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Henry Dreyfuss Writing on The Telephone

Started by HobieSport, May 01, 2009, 02:21:00 PM

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BDM

The cars of the mid and late 60s appeal to more so than any other decade. Sleeker, more streamlined, not so "flashy" looking. Though there are models from the mid and late 50s that appeal to me. It seems the early 60s were sort of a transition. Very little I like from the early 60s, very little! After WWII up to the early 50s are simply drab for me. Nothing exciting. I know the reasons why, but still. It is what it is!
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

HobieSport

Admittedly most of the cars that really appeal to me are from the 1930s, American and European.

McHeath

Cars of the late 50's and early 60's were heavily influenced by the Googie style, so they have a Jetsons thing going on that many people find either they love or hate.  I like them a lot, but know that other mileage may vary.  I too like the cars of the later 60's with their very sleek lines, and I even like the weird styles of the cars of the 70's, and even have a soft spot for cars from the 80's. 

Probably one of my all time favs is the 64-65 Ford T-Bird.  A lot of Googie still there, some sleekness emerging, and just plain silliness as well. 

In reading Dreyfuss's book, excellent link by the way Hobiesport, I note that he does not have any love lost for Detroit of his day.  Having owned some cars of that time period I would agree that they were not really the best at being designed for people as he advocates.  It made me think about a lot of newer products and wonder what he would think of them, like computers and cell phones.  What's with the trend towards ever smaller buttons, and higher and higher screen resolution makes things smaller and smaller as well.  Do all the people who design this stuff have the perfect eyes of youth? 

And Apple, as much as I like them, seem to be on a war against buttons and control surfaces and on a quest to make every surviving button smaller than a single atom. 

HobieSport

#18
I would love to have known what kind of cars Dreyfuss might have designed, and computers and cell phones etc. also.  I know that on my regular laptop that just using the pad and two buttons that I'm constantly accidentally touching the wrong thing and sending things out of wack.  My computer typing habits are not trained, all hunt and peck but I'm not alone in this. And it doesn't have to be a keyboard of some kind designed for "old people".  Just for people, thank you.

I imagine that a Dreyfuss cell phone wouldn't be so small as some of the silly tiny ones, just a handy pocket size with easy to find buttons laid out logically so that a person of any age could easily even type a number in the dark.

The 65 T-Bird is mighty fun, isn't it?  "Googie Steamline?" ;D

AET

I'm a big fan of anything googie styled!  From cars to furniture to ashtrays!  I love this style very much!  I also appreciate all the big cars all the way up to the end of the 'carburetor era' which is about where my station wagon falls (1987). 
- Tom

McHeath

There was a 65' T-Bird for sale here last summer, guy wanted 2k which was too much considering the shape it was in.  It was tempting, but then the old phone bug bit and that's a lot cheaper way to enjoy old time goodies.   :) 

HobieSport

#21
Quote from: McHeath
In reading Dreyfuss's book (...)  It made me think about a lot of newer products and wonder what he would think of them, like computers and cell phones.

How about this for a cell phone?
'Course one could also just get back to basics with the handy dandy old school "Redneck Palm Pilot"...

Ellen

There is a car in our town that has little airplane-shaped chrome trim on it.  Does anyone know that one?

We also had a fur car in town for a few years, and one covered with fridge-letter magnets, and then there's mine ...

bingster

Quote from: Ellen on May 07, 2009, 08:19:02 PM
There is a car in our town that has little airplane-shaped chrome trim on it.  Does anyone know that one?

I know that one!  It's every car from the 1950s. :P
= DARRIN =



Ellen

No, the chrome trim-strip along the sides have actual little airplane nose-cone shapes, with wings also.  Not airplane-style, but airplane-shape.  If it goes to cruise night this summer, I might get a picture.

AET

My 1960 Chevrolet had the airplane down the side. 

- Tom

Ellen

Yeah, Tom, a lot like that.
Thanks.  And WHY would you get rid of it?  You're only 19 and you've had how many dozens of cars??

Dan

I think he is 19 in DOG years, my son is 18 and doesn't even know who Roy Orbison is, oldies to him are bands  like Thomas Dolby and a Flock of Seagulls.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

AET

Ha, Roy Orbison is one of my nicknames.  I very often, including today, wear the same Ray-Ban's that Roy wore, no to mention that my pompadour resembles his as well. 

Sadly, I didn't rid of this car.  It was my first car, and near and dear to me, and I bought it because the 60 Chevy has been my favorite car since I was a kid.  It was the family car when my dad was a kid, but theirs was a 2 door Impala.  Ermine White with a black interior.

Now, as for mine, I was on my way to work and got T-Boned by a trailblazer.  The frame was badly rusted and the thing crumbled in the front.  I was pretty badly banged up, cars from that era of course don't have seatbelts.  And I still have a bad back to prove that.  Ironically, the person that hit me was my gym teacher, and is now a driver's ed teacher, and also ran my friend's moped off the road.  It was a sad ending to a georgous car.





- Tom

McHeath

Brings back memories of my 60' Chevy Bel Air.  A fun car to be sure, but not something that Henry Dreyfuss would have liked I think, after reading his comments on cars and design.  That wrap around windshield was cool, but made for awkward entry and exit, and there were a lot of odd details about it where style was overcoming function.  But I enjoyed it, I was your age when I owned it, and have fond memories as a result.

Glad you weren't even more injured in that accident.  I used to drive a lot of odd, old cars without seatbelts and with poor safety records, things like Bugs and pickups with gas tanks behind the seat and VW Busses, and I used to ride motorcycles a lot as well.  But after a few friends got seriously injured, and even killed, in the old cars/motorcycles I've given them up and drive newer stock now.  One friend was killed on his new Harley on the way home from the dealer with his family following behind, gust of wind blew him into the other lane and a truck hit and killed him.  Pretty awful.  I admire old cars from afar now, but I understand why folks like them and enjoy driving them.