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Frenzied Minds: AB reader's comic strip depicts how cars are made
Click on the image above to view the cartoon in high-resolution
At one point, the Pontiac Aztek was a pretty cool-looking concept. But then, brand managers probably began asking where all the plastic cladding was, bean counters started looking for ways to do things as cheaply as possible, and the end result was the clunky, dorky punchline we all know and love to make fun of.
We all wish the process of creating a car was as simple as drawing something up, feeding it into a computer and pressing "BUILD." Unfortunately, there's a lot more to it than that, with dirty phrases like "build complexity", "government mandates", and "middle management" getting in the way of what was once a good thing.
Autoblog reader and comic artist Mark Reynolds has interpreted the crazy process that begins with a sweet sketch but winds up being designed and approved by committee... and evil monkeys. Click the image above for a good laugh. Mark, thanks for sharing your talents with the rest of us.
Gallery: Car Creation Process
[Source: Got Graphic]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
se30chris 1:13PM (2/07/2009)
hahaha.....I loved it. It's very true to an extent.
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KillerGreen 1:16PM (2/07/2009)
Simpsons did it.
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Mike 1:19PM (2/07/2009)
Er ... OK.
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SilverAero 1:22PM (2/07/2009)
Too true.
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Mazda FTW! 1:24PM (2/07/2009)
I think its funny but perhaps tone down the 'whackyness' and make it a bit more sarcastic (Family guy/Simpsons style).
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P.V. 1:35PM (2/07/2009)
Agreed. This was a nice cartoon, but it was a little too in-your-face. The cartoonist should try being slightly more subtle next time.
Adam H. 2:45PM (2/08/2009)
for a comic titled "Frenzied Minds" I think they hit their subject matter pretty on mark for what I believe is in the general mood of their comics.
Tang 1:35PM (2/07/2009)
Awesome
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zamafir 1:38PM (2/07/2009)
This is one of the reasons I like where concepts have gone, no more ME FourTwelve with zero intent to produce, instead we get 'concepts' which are slightly tarted iterations of the real car to gauge feedback and see that the automaker is going in the right direction, no more drastic differences - at least from the carmakers worth their salt.
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Mazda FTW! 1:57PM (2/07/2009)
Yeah I remember those concepts at the car shows about 3-4yrs ago. The Jeep Hurricane, the 16, some of those Hyundai concepts which seemed like they were from a different planet from the Elantra sitting next to it.
Then again, one of the highlights of a carshow is seeing wild, futuristic concepts. We car guys might be jaded but the general public goes nuts when they see a concept which looks like nothing on the road lol.
graham 2:40PM (2/07/2009)
I have to disagree, I think the outlandish and spectacular concepts of a couple years ago serve a purpose. The 16 is a good example, that car was never intended to be produced, but it served as a playground for everything the designers were trying to go for with their design language at the time. Unrealistic concepts (and all automakers make them) showcase the latest in engineering and design, some elements of which trickle down into production, and those that don't simply show off what the company is capable of. Sometimes this fails, the ME 4-12 and Firepower were supposed to showcase the design language of the new Sebring (see comic above).
This years Detroit auto show was, to me, disappointing in that it lacked spectacle and beautiful concepts that really wowed the automotive press. But I guess that was to be expected when money is tight.
Quattroporte 2:46PM (2/07/2009)
Zamafir, I wonder if that's the same Marketing Monkey who works for Audi.
ZeitgeistXIII 1:43PM (2/07/2009)
Mark hit it right on. Its like that in just about every industry with vehicles involved. Unique and new does not sell in most cases except to the 5% of the market that is "Early Adopters". Coupled with special needs for assembly that do not fit in with current lines it adds costs that require dumbing down from the Co. bean people. So we end up as enthusiasts with either being forced to buy the dumb version or moving to smaller production Co. leaving the big ones to sell to the masses that do not really care about cars except to move them around.
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Jimbo 2:10PM (2/07/2009)
Remember when Chrysler owned Lamborghini they showed the Portofino. The general look of it carried over into their "cab-forward" 300M/Intrepid. (Of course nothing else did.)
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jrhmobile 2:21PM (2/07/2009)
Deluxe! And please don't tone it down a bit. I want a poster-sized copy of Step 3 for my conference room.
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jrhmobile 2:22PM (2/07/2009)
And hey, at least it kept the wheels ...
GOT 10:45AM (2/10/2009)
There's a supersize version here: http://gotgraphic.com/BLOG/20090126makeacar01Csupersize.jpg
k.w.a 2:37PM (2/07/2009)
if the final product had chrome in unnecessary places this cartoon would be more accurate
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thomas 3:42PM (2/07/2009)
This is going up on the wall at AAU....
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bill jackman 3:45PM (2/07/2009)
Nice job, Mark. Don't let the haters get you down!
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