The Origins of Wedge Car Design

65 Strother MacMinn Photos With a fresh paint job at hand, Ray Cannara’s mentor at the ArtCenter, Strother MacMinn, took a series of photos of the car. The following photos were taken by Strother MacMinn in Los Angeles in 1967-68 of the 1966 Cannara. First impressions of Ray Cannara’s design tend to be dominated by the overall wedge shape. On closer inspection, there are compound curves and complexities in both the exterior and interior of the car. The center waistline of the car is structural, with the front and rear body sections resting on rear top of a visual steel line. The stance of the car is a little high. Working on a teenage budget, the rolling chassis is a modified 1958 Chevrolet Impala station wagon. The design of the car, however, is displayed adequately on this platform. We asked designer Raffi Minasian for his comments on the design of the Cannara. These comments appear below. Raffi Minasian Thoughts on the Design of the Cannara... “Although the overall effect of the Cannara is driven by linear themes, the details are very thoughtfully managed to pull the eye into subtle curved elements. The gentle undulations of the belt line as it arches over the wheel openings soften the wheels and help manage the bobbed tail. The rear corners of the car are not cut short or visually abrupt - they terminate in harmony with the wheels and curved undercut behind the rear tires. Linear wedge design can be a bit shocking because automotive architecture is generally fluid and curvaceous. We tend to see this more in fighter jet design - angular overall but with softened details. It takes a careful eye to work softness into an angular form so that the sharp theme is still dominant but does not agitate the eye”.

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