1960 Chrysler Imperial Tail Light Crown on 2040-parts.com

Design Services: Car Menu launched

Within almost every automotive design department throughout the world, their comes a time when a junior designer is dispatched to find a picture of some new model's tail lamp, the side view of a particular class leading competitor or examples of several new cars' colour and trim packages. Whilst looking at the competition is not necessarily a healthy way of finding ideas, it is often essential to demonstrate what is feasible, check in-house proposals are not too derivative, or show how advanced a design theme is relative to the same type of cars on the market. But even if the particular aspect of a car can be found, press packs and magazines typically show cars in the flattering light of an exotic location or being drifted around a corner on opposite lock; rarely are these images particularly useful.

Range Rover designers talk tactics [w/Video]

Range Rover designers and engineers have come together in a short video to discuss the reasons and influences behind their decisions when it came to designing the brand's fourth-generation flagship SUV. Developing a new Range Rover is always going to a difficult job, given its status as the world's best 4x4 and its avid fan base, and in this video we get a chance to hear from the people who influenced this latest model. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, explains: "Great design is the gateway to customer desirability, it's about making that personal connection.

At the Detroit Auto Show, Lincoln gets a C

Hoping to attract younger buyers, Ford's Lincoln division unveiled the Lincoln C concept at the Detroit Auto Show this week, a car Lincoln calls a big idea for a small luxury car. Ford's vision: a small, more fuel-efficient car for congested urban areas and compact parking spaces that still provides driver and passengers with luxury and comfort of larger sedans. "Modern luxury buyers who live and work in large, urban areas want to play their part in helping the environment by moving to a smaller vehicle, but they still want to enjoy the luxuries of life," said Peter Horbury, executive director of Design, The Americas.