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Object Timeline
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1953 |
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2017 |
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2018 |
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2025 |
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Drawing, Concept Car
This is a Drawing. It was designed by Carl Renner and from the office of General Motors. It is dated 1953 and we acquired it in 2017. Its medium is color pencil, graphite on paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.
From 1946–1953 Carl Renner was assigned to Chevrolet Studios, which was the largest selling car brand among all General Motors automobile groups. Renner’s design influence in Chevrolet helped transform the brand to a styling leader in the early 1950s—while the first automobile designs for production cars after the end of World War II largely used existing prewar designs, Renner added to and transformed the old forms to create new products for postwar consumers.
This drawing bears many similarities to Renner’s designs for the 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air, a two-door hardtop coupe with large tail fins and a panoramic rear window. Renner’s characteristic use of elongated lines suggest movement, and the beautiful woman accompanying the car could be a potential driver. Renner’s design drawings often incorporated figures—several similar drawings from late 1953 include a figure or an outline of a figure in this same position.
It is credited Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund.
- Drawing, Concept Car with Pointed Bullet Front
- color pencil, graphite on paper.
- Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions....
- 2017-18-2
- Drawing, Design for Electric Streetcar
- airbrush, color pencil, graphite on heavy white wove paper .
- Gift of Donald Deskey.
- 1988-101-1660
- Drawing, Concept Car, 1932
- brush and gouache, pen and ink, crayon, graphite on illustration board.
- Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions....
- 2017-18-3
Our curators have highlighted 3 objects that are related to this one.
- Drawing, Roofline Concept
- color pencil, brush and gouache on paper.
- Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions....
- 2017-18-7
- Drawing, Concept Cars
- brush and gouache on illustration board.
- Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions....
- 2017-18-25
- Drawing, Barracuda Concept
- mixed media on paper.
- Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions....
- 2017-18-22
Its dimensions are
33 × 41.9 cm (13 × 16 1/2 in.)
It is signed
Signed in blue color pencil, lower right: C. RENNER / 10-14-53
Cite this object as
Drawing, Concept Car; Designed by Carl Renner (American, b. Germany, 1923 - 2001); Office of General Motors; color pencil, graphite on paper; 33 × 41.9 cm (13 × 16 1/2 in.); Museum purchase through gift of Paul Herzan and from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund; 2017-18-6
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color.
