dream cars presents 17 of the most rare and visionary automobiles

dream cars presents 17 of the most rare and visionary automobiles

dream cars presents 17 of the most rare and visionary automobiles

(above) general motors firebird I XP-21, 1953
designed by harley j. earl, robert f. ‘bob’ mclean, and GM styling section staff
courtesy general motors heritage center / photo by michael furman

dream cars: innovative design, visionary ideas
the high museum of art, atlanta
may 21st through sept. 7th 2014

beginning next month, the high museum of art in atlanta will present 17 concept cars from europe and the united states, on view for a major exhibition spotlighting innovation in automotive design. ‘dream cars’ will feature some of the rarest, most imaginative vehicles by ferrari, bugatti, general motors and porsche, from as early as 1930s up to the 21st century. the chosen four-wheelers are renowned for their super-sleek design aesthetics and progressive engineering, which pushed the limits of ingenuity, creativity and foreshadowed developments in the industry. the exhibition will pair concept drawings and scale models alongside realized cars, illustrating the ways in which their exploratory visualizations have changed the automobile from an object of function to a symbol of the future.

arrival of the bugatti: interview with ‘dream cars’ curator sarah schleuning 
video courtesy of the high museum

highlights from the exhibition include paul arzens’ ‘l’oeuf électrique’ designed in 1942 — an electric bubble car designed by arzens for his personal use in paris during the german occupation; william stout’s 1936 ‘scarab’– the genesis of the contemporary minivan; marcello gandini’s lancia (bertone) ‘stratos hf zero’ from 1970 — a 33 inch-tall wedge-shaped car; and christopher bangle’s fabric-clad BMW ‘gina light visionary model’ designed in 2001.

lancia (bertone) stratos HF zero, 1970
designed by marcello gandini
courtesy xj wang collection / photo by michael furman

‘this exhibition presents 17 historic four-wheeled fantasies that push the envelopes of automotive styling, engineering and design to impressive heights. visual and tactile tributes to ingenuity and imagination, these remarkable cars will intrigue visitors with their audacity, just as they did when they first appeared,” said ken gross, automotive expert and consulting curator for ‘dream cars.’

chrysler (ghia) streamline X ‘gilda’ 1955
designed by giovanni savonuzzi and virgil exner
courtesy of scott grundfor and kathleen redmond / photo by michael furman

ferrari (pininfarina) 512 s modulo, 1970
designed by paolo martin
courtesy of pininfarina S.p.A., cambiano, turino, italy / photograph by michel zumbrunn

l’oeuf électrique, 1942
designed and fabricated by paul arzens
courtesy musée des arts et métiers, paris, france / photo by michel zumbrunn and urs schmid

stout scarab, 1936
designed by william b. stout
courtesy of larry smith / photo by michael furman

norman timbs special, 1947
designed by norman timbs
courtesy of gary and diane cerveny / photo by peter harholdt

BMW gina light visionary model, 2001
designed by christopher bangle
courtesy of BMW / © BMW AG