High Museum Dream Car Exhibit
August 23, 2014
If you've never been to the Atlanta Varsity, it's impossible to describe the salivating that occurs as you approach the counter, "What'll you have, What'll you have!". There's naked dogs, chili dogs, hamburgers, french fries, onion rings, coca cola and that -orange- drink machine churning cold and icy-wet orange drinky-stuff, not to mention they have deserts!!!
For this particular day cruise we had a special desert, a "birthday cake" for our club president Norman Penfield. Happy Birthday Norman! He was celebrating the 52nd anniversary of his 16th birthday??? At least that's the mathematical terms in which he attempted to explain his waining youth to club goers'.
With careful forethought I assure you; candle's were kept to a minimum. The club all agreed, a candle for every year would be a fire hazard and who wants to be responsible for burning down the Varsity! What a great day it was. Ater the Varsity, next stop the Atlanta High Museum for a casual tour of an amazing display of automobiles including a 1959 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74 Concept car. AKA. DREAM CAR!
Talk about futuristic, the Cadillac was not only visually stunning but featured proximity-sensing radar safety units that scanned the road electronically and warned the driver both audibly and visually of objects in the cars path. Not to mention a panaromic bubble top that retracted fully when the doors opened or closed. Now there's a feature we could have all benefited from in our Allantes'. I'm referring of course to the automation of the roof! And this was a 1959 concept!
The High Museum Dream car exhibit is not to be missed and no one left dissapointed. There was something here for everyone and everyone had a great time. This major exhibition of innovative automotive design brings together 17 concept cars from across Europe and the U.S., including some of the rarest and most imaginative cars designed by Ferrari, Bugatti, General Motors and Porsche. Dream Cars feature cars from the early 1930s to the 21st century that pushed the limits of imagination and foreshadowed the future of design. The exhibition is paired with conceptual drawings, patents and scale models with realized cars, demonstrating how their experimental designs advanced ideas of progress and changed the automobile from an object of function to a symbol of future possibilities.
Highlights of Dream Cars include:
* Paul Arzens' L'Oeuf électrique (1942), an electric bubble car designed by Arzens for his personal use in Paris during the German occupation that has never before traveled to the U.S.
* William Stout's Scarab (1936), the genesis of the contemporary minivan.
* Marcello Gandini's Lancia (Bertone) Stratos HF Zero (1970), a wedge-shaped car that is only 33 inches tall.
* Christopher Bangle's BMW GINA Light Visionary Model (2001), featuring an exterior made of fabric.
* A full-scale (6 x 20 foot) rendering of a concept car by Carl Renner (1951).
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all members who participated and we hope everyone enjoyed this wonderful day excursion. In September we will have our annual Tech Session and members are invited to bring their cars and questions for an informative morning discussing the technical nuances of the formative Cadillac Allante'.
Special shout out and thanks to club member Bill Corn for providing the photography from the days event. Thank you Bill!"
To all members, “Thank you”. It is through your ongoing support and sponsorship that we can continue to grow and expand our club to the enjoyment of yourself and new members alike.
See you next time!
Thomas
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