AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN ADAM BAKER
01
CUNNINGHAM CARS CAPSTONE PROJECT
&
INSPIRATION LUXURY
HISTORY
CUNNINGHAM The Cunningham Coach Building company started in Rochester, NY in 1842 under James Cunningham. After decades of being a worldrenowned carriage and hearse producer, Cunningham’s descendants began to produce automobiles. The first vehicles they experimented with were electric vehicles, but they eventually only produced gasoline-powered vehicles. Cunningham’s first production cars arrived in 1907. The company was building cars fully in-house by 1910. In 1916, they introduced America’s largest V8, which was a 442 cubic inch, 90 horsepower monster. This engine was placed in the V-Series cars, which were the premier American luxury cars of the time, comparable or higher-end than Rolls-Royce. The V-series speedster set an American speed record for a stock vehicle at over 98MPH in 1919. Cunningham was going strong. 1919 and 1920 combined to be the two best years in the history of the company, with over $3.2M of vehicles produced in 1920 alone.
KEYS
Hand-built Luxury Reliability Leading Innovator
HISTORY
1920 V3 SPEEDSTER The company failed to innovate during and after the Depression, and they ceased producing their own cars in 1931. They worked on military contracts and also produced some airplanes. They mostly built custom car bodies for Ford, Buick, and other manufacturers during this time. They ceased these operations in 1937, and eventually became an industrial manufacturer. They were bought out by Gleason Works in Rochester in 1968, and ceased all operations in 1977. There are roughly 80 Cunninghams left in existence, with one being owned by notorious car enthusiast Jay Leno. I spoke with Jay on the phone, and he provided wonderful insight about his car. These pictures are of one of the finest remaining examples from Cunningham, currently located at the Revs Institute in Collins, Florida.
SPECS 442 CU IN V8 2-4 SEATS 5000 LBS PRICE: $6,000-15,000
PREMISE
WHAT WOULD CUNNINGHAM LOOK LIKE NOW IF THEY HAD CONTINUED INNOVATING?
PREMISE
1 2 3
BRAND LANGUAGE EXTERIOR DESIGN STUDY 1:5 SPEED FORM
IDEATION
IDEATION
FINAL CONCEPT
1:5
SPEED FORM
HAND-SCULPTED HIGH DENSITY FOAM 22 SECTION CUTS
02
BUCKEYE BULLET
PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION
&
INNOVATIVE EFFICIENT
RESEARCH
CONCEPTUALIZING THE NEXT GENERATION BUCKEYE BULLET. TECHNOLOGY Aluminum-Air Batteries Air Brakes GOALS Reduce Frontal Area Reduce Mass Increase Safety & Stability Maintain or Increase Power Reach 400MPH
INSPIRATION
IDEATION
IDEATION
IDEATION
FINAL
AIR BRAKES
BATTERY STORAGE
03
PANTHER TRACK CAR PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT
&
ALTERNATIVE UNIQUE
PREMISE
WHAT DOES A BIODIESEL TRACK CAR LOOK LIKE?
IDEATION
FINAL
FINAL OPTIONAL HEADLIGHT COVERS
CENTRAL COCKPIT
LARGE VERTICAL CANARD
ADJUSTABLE SIDE SKIRTS
04
FISHER-PRICE VEHICLE TOY CAR DESIGN
RESEARCH
CREATE A VEHICLE FOR A MONSTERS INC. FISHER-PRICE PLAYSET. MARKET Parents Children Ages 3+ CHARACTERISTICS Fantasy Play Can Draw Faces Can Tell Stories Follow Instructions Can Complete Tasks Enjoy Interactivity
INSPIRATION
IDEATION
REFINEMENT INTEGRATED HANDLE
REFINEMENT
TOOTH-LIKE BUMPER
REFINEMENT
SIMPLIFIED EXHAUST
FINAL
CANISTER TRANSPORTER
FINAL
DOOR SLOT DUAL CHARACTER SLOTS
SECRET BOX
SKETCHBOOK IDEAS REVEALED
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