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2005 Art Center Car Classic
By: Drew Phillips
Photos by the author
July 31, 2005

Article Images


For some of the world's greatest automotive events, the location matters nearly as much as the cars being displayed. Whether it's the rocky shores of Pebble Beach or the historic streets of Monaco, the scenery surrounding the event lends as much to the excitement as any other factor. This could very well be the reason why the Car Classic at the Pasadena Art Center has become such a hit. The setting of the show is appropriately focused on design - everything from the field of cars to the judging to the displays. Those attending the show will have the opportunity to see work of current students at the art center, view films, or hear talks given by automotive designers. Gordan Murray, who headed up the McLaren F1 project, was the main speaker for this year's show. Fittingly, a McLaren F1 was in attendance at the show, owned by none other than Late Night Host Jay Leno.

For 2005, the Art Center also celebrated its 75th anniversary. "This event is a celebration of Art Center's 75-year history and our graduates' impact on automotive design throughout the world. Thanks to our relationships with key alumni, designers, industry partners, car collectors and automotive enthusiasts, our students have access to some of the greatest minds, resources, and car collections in the world," commented Nate Young, the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of the Art Center. The design school's impact can be easily seen in nearly every car company in the world. Alumni of the school hold design positions and have an influence in every major American car company as well as foreign automakers like Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Nissan, and Porsche just to name a few. Essentially, graduates of the Art Center have been influencing the design of cars around the world since 1930.

While the Art Center has been around for three quarters of a century, the Car Classic is only in its fifth year. However, judging by the selection of cars appearing at the show, one might think that the show has a fifty year history behind it. Many of the cars wouldn't be out of place and might even stand out on the lawn of Pebble Beach. Names like Ferrari, Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Alfa Romeo, and Lamborghini could all be seen parked on the lawn.

As would be expected, the awards given at the show are purely based on design and overall aesthetic appeal. Judging for the show is handled by representatives from twelve Southern California automotive design studios. The Students' Choice Award went to a stunning 1937 Hispano Suiza Dubonnet Xenia owned by Peter Mullin, while the Peoples' Choice Award went to a 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Coupe owned by the Nethercutt collection, also a winner of the French Cup at Pebble Beach. The top award, the Chairman's Award, was given to Robert Petersonıs 1947 Cisitalia designed by Pininfarina.

Despite complaints of high ticket prices and the blistering hot July weather, the emphasis of design and the unique combination of the location and people will soon prove that the Art Center Car Classic will soon be one of the top highlights on automotive enthusiasts' calendar.