Nationality American | ||
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Full Name Strother MacMinn Occupation Car designer, educator and motoring journalist Known for Instructor at Art Center College of Design Books Sentinel: Steel Couture, Syd Mead, Futurist People also search for Robert Ames, Ken Gross, Mary T. Barra Employers | ||
Strother macminn on transportation design
Strother MacMinn (1919–1998) was an American car designer, author and educator. According to former vice president of design for General Motors Chuck Jordan, "Mac never designed a car, but no one influenced car design more than he did."
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Early life
Growing up in Pasadena, MacMinn became friends with Frank Hershey who was working for Murphy Body Company. When Frank moved on to GM, he help MacMinn get his first job in the Buick studio at General Motors Art and Color Section at the age of 17.
Career
In 1937 Harley Earl assigned MacMinn to a new studio to develop the Opel Kapitän. MacMinn left GM before World War II, then returned for a short time after the war. He also worked for Frank Springs at Hudson.
After the war, MacMinn worked for the industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. In 1948 he began teaching at Art Center College of Design and remained there for 50 years.
In 1973 he helped found Toyota's Calty Design Research and remained with them until 1983.
MacMinn wrote for publications such as Road & Track, Motor Trend, Automobile Quarterly and Sports Car International, and for museum catalogs. He was chief honorary judge for several years at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.