AH Freedom, like the ability to fly!

AH Freedom, like the ability to fly! That was the promise of the early American sport cars. They were designed to entice the growing affluent of the 50s to buzz around the country in a care free style like the Italians and British did in their fiats and triumphs. And just maybe you might take one of these to the track as well! GM experimented with fiber glass and put one into production, followed quickly by Ford. But both introductory models were under powered and not real race cars, just super sexy sporty possessions for living the American dream. Who can forget the Rout 66 theme song and that cool image of the Vette going down the long strip of two lane at dusk. Or Richard Dryfus’ glimpses of that elusive vixen in American Graffiti, sitting just ahead of that port hole window on the T Bird’s hard top. Man these sweet little machines were young and sexy and liberating. Most of you can recite a good portion of the lyrics to “Daddy took the T Bird” ( fun, fun, fun)



So The Nike monuments to the Car guy generation needed these two. First came the little vette. The 50s rear end was quite “buzzing bee” like and the side scallops were the shape of wings. This sculptural object easily became an insect like thing, but fast and floating. The “Buzz Around” became Nike #3 with no wheels at all, sort of a hover craft in statue form. The one I did in Cement allowed me to try out staining and the rich patina possible with these materials looks like some African wood from a long used object of fetish. I love it just parked on a black base representing that highway we all longed to ne on.
the first Vett’s. rear end soon gave way to a sharper aerodynamics that stretched them into faster visual forms and they lost the friendlier and more tranquil feel of rout 66. They became power happy and ostentatious as they got bigger.

Then there was the label from a native American spirit that was applied to the Ford answer to the corvette. The logo was all power but the car was more cute. Certain elements of the 57 thunderbird got more aggressive in the second generation. I did a lot od desigh on a kit car done from the 57 T Bird. It was tooled to fit a VW chassis and could be assembled in a snap using the Bug windows and crank down mechanism (but I digress).
The 57 T Bird is more rare because they didn’t sell as well as the 55 and 56. They were a little bigger and the tilted fins more aggressive. For me it was these that made this bird fly, Like tucked jet wings.

and as I began to condense the elements I saw the profile of a spirit bird in those wings, diving on the sole of a car enthusiast longing for his time on the road. I set up to do it like the last few with no cabin features but that unforgettable port hole window and hard top were stunning features that identified this car. Then I tried reducing this element and the profile, to my amazement became an aggressive bird beak, very true to the Thunderbird logo and concept... The canted tight wings sped a diving bird of prey type fuselage In the true spirit of the Indian Lore mixed with machine. “Bird” became a new Nike.

Oddly enough I found volunteers who had vintage cars who told me they would let me mold them for the full sized pieces, and both have slipped away from the initial offer. So no big buzz or Bird yet. I’m still looking for the right car for a one night stand in the plaster booth which would immortalize it as the father of a Nike monument to the Baby Boom generation of car guys. Any Takers out there? I promise I will not even scratch her!

Next time: The foreign invasion / infestation in cars goes Nike.
Thanks as always comments welcome SculptureByTj.com