Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Printed Classic Cars

For the start of the ideas series, go here.

This idea was inspired by this story, about a company that uses a 3D printer to make cars.  If I understand it correctly (and I might not), they make a basic framework of machinery and then a shell is created to be on top of it.  And if I don't have that right, well, that's the way I'd do it.
The idea is to make about half a dozen different basic car 'frames'.  These would differ a bit in size, with some being longer than others or perhaps a bit wider.  This would allow for smaller cars and recreations of some of the longer cars of the past.  Yep, the past.  Because the inspiration for the shell on top would be the classic cars of yesteryear.
Just take a look at these cars from the 30's.  Gorgeous.  Simply gorgeous.  Some of them would have to be updated for safety reasons, no doubt, but the clean outside lines could be kept.  A recreation based on one of these would turn heads and bring wolf whistles as you drove through the neighborhoods.
Or maybe you prefer cars from the 50's.  If some smart car maker put tail-fins on a modern car, it would cause a sensation.  With modern technology, it would be easy enough to do.  All it takes is some smart and savvy person to make it happen.

The modern car is very blah.  All sedans look alike.  That's even true for car makers that are known for their style.  SUV's and trucks all look like they came from the same cast.  Oh sure, the grills and the headlights differ here and there but otherwise they could all be the same.
And then someone makes the Mini Cooper or the VW Bug and they find that they can hardly produce enough of them.  It's not hard to figure out why.  The big auto-makers may be locked into their cookie cutters.  (I strongly suspect that they are.)  But it wouldn't be hard to break that mold.
And I suspect it won't take long before others figure that out too.

1 comment:

DD4 said...

I like your idea, Peder, and think the older cars had great style.