Automotive beauty is a common occurence, and has been since long before WWII, with Bugattis and Alfa Romeos exhibiting pseudo aerodynamic teardrop fenders up to Chris Bangle's controversial styling movements of early 2000.
However, now it's a drawn out, extruded beauty. Beauty placed upon a chassis, mounted with 36 bolts and rolled off the production line. Not the beauty of a teardrop, but that of an orchestra - a symphony of collaborating planes, adhered through years of focus groups, formed by the hands of a hundred designers.
Naturally, there are a few that long for the days predating this current, research lead, beauty - days when the beauty of the machine was apparent through it's function. In a direct retort to the glittering 14 coats of paint found on custom Hot Rods, these few have, through their own creations, formed the Rat Rod culture. The goal here is to drop the biggest engine into the cheapest car, even if either of these was found in a scrap yard - resulting in rust filled deathtraps unfit for safe road use. It's through this negligence that the beauty is found - with complete disregard for anything other than transposing car and driver, passion can be heard roaring alongside the blackend exhausts.
With nothing to cloud the vision of the creator, the most simple idea is communicated clearly and boldly through the hand cut panels, leaving an evocative impression. Imagination and Function is clear in these machines, and with that, Beauty is abundant
Michael Hollins