here. ... The body of a motor vehicle which is built around a chassis, rather than being of monocoque construction. ... Look up Chassis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ... Body-on-frame is an automobile construction technology. ... The bumper of a BMW M5, highlighted in red A bumper is a part of an automobile designed to allow one vehicle to impact with another and to withstand that collision without severe damage to the vehicles frame. ... A CitroÃ«n 2CV with the roof up. ... Look up Chassis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1956 Nash four-door sedan with factory color matched Continental tire. ... Mercedes-Benz Fintail, an early example of a car with crumple zones The crumple zone on the front of these cars absorbed the impact of a head-on collision Activated rear crumple zone A crash test illustrates how a crumple zone absorbs energy from a crash. ... 1958 promotional image of the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham also illustrates its bumper/grille design, also known as Dagmar bumpers Television personality Dagmar in one of her famous low cut gowns Dagmar bumpers, also known simply as Dagmars (D-HAG-mar) is a slang term for the artillery shell shaped styling... The decklid (or deck lid) is the cover over the trunk/boot of motor vehicles that allows access to the main storage or luggage compartment. ... Choppers often have stylized fenders Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well. ... 1962 Cadillac Series 62 with rear wheels covered by detachable Fender Skirts 1986 CitroÃ«n CX Fender skirts are pieces of bodywork that cover the upper portions of the rear tires of an automobile. ... BMWs distinctive kidney-shaped grille on an E34 M5 Audis single frame grille, here on a second generation TT Grille is also the name of a German self-propelled artillery vehicle. ... This article is about a part of a vehicle. ... A hood scoop is an air vent on a car hood which usually sends air over an intercooler. ... Monocoque (French for single shell) is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ... An SUV with four pillars A pillarless hardtop vehicle, considered to have two total pillars A stretch limo with five pillars An A pillar is a name applied by car stylists and enthusiasts to the shaft of material that supports the windshield (windscreen) on either of the windshield frame sides. ... Pontoon fenders are a type of fender for an automobile. ... On an automobile, a quarter panel is a body panel that covers the section between the door and the hood (for the front quarter panels), or the door and the trunk (for the rear quarter panels). ... A shaker scoop (sometimes, inaccurately, called a shaker hood scoop or a shaker hood) is an automobile term for an air intake scoop for combustion air that is mounted directly on top of the engines air cleaner and protrudes through a hole in the hood. ... This Ford F-150 pickup truck has two spoilers one on the roof and another on the tailgate. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sub frame. ... 1903 Ford Model A rear-door Tonneau Tonneau is an archaic term for an open rear passenger compartment on an automobile and, by extension, a body style incorporating such a compartment. ... This 1931 Ford Model A features a separate trunk on its rear trunk rack. ... This article is about a part of a vehicle. ... A car door is generally an opening to enter to the car (or their compartments or partition), often equipped with a hinged or sliding panel which can be moved to leave the opening accessible, or to close it more or less securely. ... 1996 McLaren F1 with butterfly doors Butterfly doors, also called vertical doors or dihedral doors, are a type of door often seen on high-performance automobiles. ... A De Lorean DMC-12 with its doors open A Bricklin SV-1 with its doors open The term gull-wing door is used to describe automobile doors which are hinged at the roof. ... Scissor doors, also called Jackknife doors, are automobile doors that rotate up and forward on a hinge near the front of the door. ... Rear suicide door on a 1967 Ford Thunderbird Front suicide door on a Fiat Multipla 600 Lloyd LT 600 van with front suicide door Suicide doors are automobile doors that are hinged on the trailing edge; the edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. ... Power windows or electric windows are automobile windows which can be raised and lowered by depressing a button or switch, as opposed to using a hand-turned crank handle. ... The greenhouse (or glasshouse) of a car comprises the windscreen, rear and side windows, the more or less vertical pillars separating them (designated A-pillar, B-pillar and so on, starting from the cars front), and the cars roof. ... Open sunroof in a Peugeot 206. ... Sun visor inside a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee. ... Panoramic (wrap-around) windshield on a 1959 Edsel Corsair. ... windscreen wiper on a parked car. ... Windshield washer fluid being poured into a vehicle Windshield washer fluid is a fluid for motor vehicles that is used in cleaning the windshield while the vehicle is being driven. ... Curb feeler mounted behind the front wheel of a 1950s Rambler American. ... Bumper stickers are often used on commercial vehicles so that employers can receive feedback about the driving habits of their employees A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants... A hood ornament is the name given to a specially crafted model of something which symbolises a car company like a badge. ... Japan Black is the name of a lacquer used extensively in the production of automobiles in the early 20th century in the United States. ... A monsoonshield is mounted above the doors of some automobiles, to protect the inside of the car from rain or other precipitation in case of slightly opened windows. ... A 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac with black nerf bars A nerf bar is a tubular device fitted to the side of a Pickup truck or a Sport utility vehicle to act as a step to ease entry and exit from the vehicle. ... Firestone tire This article is about pneumatic tires. ... The various pieces of a tow hitch (also known as a tow bar) are as follows (as seen on cars and non-industrial trucks). ... A Truck Accessory is an aftermarket part that is used to enhance the style or function of the original OEM pickup truck. ... Exterior equipment of a vehicle consist of the automotive lighting, distance sensor, vanity plates, vehicle registration plate, windscreen wiper and windshield washer fluid. ... Blinker redirects here. ... Daytime Running Lamps (DRL, also Daylight Running Lamps, Daytime Running Lights) are lighting devices on the front of roadgoing motor vehicles, automatically switched on when the vehicle is moving forward, and intended to increase the conspicuity of the vehicle during daylight conditions. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1937 Cord 812 with hidden headlights Promotional art for the 1942 DeSoto, the first mass produced American car with hidden headlights 1967 Ford Thunderbird with hidden headlights Pop-up headlights on a 1973 SAAB Sonett III. Hidden headlamps are an automotive styling feature that conceals an automobiles headlights when... 15 kW Xenon short-arc lamp used in IMAX projectors High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps include these types of electrical lamps: mercury vapor, metal halide (also HQI), high-pressure sodium (Son), low-pressure sodium (Sox) and less common, xenon short-arc lamps. ... Retroreflectors are clearly visible in a pair of bicycle shoes. ... A burnt-out sealed beam, broken open to show internals. ... Trafficators are the internally lit semaphores springing out from the door pillars on some older (pre 1950s) motor vehicles to signal left and right turns. ... A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. ... A vanity plate (US), prestige plate, private number plate, personalised registration (UK) or personalised plate (Australia and New Zealand) is a special type of vehicle registration plate on an automobile or other vehicle. ... Parktronic, also called Acoustic Parking System (APS), is a parking-assistence system installed on some Audi vehicles. ... Motor vehicle theft is a crime of theft. ... Automobile interior equipment generally includes passive safety, dashboard, shifter for selecting gear ratios and ancillary. ... Vehicle instrument is an instrument that measures some parameters in the vehicle, often found on its control panel or dashboard. ... A backup camera is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up. ... Boost gauge on a Ford Focus RS (left) A boost gauge is a pressure gauge that indicates manifold air pressure or turbocharger or supercharger boost pressure in an internal combustion engine. ... A buzzer or beeper is a signaling device, usually electronic, typically used in automobiles, household appliances such as a microwave oven, or game shows. ... Carputer is a term sometimes used to refer to a computer installed in a car. ... A fuel gauge (or gas gauge) is an instrument used to indicate the level of fuel contained in a tank. ... GPS redirects here. ... A taxi in Kyoto, equipped with GPS navigation system An automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An idiot light is a method of displaying information about a system (e. ... A Malfunction Indicator Lamp, this one labeled Service Engine Soon. A Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is an indicator of the internal status of a car engine. ... Night-vision is seeing in the dark. ... A modern non-digital odometer A Smiths speedometer from the 1920s showing odometer and trip meter An odometer is a device used for indicating distance traveled by an automobile or other vehicle. ... An early radar detector A radar detector, sometimes called a fuzz buster, is an electronic device used by motorists to determine if their speed is being monitored by a radar unit. ... Speedometer gauge on a car, showing the speed of the vehicle in miles and kilometres per hour on the outâ€“ and inside respectively. ... Tachometer showing engine RPM (revolutions per minute), and a redline from 6000 and 7000 RPM. A tachometer is an instrument that measures the speed of rotation of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. ... A trip computer is an onboard computer device fitted to cars which can generally record distance travelled, average speed, average fuel consumption, and display real time fuel consumption information. ... Invented by Frank Bowden, a bowden cable is a type of flexible cable used to transmit mechanical force or energy by the movement of an inner cable (most commonly of steel or stainless steel) relative to a hollow outer cable housing. ... For the software build framework, see CruiseControl. ... Electronic throttle control (ETC) is an automobile technology which severs the direct link between the accelerator pedal and the throttle. ... A gear stick (also gearstick, gear lever and gear shifter) is the lever used to change gear in a vehicle, such as an automobile, with manual transmission or automatic transmission. ... In cars, the hand brake (also known as the emergency brake, e-brake, park brake, or parking brake) is a supplementary system that can be used if the vehicles primary brake system (usually hydraulic brakes) has a failure. ... Manettino dials are part of modern super cars (like the new Ferrari 599 GTB and Ferrari Enzo). ... A modern road cars steering wheel Steering wheels from different periods A steering wheel is a type of steering control used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles. ... In an engine, the throttle is the mechanism by which the engines power is increased or decreased. ... Motor vehicle theft is a crime of theft. ... Power door locks (aka electric door locks or central locking) allow the driver or front passenger to simultaneously lock or unlock all the doors of an automobile or truck, by pressing a button or flipping a switch. ... A car alarm is an electronic device installed in a vehicle in an attempt to discourage theft. ... An immobiliser or immobilizer is an electronic device fitted to an automobile which prevents the engine from running unless the correct key (or other token) is present. ... For the English band, see Klaxons. ... Automatic vehicle location or AVL is a means for determining the geographic location of a vehicle and transmitting this information to a point where it can be used. ... VIN etching is a countermeasure to motor vehicle theft. ... Passive safety redirects here. ... A car seat usually refers to a small seat secured to the seat of an automobile equipped with safety harnesses to hold children in the event of a crash. ... For the Mozilla crash reporting software previously called Airbag, see Breakpad. ... The armrest in the backseat of a Lincoln Town Car, featuring cupholders. ... Automatic seat belt in a Chevrolet Corsica Automatic seat belts are seat belts that automatically close over riders in a car. ... The traditional seat installed in American automobiles was the bench seat. ... A bucket seat is an upholstered seat in a car, truck, or motorboat that seats one person. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This 1931 Ford Model A sport roadster features a rumble seat A rumble seat, dicky seat, dickie seat or dickey seat is an upholstered exterior seat which hinges or otherwise opens out from the rear deck of a pre-World War II automobile, and seats one or more passengers. ... This article is about the safety device. ... Note: in the broadest sense, air conditioning can refer to any form of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. ... Automobile accessory power can be produced by several different means. ... It has been suggested that In car entertainment be merged into this article or section. ... ... The center console (British English: centre console) in an automobile refers to the control-bearing surfaces in the center of the front of the vehicles interior. ... A dashboard from a 1940s car The dashboard of a modern car, a Bentley Continental GT A Hayabusas dash A modern Formula 1 car has all its gauges mounted on the steering wheel A dashboard or dash board in an automobile is a panel located under the windscreen and... A flat tire means the motorist must use the spare tire In a motor vehicle, a flat tire occurs when a tire becomes deflated and the metal of the wheel comes in contact with the ground below (or ground level). ... The glovebox of a Cadillac Eldorado Brougham For the sealed container for handling hazardous materials, see glovebox. ... Typical Motorola plug found on consumer auto accessory antenna coaxial cables A common coaxial cable connector used primarily in the automotive industry for connecting the coaxial feedline from the antenna to the radio receiver. ... Electric window controls between the front seats, including lockout switch (2005 Saab 9-5). ... The rear-view mirror of a Mazda 626. ...

Contents

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