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'The Atlas of Car Design' Chronicles the History of Automotive Art

With The Atlas of Car Design, travel through time—no DeLorean needed—to discover the captivating beauty of our modern era’s most practical works of art. 

white vintage car
Chevrolet, Corvette Sting Ray, 1963–7, USA. Courtesy of General Motors;

Ever since Karl Benz patented the first gasoline-powered automobile nearly 150 years ago, the car has gradually shifted from a revolutionary travel invention to a symbol of wealth, status, and taste. From the gas-powered buggies of the early 1900s to today’s ultra-optimized SUVs and electric vehicles, everything from the aesthetics to the mechanics of cars has changed. Looking back on more than a century of technological advancements and geopolitical factors, The Atlas of Car Design, published by Phaidon, traces vehicular innovations around the world, spanning more than 650 models from over 30 countries. While Italy, Germany, and the UK are credited as longstanding powerhouses in luxury car design, nations like Egypt, Iran, and Uruguay have also contributed lesser-known pieces to the auto industry’s evolutionary puzzle. Accompanied by stunning imagery, the book maps out the art of automotive design over the decades, from vintage shots of the 1960s Jaguar E-Type—which is part of the permanent collection at the MoMA in New York—to futuristic renderings of the disruptive Tesla Cybertruck. 

blue vintage car
Fiat, 850 Spider, 1964–73, Italy. Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo – Arese

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