Every month I spend a few bucks on a magazine titled Architectural Digest. The thick, glossy publication is one of my favorites, though it tempts me into frenzied schemes for acquiring stuff I could never afford: AD's audience is made up of well-to-do folks who buy big homes or lavish apartments, spend small fortunes on furnishings, and often enjoy the services of a professional decorator.
So why do I read Architectural Digest? Because it's about great design, which is one of my first loves, right up there with cars and trains and boats and planes and cool jazz. Because it provides inspiration and hope. And because, after all, a little dreaming is good for the soul. The May 2004 issue, a collector's edition headed "The Great Design Issue," contains enough dreams to fill a lifetime. It also includes automobiles, thus giving me good reason to recommend the magazine to you.
Architectural Digest's Editor-in-Chief Paige Rense explains the issue's concept this way: "We're asking (contemporary designers) to tell us what things -- old or new, big or small, rare or ubiquitous -- reflect, in their opinions, the fundamental principles of brilliant design."
The issue's 356 pages are laced with wonderful examples of homes, furniture, clothing, decorative items... even famous trains and aircraft. But I was both surprised and delighted, considering AD's normal home-oriented theme, to see how many automobiles were selected by designers and decorators as a favorite design example. Here, for your edification and entertainment, are the vehicles along with the accompanying quotes.
2004 Morgan Aero 8
"Sleek, fun-filled powerhouse... design and performance king of the road"
2004 Mercedes-Benz CL 500 Coupe
"Old world glamour"
Lamborghini Gallardo
"Marriage of necessity and beauty"
Volkswagen Beetle (the original)
"Most identifiable car design in history"
1950's Mercedes-Benz 300S Convertible
"Captivated by its style and drama"
Porsche Boxster
"Among the best-designed sports cars"
BMW 6-Series
"Sleek, refined, graceful, aerodynamically proportioned"
2004 Cadillac XLR
"Crisp modern design that goes beyond almost everything from Europe or Japan"
Toyota Scion Xb
"Reminds me of the classic woodies of the 40's and 50's"
Audi TT Coupe
"All Audi cars are fabulously designed and engineered"
Ferrari Dino 246 GT
"Uncluttered, heavily edited, highly disciplined"
1958 MGA
"First and favorite automobile"
1967 Jeepster
"Designed specifically for the youth market"
1975 Jensen Interceptor
"This car is the perfect marriage between Detroit muscle and classic English car design"
1957 Lotus Elite
"Unique fiberglass construction allowed for ultimate performance"
1998 Ferrari 355 Spider GT
"Designed to be light and fast -- and it is... zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds"
As you'll have noted, many of the designer's picks are classics and all but two are sports cars or convertibles. What I find especially interesting is the inclusion of Toyota's new Scion Xb, whose shape is pure box with hardly a curve anywhere. Beauty, however, can be found in functionality if you've an open mind. The same can be said of the Beetle, though in contrast to the Scion Xb, it's all curves. Note that it took a long time before the Beetle's unusual appearance was acceptable to North Americans.
Included among the beautiful cars, elegant furnishings, and gorgeous homes were three icons of great transportation design: The Santa Fe Super Chief, which first gave us fast, luxurious, diesel-powered trains; the 1923 Chris-Craft Runabout, a steamlined wood-hull speedboat; and the PanAm China Clippers, revolutionary flying boats that transformed 1930's travel.
If you enjoy design for its own sake, I heartily recommend that you pick up the May issue of Architectural Digest. No, you can't borrow mine! It will have a permanent place on my coffee table; I'll spend countless hours savouring those everyday products that enrich our lives through the designer's art.
