TEI #42 - Solved. VW Beetle design concept by R.H. Gurr, 1957

Tom_I · October 16, 2015, 03:36:23 PM

Quote from: oko94 on October 16, 2015, 01:23:46 PM
Was he usually designing static objects (appliances, furniture, graphics...) or rather moving ones (any kind of transportation means) ?

Mostly moving objects.

oko94 · October 16, 2015, 03:39:51 PM

Planes ?

4popoid · October 16, 2015, 04:27:08 PM

Alexis de Sakhnoffsky?

Tom_I · October 16, 2015, 04:33:34 PM

Not an aircraft designer, and not Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.

oko94 · October 16, 2015, 05:19:44 PM

Trains ?

Tom_I · October 16, 2015, 05:33:36 PM

Not a railway designer.

oko94 · October 16, 2015, 05:47:18 PM

Trucks ?

Tom_I · October 16, 2015, 06:05:23 PM

No, not trucks either.

kwgibbs · October 17, 2015, 08:03:20 AM

jay doblin,perhaps?

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 08:07:06 AM

No, not Jay Doblin.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 08:33:52 AM

Industrial vehicles ?

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 10:06:12 AM

No.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 10:36:28 AM

Not planes, not boats, not trucks, not trains ... which moving objects are left ? Rockets/space ships ?

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 10:47:01 AM

Not an aerospace designer.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 10:50:31 AM

Toy designer ?

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 01:20:32 PM

Not a toy designer.

As a hint, earlier in this puzzle I said that while this designer mainly worked in a non-vehicle industry, he nevertheless did design some vehicles of sorts during the course of his career.

In a similar way, although he could not be described as an aeronautic, aerospace, marine or railway designer, during his career he did design items which could loosely be included in most, if not all, of these categories.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 02:51:01 PM

Did he design merry-go-rounds ? They often include scale models of planes, cars or boats.

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 03:31:35 PM

I'm not sure that merry-go-rounds is quite the right term, but you are definitely heading in the right direction.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 05:15:30 PM

Did he design rides and attractions (roller coasters, bumper cars, ghost trains...) for amusement parks ?

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 05:31:37 PM

Yes.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 05:35:55 PM

Bob Gurr ?

Tom_I · October 17, 2015, 05:59:01 PM

Yes, you've got it. Well done.

It's by R.H. Gurr, also known as Henry or Bob. After a brief spell at Ford, he worked extensively for the Disney organisation. He is quoted as saying "If it moves at Disneyland, I probably designed it".

He has appeared on Autopuzzles before, for example in this thread.

I'll award a point to oko94. I'm away from home at the moment, so I'll leave the puzzle here for now, and post the original drawing and other information when I get home, hopefully Monday.

oko94 · October 17, 2015, 06:06:32 PM

Thanks ! Very nice puzzle, lots of head scratching but it wasn't in vain !

Tom_I · October 19, 2015, 10:45:01 AM

Here's the original drawing, with an idea of how it would fit with the VW floorpan. This appeared in a magazine in 1957, and I don't think it was ever intended as anything other than a speculative design concept.

Later Gurr said of of it:

QuoteMuch speculation existed in the mid to late Fifties as to what a "real" VW should look like. Unfortunately, I went for the full GM cliché. Time has now taught us that you don't mess with functional purity.

News:

TEI #42 - Solved. VW Beetle design concept by R.H. Gurr, 1957