Have you ever looked at a car and thought, 'Now that is a work of Art?'
Sure you might laugh at the idea but I believe the true artists of the 60s were not hanging out with Andy Warhol in some coffee shop but sitting in the design studios of Ford and Chevrolet. They were not making pictures for a gallery but making cars that would define an era.
Now, to my dismay, an era of cars may never be made because the American automakers can't pay their electric bill. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in a bailout, I just want them to get their act together and keep making cars.
That said, I wanted to go to a different kind of art gallery and visited The 2nd Annual Carolina Open Car Classic & Hot Rod Run at Boone Hall Plantation. I wanted to remember what we would be loosing if the big three did fold. Setting the politics of job losses and a national crisis aside for a moment, automobiles helped define generations of youth. From the rebels of the 50s to the protesters of the 70s, each generation can be identified by the cars they drove.
From the first Fords, to the newest Mustang, many generations of cars were on display at the car show. This blog is a look at the myriad details that make an automobile art.
Little disclaimer, my first car was a 1957 Ford truck I inherited from my grandmother. It was bright red and loud and had the knack for breaking down at the worst possible moment. But when it was running right, life was complete. So, I love old cars. I say this because just like old cars, not everyone appreciates the 'Mona Lisa' but for those who do, Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant painter.
What's not to like? Classic cars had more character. The flowing body lines and little details like hood ornaments and chrome bumpers gave classic cars and trucks their own style unlike today's boxy renditions.
Of course, now I would love to have a boring little hybrid just so I can slow the gas station visits. But who says you can't spruce up the old family wagon. The classic flames running down the side of the car have always been my favorite although I don't know how it would look on the family SUV. Maybe I'll buy a pair of fuzzy dice instead.
Chris Frazier of Mount Pleasant spent long hours adding more than fuzzy dice to his 1939 Hudson. He spent 25 hours alone painting the design on the hood. His father owned a hotrod and he remembers working on his first hotrod when he was a boy. Now he carries on those memories with his newest old car.
Frazier was not alone, every car at the show had a story. Many owners explained how they hand shaped metal parts or had them custom built to complete the car. And just like that Picasso, these cars don't come cheap. One gentleman explained he had spent $1800 on a custom hood ornament. My suv is happy if I wash it.
These guys don't have to worry as much about the economic situation in Detroit: They have captured their memories. They know the feeling of driving a brand new car off the lot complete with that new car smell. Sure that smell comes in a bottle but is it really the same?
The auto companies have experienced this economic situation before. Back in the early 70s many automakers had to scale down production of vehicles because of a sour economy. Actually, the cars built during that time are more valuable because fewer are available.
After all these years, you would think the industry would have learned from history and looked to the future like everyone else. Instead of making cars more fuel efficient, they made them bigger. Only when they were ordered by the government did the automakers attempt to raise fuel economy.
All I know is if they are still making cars next year can they throw a couple 1965 Ford Mustang Fastbacks on the assembly line? That is art worth buying.
Paul Zoeller is a freelance photographer new to the area. Do you have an idea for a new blog or a question about a current blog? If you do contact Zoeller at paul.zoeller@mac.com.
