Designing a new station wagon

I'm actually quite glad that a few members got carried away, it gives a more specific outcome of what is really wanted out of a station wagon, and what defines one in the modern day!

 

Except for it being a 2-door, I like the first one above. Nice lines......

 

Yes, I do prefer a 2-door wagon, or any car. So are you liking the 2-door or wanting that car to be a 4-door?

 

This guy has some talent! I was thinking I was going to see childlike scrawls... but you have learning.

I am a professional artist and we have one other talented (more well known than I) member here on the forum. Mind if we post our ideas too? Not to steal the thread and I won't be hurt if you say no. But it might help to pool ideas being that we both love long-roof designs.

As for your ideas: they seem all along a common theme. I would try other lines and changing up the roof lines, side sculpting , nose and tail in each sketch.
And don't get to "precious" with each design. This allows your mind to expand into other ideas with each line you thrown down on the paper.
Also keep in mind both 2-door and 4-door applications.

Nice work so far!
A retro Nomad would sell like hotcakes I'll wager.

 

Feel free to go ahead and post ideas, I have no problem with it. I do have other ideas I have to try like you said about trying to change up the lines. I had to do multiple angles of the same basic idea for the assignment so thats why.

 

I really like the first drawing and the last drawing. The second drawing looks to me like a new Dodge Charger with the roof of a 60's Plymouth Valiant wagon grafted on. It still looks good, but the roof doesn't seem to blend as nicely with the design of the rest of the car. Also the rake of the windshield in the second design goes back almost as far as the trailing end of the front door, which would make entry difficult for front seat passengers. The first and last drawings come out as the cleanest and best looking designs. The vista roof works well with the design in the first drawing and the luggage rack appears to be an integral part of the roof design in the last drawing. I really like the front end contours in the first drawing as well. The last drawing looks like it will allow several options for tail light and trim design as well as multiple options for tailgate opening type. Nice work.

With any of these designs it looks like you could conceal all the pillars, except the A-pillars, behind the side glass, to give the appearance of a single sheet of glass wrapping from one A-pillar, down the side, around the back and up to the A-pillar on the other side with no obvious breaks in the continuity of the design for posts or door frames.

 

I never really noticed but your right about the second one having valiant characteristics, thats interesting!

 

SVTM, just in case you haven't already seen it:
http://news.boldride.com/2013/05/the-full-size-station-wagon-manifesto/29138/

 

What ?
Spend six hundred bucks on a real set of snow tires, and another six hundred on a class teaching you how to drive in the winter, and we can all drive rear-wheel drive station wagons again.
We had sex at least once, and have a family as a result

I'm sure snow tires can still be bought for around $100-$150 each. And no one ever taught most of us how to drive in the winter. Good common sense and practice does that. Oooops. Okay better sign most young drivers up for this one!

We had sex at least once, and have a family as a result--I can't remember this part!

 

So its been a long week, but on the bright side I have been playing around with the interior idea of having a ton of storage space, and this is a start.





Ive also been practicing woodgrain for larger renders down the road.

 

My uncle once converted an old 1940-ish MCI bus into a mobile showroom for his products. I was maybe 16 or 17 when he asked my dad and I to scrap it. What was interesting about this old bus was the engine compartment. I imagine that the newer buses are likewise. Once you disconnect all the wiring and plumbing and a few big bolts, the engine and tranny roll out. I recently watched my neighbour trying to change the alternator belt on his frontwheel drive tupperware car. The poor guy had to lift the engine or cut the firewall (which he did). Now that's just FUGLY!!!

Engine Roll-Out Slides just make a whole lot of sense.

 

So, my teacher shot down me doing a wagon basically (i ended up doing a 6 wheel cab over truck instead), but in the mean time I have been working on some station wagon concepts.

This is the newest one I've been working on.

and then this is a woody concept I did at the end of last semester. Hopefully I will have more renders to come.

 

Nice concepts you drew

So much for independent thought and or individualism, nice teacher

 

Sorry to hear your teacher didn't approve of the wagon - did he/she give a reason why? Anyway, I do like your drawings - keep it up!

 

I am kind of liking the blue one if the Feds would allow such a pretty front end. I especially like the concave look to it as it sets it apart from the run of the mill wiener-mobile that we see these days.

I assume a real street worthy version would not have the drag wheels in the back. Wheel base is good for a sport wagon ( I am thinking in terms of the P1800 class but with more muscle) but I would add about 6" more front overhang for the sake of proportion.

If I were to actually drive one I would want lower window sills (or higher roof and seating position) as I still don't like chin level sills and neck breaking roof lines. By the looks of it a couple of inches would be sufficient.

As for engine choice I would love a hardy straight six (naturally) but a small block V8 would be an acceptable compromise. To design it for only a short V6 would limit the possibilities too much IMO.

Over all it looks a little bit Mopar to me. A very good effort I think. Good job!

mike