allure of the automobile

Driving in Style: Alluring Autos 1930 - 1965

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, Books

In conjunction with an exhibition titled The Allure of the Automobile which just opened at Atlanta's High Museum of Art, SkiraRizzoli will publish a book dedicated to the entrancing vehicles featured in it later this month. The Allure of the Automobile: Driving in Style 1930–1965 traces the evolution of the artisan-crafted luxury motorcar. Embodying speed, style, and elegance, the carefully selected vehicles first broke records on racetracks and won awards at prestigious classic car events around the world. Examining the contrasts between European and American design, the influence of the decorative arts, and the significant changes in automotive styling before and after World War II, the book highlights eighteen of the world's rarest and most coveted cars manufactured between 1930 and 1965.

In addition to the legendary Porsche Type 64, the exhibit and book features Steve McQueen's 1957 Jaguar XK-SS and Clark Gable's 1934 Packard Twelve Runabout Speedster, as well as a classic Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Bugatti Type 57S and more. Ronald Labaco, curator of the exhibition, provides historical context and pays homage to these remarkable machines that can be seen as fine art, sculpture, and the embodiment of an industrial craft to be remembered for generations, while extensive entries by noted automotive historian Ken Gross consider each masterpiece and Peter Harholdt's photography stunningly details the custom-built designs that were created for the privileged few. See the gallery for images.

Gallery: The Allure of the Automobile

Tags: Allure of the Automobile, Atlanta, classic cars, High Museum of Art, museums, Porsche, Steve McQueen

One-of-One Porsche Type 64 to be Displayed at The Allure of the Automobile Exhibition in Atlanta

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Art

1938 Porsche Type 64 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Way back in 1938 – a full decade before the legendary 356 – Ferdinand Porsche developed what the German automaker now considers the "first ancestor of all Porsche sportscars." Called the Type 64, this car employed a number of construction methods and styling that would later come to typify the brand that carries its designer's last name from the aforementioned 356 all the way to today's 911.

The streamlined Type 64 has sat as the "first and most prominent exhibit" at the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen since it opened in January of 2009, and it will be shipped outside of Germany for the first time since being carefully restored by the automaker as it makes its way to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Type 64 will be on display in Atlanta for the The Allure of the Automobile exhibition from March 21st until June 20th. During this time away, the Porsche Museum in Germany will show off the wooden buck that was used as a frame to pound out the Type 64's complex aluminum bodywork. Check out our high-res image gallery below and make the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: 1938 Porsche Type 64