form
Is this the world's most jaw-dropping car? The 1948 Buick Streamliner (by Norman E. Timbs) was found in the LA desert in 2002 and restored by Dave Crouse at Custom Auto, who spent 2 years bringing the car back to life.
How beautiful is this car? And what a strangely compelling paradox...
Who wouldn't want to drive it along Highway 101 with the stereo on full blast? But think again - perhaps this car's a piece of junk. After all, it's completely inadequate at providing even the most basic function of a real life car. Imagine that journey on Highway 101. It starts to rain - where's the roof? You need to take a suitcase - where's the boot? Passengers? Hope they're small. Let's not even think about parking. Highway 101? Not in this car.
function
For those of us who live in crowded, polluted cities the G-Wiz must be the perfect vehicle. Small (very), electric, easy to park, quiet, it even has a roof. But as a car it looks repellant. I couldn't bring myself to touch it let alone drive it.
If design is about matching form and function, which is more important? Maybe good design is no more than the sum of the best compromises.
Peter
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