1890-1920 Horse carriage transitioned to automobiles, and metal bodies appeared. In 1885, German engineer Carl Benz made the world's first tricycle, and applied for and obtained the invention on January 29, 1886. Patent, therefore, January 29, 1886 is considered the birth date of the automobile.
Almost at the same time, German engineer Gottlieb Daimler also successfully developed a recognized four-wheeled car powered by an internal combustion engine. The 1894 Mercedes-Benz Velo was the earliest mass-produced car. In terms of materials, in 1900, the metal body won the Patented, but the main structure is still wood and the steel connecting (formerly this "he") them. In the early twentieth century, JOHN PIERPONT MORGAN founded the United States Steel Company to provide sufficient raw materials for the rapidly growing automobile industry. In 1914, Edward G Budd invented the all-metal body. In the same year, Dodge produced the first all-metal car. In 1918, the Italian Lancia company also began to produce all-metal cars. The non-load-bearing body changed to a load-bearing body, and the car was no longer a chassis and body. In terms of technology, the first batch of cars manufactured by Panhard Levassor Company (France) in 1890 set many standards for later cars and are still used today. Such as front-engine rear-wheel drive layout and the earliest transmission In 1904, Panhard Levassor made annotations on the layout of the car, including the height of the hood and the lowering of the passenger seat, which outlined the prototype of the modern car. In terms of color, early cars were only black. In 1924, Pontiac's predecessor, Oakland The company cooperated with the DuPont paint company and launched the first colored car (blue). Representative models 1886 Gottlieb. Daimler four-wheeled car 1890 Systeme Panhard four-wheeled car 1914 Dodge Brothers 1922 Lancia Lambda 1925 Audi 18 /70 hp type M
1920-1950 Harry Earl Era
Germany invented the automobile, and the United States brought this industry into the temple of art and design. Harry Earl is the greatest car designer in history, and his influence on modern cars is immeasurable. Harry Earl entered General Motors and designed the Cadillac Lasalle in 1927, which marked the beginning of the Harry Earl era. It has rounded lines. , tapered tail, slender and low profile. In 1928, Harry Earl added chrome decoration to the car design. Starting in the 1930s, the artistic color he established gradually made General Motors the most powerful automobile empire. 1938 In 2006, he designed the world's first concept car, the Buick Y job. The boat-shaped body and the streamlined body constructed with complex curved surfaces were imitated by manufacturers in the following decades. Y job also introduced clay model technology for the first time to make the car The shape is more flexible. This technology has been used to this day. In 1947, the Cadillac sedanet conquered the world with its shiny silver chrome decoration and beautiful tail fin. It was Harry Earl who turned the car from a simple means of transportation into art and fashion.
Streamlined and boat-shaped bodies from 1930 to 1950
The 20 years from the Great Depression in the 1930s to the end of World War II were an important period for the transformation of automobile design into modernization, with Americans taking the lead. Europeans have also joined the field of automobile design. Europe is leading the way in streamlined design. The car designed by Italian Giuseppe Merosi for Count Ricotti Company in 1913 is the earliest work of streamlined design. Paul Jaray started wind tunnel experiments for the first time and won the American Patent. Due to the economic downturn, American manufacturers also realized the importance of aerodynamics in saving fuel. Streamlined style was almost synonymous with fashion in the 1930s. The front of the car became wider, wrapping the tires, and the headlights were sunk into the front of the car and hung on the The independent trunk at the rear of the car was also integrated with the rear of the car, laying the prototype of a modern sedan, completely getting rid of the shadow of a horse-drawn carriage. In 1934, Chrysler airflow adopted a lighter load-bearing body, reaching a ratio of 54:46 The mass distribution of the front and rear axles (30:70 for similar products at the time) greatly improved handling. However, Americans who were accustomed to exaggerated styles were not willing to completely succumb to aerodynamics, because this made the cars look too similar, which was not conducive to stimulating consumption. By the 1940s, the streamlined trend had faded away like fashion.
New cars represented by the Buick J job have a high bulging nose and a downward-facing rear end, forming a boat-shaped body. During this period, European manufacturers made great progress in engineering technology. Citro?n in the 1930s Independent front suspension and front-wheel drive technology were widely used in car traction avant. In order to reduce the weight, it also used a load-bearing body from racing cars. At the end of the 19th century, the top speed of the car reached 50km/h, and the open The body transitioned to a closed body. The 1920s was the first explosive period of the American automobile industry. In order to stimulate consumption, General Motors launched the "annual facelift" for the first time in 1924, which is now adopted by almost all large automobile manufacturers. Used. Representative models: 1927 Paul Jaray's streamlined car; 1934 Chrysler airflow; 1934 Tetra T77; 1934 Citro?n traction avant
1940-1960 national car
The United States in the first Before the First World War, Ford's assembly line production model entered the era of automobile popularization. However, European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany only cared about cars in large numbers after World War II, and reached their peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Hitler in World War II The idea of ??"producing cars for the public" proposed before the end of World War II led to the birth of many practical and classic national cars in the European car industry after the end of World War II. They adopted the simplest and most durable mechanical structure possible, and the shape was just an accessory. The Volkswagen Beetle, an epoch-making moment in the history of automobiles A classic, it is also the car with the longest production cycle in history (even today, the Beetle is still synonymous with fashion and practicality, although it deviates from the concept of a national car at the time). It was created by Ferdinand Porsche. The prototype was born in 1930. Production officially started in 1939. It was simple, durable, cheap and fuel-efficient, and quickly became the best-selling car in the world at that time. It also established Volkswagen's future position in the automotive industry. 1948 French Citroen 2CV, 1948 British Morris Minor, 1957 Italian Fiat 500 , the British Mini in 1959, are classics of national cars of that period, and also classics in the history of automobiles. From 1950 to 1970, the long tail fin was replaced by a short tail, and the coupe briefly emerged. At that time, the typical American car was a rocket-style front and a spaceship-style rear. The explosive growth of American automobiles in the more than ten years after the end of World War II was unprecedented. Bigger and better became the style. Performance became slightly less important than appearance. Comfort and style became the most important. The long tail fin was the American car of that era. Typical features. Later, wedge-shaped bodies, that is, sports cars with short tail designs, became common. In the 1960s and 1970s, mid-engine sports cars Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, as well as Ford Mustang, Corvette, and Dodge Viper all used long fronts. (Placing a front-mounted engine with a huge displacement), and a short and wide rear (accommodating huge wheels). The strong U.S. economy and the small European factories headed by Italy and the United Kingdom are keen to express their aesthetic skills, making young people who pursue a sporty atmosphere begin to pursue Coupe models. Aston Martin DB2, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Maserati A6 and 5000GT, etc., are all classics of that era. After the 1970s, the oil crisis broke out, and people gradually lost their enthusiasm for coupes and turned to economical and practical small cars, especially It is a Japanese car.
1970-1990: Right angles and diversification of planes
1974 was an important year, with the Lamborghini Countach designed by Mario Gandini and the Lamborghini Countach designed by Giorgio Roja The Volkswagen Golf was born in this year, and the right-angled shape they adopted ruthlessly put aside the curved aesthetics that had been popular for decades. In the following years, Giorgio Roa designed similar Fiat Panda and Lancia Delta. Their appearance changed the The thinking mode of many designers was also a compromise on the craftsmanship of automobile parts at that time. We all know how difficult it is to accurately manufacture several parts with complex lines and curved structures made of different materials and put them together perfectly. It is much better than building a few building blocks. Therefore, the square shape suddenly emerged in the 1980s and was adopted by Japan.
The manufacturer continued to flourish until the 1990s. Among them, the staunchest supporter was none other than Volvo, with the 240 in the late 1970s and the later 700 and 900. The manufacturer hoped that the square shape design would bring a psychological hint of safety to drivers. In the 1970s, the oil crisis affected Influenced by the relative financial difficulties in the 1980s, cars began to develop towards diversified practical applications. Designs from military, agricultural, expedition and other fields made waves in the automotive industry with their special "lack of style" nostalgia and strong practical characteristics. And later became fashionable. The American Jeep, which best reflected this transformation, gradually became part of the American cultural landscape after the 1940s. In 1974, the first Cherokee was born, becoming the most successful series in the history of Jeep. However, it was affected by the oil crisis. , people began to pay attention to sports utility vehicles that were more sophisticated and looked more like cars. In 1984, the new Cherokee came out, and Jeep turned the previous rugged off-road vehicle into a fashionable urban car. The Land Rover Range Rover, which was born at the same time, seized the high-end Market. Beginning in the 1980s, the MPV was born. In November 1983, Chrysler's first and the world's first minivan, the Grand Voyager, was launched. Unlike previous minivans, this type of vehicle not only provides more space for passengers, but also It is as quiet and comfortable as a car. The MPV whirlwind has now extended from North America to the world. Renault espace is the first MPV in Europe. In the 1990s, Chevrolet Lumina and Toyota Overlord also joined the camp.
In 1990 -present The era of division
"A hundred schools of thought contend, a hundred flowers bloom", modern economy develops rapidly, people pursue individuality more, are more picky, and have more diversified thoughts, which also leads to the emergence of multiple styles at the same time. One of them is classicism .It contains multiple levels. One level is the designer's own memory and respect for the past classics, the other level is the designer's attempt to give his own color to the original classic car, and the attempt to use the classic car to open up a new path for the company. New roads. The respective representatives are the Volkswagen New Beetle, mini, and Chrysler PT Cruiser. The other branch is neoclassicism. Tradition must be followed, but more innovation must be based on this basis. Bentley in the late 1990s and Rolls-Royce were acquired by Volkswagen and BMW respectively. The Continental GT and Phantom subsequently launched under the operation of a new design team, although they have a completely new look, they still have respect for tradition. This allows them to continue to grow and become more powerful. Importantly, edgerism and streamlinerism, although they have their own characteristics, can not escape the influence of each other in the design. It can be said that you are in me and I am in you. The design concept of edgerism (new edge) is generally considered to have originated from Ford. Starting from GT90. The wide curved surface, sharp rounded corners, sharp transitions, decisive and tense lines are different from the round and smooth styling style. The design pays more attention to the layering of lines. This design that emphasizes lines will visually make people It feels that the size of the model is wider, which is very suitable for the design of small cars. Therefore, it is quite popular among manufacturers, and the representative model is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. It can be seen that streamlines are still indispensable in the implementation of wingerism. If there are no streamlines, The designed small cars can only be a box and lack beauty. Of course, under the influence of wingerism, streamlined designs are more sporty and fashionable. This can be seen in some sports cars that appeared in the late 1990s, such as the The first-generation Audi TT, Ford Thunderbird, etc., are full of momentum and momentum. After entering the 21st century, judging from the current car design trends, wingerism has finally defeated streamlinerism, both in interior and exterior lines. Pursue extremely tough lines. This kind of line can make the car look powerful and safe, but the disadvantage is that it forces the car to become longer, wider and taller. This can be reflected in the fact that small cars are getting bigger and bigger. But this It is very suitable for medium and large cars and sports cars, such as Chrysler 300C, Lamborghini GALLARDO, etc.