Sunday, November 8, 2020

Designers recreate 7 Futuristic vehicle designs from the 1900s

We have always been curious about how the future world would look and how modern technologies would develop, as there’s no way to predict it. This curiosity was especially aroused in the last century, when American futurists had many wild techno-utopian dreams about the future. Nothing was too far-fetched or too luxurious; however, when faced with reality, engineers realized their limits. Budget Direct brought to life seven speculative blueprints of the past, reimagining how they would look in today’s world in a series of digital renders.

“This project is basically us nerding out. It’s a combination of two things we’re huge fans of: the art featured in old copies of Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, and Modern Mechanix; and the designs of Syd Mead. Syd Mead is the greatest concept vehicle designer ever. He pretty much single-handedly defined the ‘futuristic’ aesthetic that you see in sci-fi films and shows like Star Wars and Star Trek. (He also actually designed vehicles and sets in Blade Runner, Short Circuit, and Tomorrowland.) So of course, any excuse we have to create realistic renders of his work, we jump at.

Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, and Modern Mechanix are three (very similar) magazines that have from the 1930s given people a window into the future… or at least a dream of the future. Every issue is packed full of crazy concept vehicles and wacky inventions. They’re a joy to read.

When it came to choosing the designs, it was a long process. Not because it was difficult to find retro vehicle concepts, but because we all have our favorites and so there was a lot of ‘discussion.’ The final choices were the vehicles we felt best captured a specific style or aesthetic, whether that was Walter Molino’s comical singlet or Syd Mead’s slick and stylish anti-grav car,”

Super-Cycle (1936)


Chrysler “Heir” (1941)


HobbyPop RoadShop (1958)


McLouth – XV’61 Concept (1961)


Singlets (1962)


The New Urban Car (1970)


Anti-Gravity Car (1979)


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