DEARBORN, Mich., April 30, 2008 – Eleven College for Creative Studies (CCS) Transportation Design students from around the world have put themselves Henry Ford’s shoes, delivering vehicle concepts capable of providing affordable transportation and the social impact on par with the car that started it all – the Ford Model T.
From a concept that puts a modern twist on a people mover with a Model T carriage to one that embodies the American love affair for the muscle car, students this semester created 11 different takes on a Model T for the future without forgetting the underlying principle – creating an icon that would have equal significance and social impact like the original T.
“The real excitement around this challenge is that students get to apply their artistic talent on an icon that was originally designed for functionality and durability but not necessarily for style,” said Peter Horbury, Ford executive director, Design, The Americas. “We created this program because we wanted students to stretch their imagination on not only delivering a futuristic concept that had the visual aesthetics, but a concept that interpreted the genius of the 100-year-old vehicle that started the automotive revolution.”
Working countless hours during a 16-week semester, junior-level students with input from Ford designers, historians and futurists set out to create Model T concepts that add style to the boxy “Tin Lizzie” – and improve its sustainability. More aerodynamic shapes, weight reductions, more environmentally friendly materials and alternative powertrains topped the students’ list of options to explore for the modern update of the vehicle considered the most important of the 20th century.
“This project was a unique opportunity for our Transportation Design students to come up with a modern day alternative to the iconic car that made the automotive industry what it is today,” said Mark West, Interim, Paul and Helen Farago Chair of Transportation Design, College for Creative Studies. “Projects like this prepare CCS students to enter the design industry with the strategic tools necessary for success.”
Each of the student concepts will be displayed in a unique exhibit throughout the summer at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. Horbury will select the concept that best embodies the spirit, innovation and sociological impact equal to that of the original Model T, and it will be displayed in Ford’s World Headquarters.
Dong Tran, CCS Transportation Design junior, gladly embraced the unique design challenge.
“This project was global in scope and provided an amazing opportunity to design for the future of not just the automobile, but for the way people will be transported throughout different regions of the world,” Tran said. “The 100th anniversary of the Model T provided the perfect opportunity for us as students to think conceptually about the future of the automobile and rethink and redesign a vehicle that is considered to be one of the most significant symbols of modern transportation as we know it.”
For photographs and video of the student work, please visit www.media.ford.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 245,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
About CCS
Located in midtown Detroit's cultural center, the College for Creative Studies is a recognized leader in art and design education and prepares students to enter the new, global economy where creativity shapes better communities and societies. A private, fully accredited, four-year college, CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in advertising design, animation and digital media, art education, crafts, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography, product design and transportation design. Beginning in fall 2008, the College will award the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Design and in Transportation Design.
The college also offers non-credit courses in the visual arts through its Continuing Education programs and opportunities for youth through its Community Arts Partnerships programs. For more information visit www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu.