Form Follows Function: The Art of the Supercar

by Stuart Codling, James Mann (Photographer), Frank Stephenson (Commentary)

For  Form Follows  The Art of the Supercar,  renowned automotive photographer James Mann brings 20 of the world’s most beautiful and desirable supercars into the studio. Removed from their ordinary environment and shot on black backgrounds, the photographer’s lens reveals not just the engineering brilliance of these cars, but also the inherent beauty in their form and details. Classic and new models from the world's most famous marques, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maserati, Aston Martin, and others will be featured.   With historical and technical profiles by Stuart Codling and commentary from famed automotive designer Frank Stephenson,  Form Follows  The Art of the Supercar  is a must-have for any automotive enthusiast’s library.

Genres: Cars, Nonfiction, Art

224 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 2011

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the last year that I got to live, that anyone got to live, it was a year of fabulous cars. It started off low key with a Cadillac, then a Jeep Wrangler I used to have one of those, it was called Slimy because of the weird green paint job, everyone on the island knew it. It didn't have any glass on the side doors, no roof, and cost $2K. I had an accident in it going down the mountain. C300s, an AMG53, a Tesla SP100, a loaded Audi, several Porsches, a BMWi8, the classic silver Ferrari and my favourite, the matte black Aston Martin. That was the year I got to go racing. 3 laps in a Corvette at Daytona during the Porsche races. There are some pics here.

And this book is my memorial book of beautiful cars. I liked the men too. Fell in love with the racing car driver but got dumped quite brutally, still in touch with the sociopath and the black lawyer who have C300s. But now it's the guy with the 10 year old pickup I'm going to the US to visit. It's not the car, it was just a year and a half of men who had fabulous ones, just a coincidence.
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I got this book for free, unwittingly. I ordered a VG used copy through an online marketplace, and didn't check my work email for the weekend. On the Monday I found the supplier had said the cover was ripped and offered a reduction in price. I replied yes, but it was late in the day. Next morning I get an email saying the book was cancelled, here's a refund and a note from the supplier saying they were sending it to me for free, priority shipping included, $0 cost! I wrote back saying I'm happy to pay send me a Paypal address, but they wouldn't hear of it. So it's my corona-gift! Nice company.

It's a fabulous book, all these classic old supercars (and not so old) with lines that betray both the power of the beast but also a certain sensuality, you want to stroke the car, run your hand along the curves and pristine paint job. Btw the reason F1 cars always look new is that they are repainted after every outing.

I'm going to enjoy this book, slowly. Just lovely.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t need to be a gearhead to be attracted by the subject matter of this oversized book, but the title is accurate. This is a book about the melding of beauty and the “beast.”

Louis Sullivan is often given credit for the phrase: “Form Follows Function” and I was lucky enough to study a number of Sullivan’s architectural creations in America’s Midwest where I grew up and went to school. I know that Frank Lloyd Wright also took this phrase seriously. The organization of this book with its vibrant photographs and clear commentary bring home this message. I particularly appreciated the inserted commentary of Frank Stephenson, a leading automotive designer. Here is a sample:

“This work of art and technology holds the essence of what car designers strive to achieve: functional beauty. It exudes more function amore beauty than any automobile should be allowed to; this car tugs at every emotional string from all viewing angles. To me it represents the epitome of automotive attraction; simple and balanced surfaces that flow together as if created by the forces of nature, with a level of performance that set it above almost all other competitors of its era. This is a design that works so well it would’ve been a sin to attempt to change it in any way.”

I will not tell you which car he was describing but I will give you the list of models so well documented in this volume:
300 SL
DB4 GT Zagato
5300 GT Strada
275GTB/4
Miura
33 Stradale
365GTB/4 Daytona
Stratos
M1
F40
XJ220
F1
F50
Carrera GT
MC12
Veyron
Zonda F
599 GTB
Atom 3
8C Competizione
MP4-12C

Performance melded to beauty is the ambition of every engineer (and architect, etc.) Though the emphasis is obviously on Italian design, I cannot fault the choices. There may be others that you would add, but I doubt that many would dispute the cars included. Hardly any of these cars is attainable by most of us mortals. Yet, as Sam Spade said (in The Maltese Falcon) these are: “The stuff that dreams are made of.”

[Serhii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ця книга стала для нас одним із джерел натхнення у роботі над новим дизайном промислових воріт. Підхід «форма слідує за функцією» допоміг по-іншому поглянути на поєднання естетики та інженерної надійності. Саме після ознайомлення з нею ми почали переосмислювати конструкцію та зовнішній вигляд наших рішень: https://longa.com.ua/promyslovi-vorota/