Strother MacMinn

Strother MacMinn
Born Strother MacMinn
Died (1998-01-00)January , 1998
Pasadena, California
Nationality American
Occupation Car designer, educator and motoring journalist
Employer General Motors, Henry Dreyfuss, Toyota's Calty Design Research
Known for Instructor at Art Center College of Design

Strother MacMinn (1919–1998) was an American car designer, author and educator. While noted for his contributions to Road & Track, Motor Trend and Automobile Quarterly and for helping found Toyota's California studio, Calty Design Research, MacMinn was widely known for an automotive-design teaching career at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design that spanned fifty years — with noted students including J Mays, Chris Bangle and Wayne Cherry.[1]

Former Vice President of Design for General Motors Chuck Jordan, said "if you are in a car today, Mac probably influenced its design,"[1] saying also "no one influenced car design more" than MacMinn.[2]

Background

Growing up in Pasadena, MacMinn became friends with Frank Hershey who worked for Murphy Body Company. When Frank moved on to GM, he help MacMinn get his first job in the Buick studio at General Motors Art and Color Section at the age of 17.[3]

Career

In 1937 Harley Earl assigned MacMinn to a new studio to develop the Opel Kapitän. MacMinn left GM before World War II, then returned for a short time after the war.[4] He also worked for Frank Springs at Hudson.

After the war, MacMinn worked for the industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. In 1948 he began teaching at Art Center College of Design and remained there for 50 years.[5]

In 1973 he helped found Toyota's Calty Design Research and remained with them until 1983.[6]

MacMinn wrote for publications such as Road & Track, Motor Trend, Automobile Quarterly and Sports Car International, and for museum catalogs.[7] He was chief honorary judge for several years at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.[8]

Notable designs

References

  1. 1 2 Jim Donnally. "Strother MacMinn, January 2017". Hemmings.com.
  2. ↑ "Strother MacMinn, Design Instructor, 79". The New York Times. January 24, 1998. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  3. ↑ "Strother MacMinn 1918–1998". Coachbuilt.com, Inc. 2004. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  4. ↑ Armi, C. Edson (1988). The Art of American Car Design. The Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0-271-00479-7.
  5. ↑ Gold, Jered (October 14, 2010). "Wheels in Motion: A Look at Art Center's Transportation Design Department". Art Center College of Design. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  6. ↑ Rechtin, Mark (October 29, 2007). "Creation of Calty launched new era of California car design". Automotive News. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  7. ↑ Silk, Gerald (1988). Automobile and Culture. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 9780810918153.
  8. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (January 24, 1998). "Strother MacMinn; Auto Designer, writer, teacher". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  9. ↑ Hacker, Geoffrey (September 21, 2011). "Strother MacMinn's LeMans Coupe – Style, Design, Beauty, and Grace All Rolled into One Great Car". Forgotten Fiberglass. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  • Gantz, Carroll (May 2, 2011). "MacMinn, Strother". Industrial Design History. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
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