SEX IS GOOD

SEX IS GOOD

By JOHN GRAFMAN

I can’t understand how some car companies don’t believe that a car needs to be sexy.  Of course there are certain exceptions to the rule.  Take postal delivery vehicles.  Functional and efficient purpose built and having a big zero on the sex-o-meter.  It would be easier on our eyes if they had a bit more style yet their lack thereof is what makes them what they are and in a large part why their isn’t a civilian counterpart as there is with the brutish Hummer.  Even the Hummer evokes a certain sexiness that ought to be endorsed by Clinton (that would be Bill, not Hillary).

Let’s face it a design of an auto should have compelling shapes and curves that provoke not just a pleasing look, but a desire to be a part of the experience.  One of the guys I work with whom recently took up residence in America didn’t understand the reference in a recent conversation with another clay modeler.  Once we explained what “sexy” meant in reference to cars, he got it.  The English language was a barrier for him, the comprehension of good aesthetics was not lacking in his design vocabulary though.

But as one looks at the design of autos around town you can see who has a grasp of the right stuff and who doesn’t.Wooden and stiff designs just don’t make the grade.  Case in point the vehicle that we all love to hate, the Aztec has all the wrong elements.  But rather than pick it apart piece-by-piece, design flaw by design flaw, one can hit the nail on the head by a simple blanket statement “not sexy.”  Right to the point and simple and true. Hey I don’t care if it has a tent, no guy with any sense will ever “pitch one” over the discombobulated metal and plastic body.  I suspect that the owners of Aztecs are as unusual as the car they drive.

Industrial designers have recently made our lives richer by turning their attention to everything from cutlery to vacuum cleaners with pleasing shapes that induce our purchases.  The auto industry is no different.  The striking beauty of the Boxster, to the Mercedes new SL, or even the Ford F150 - all share that common bond of being sexy.  You know it when you see.  Passion is an emotional response that is often hard to quantify.

I decided to pursue a career in the auto design industry not just by my desire to help produce sweet looking cars but also in part to help prevent eyesores.  With so much focus on design in southern California looking for that new look it is important to remember that just because it might catch your attention like some kind of a freak show, doesn’t make it right.

At the recent SEMA event at Long Beach there were hundreds of vehicles modified to no end.  Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  “Different strokes for different folks” is another adage that comes to mind however sometimes you have to call a spade a spade and dispense with all the politically correct stuff. Hey, the emperor has no clothes!  Thankfully the aftermarket is improving all the time and more frequently the OEMs are trying to play catch up with some of their inspired creations.

With all the diversity that is know available in automotive choices ranging from coupes, convertibles, economy cars, pickup trucks, SUV, hybrids, alternative fuel vehicles, wagons, crossovers, hatchbacks, sports cars and of course sedans, one common thread remains.  Sexy is good!