Cars: Accelerating the Modern World exhibition at the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum in Kensington London
The V&A Museum Cars: Accelerating the Modern World is a collection to take you on a journey with what is the 20th centuries most influential force. The car, or automobile.
The collection contains the worlds first car from Daimler benz, through to a concept gas turbine car from General Motors. None of the cars here have been on display in the UK car before and represent significant milestones. “The V&A’s mission is to champion the power of design to change the world, and no other design object has impacted the world more than the automobile.The exhibition is about the power of design to effect change, and the unintended consequences that have contributed to ourcurrent environmental situation,”says Brendan Cormier, Curator.
With 15 cars and 250 objects split into three sections, Going Fast, Making More and Shaping Space. Going Fast is obviusly about speed, but also the accelerating pace of change. Influential and iconic vehicles such as the fabulous Tatra T77 with its streamlined shape. The influence of this on other aspects of fashion and design defined a whole era. Alongside is the Delahaye Type 145 from the Mullin Collection is the winner of the ‘Million Franc Race’ which brought Grand Prix wins back to the French.
General Motors experiments with gas turbine cars are well known but I had not seen the Firebird before and it really is fantastic.
Mass Production
Making More brings us to mass production, the influence of Henry Ford and the Model T. Ford transformed the way everything was made, the assembly line is still something in use today. This is contrasting to the had crafted construction of the Hispano Suiza and it’s coachbuilt body. General Motors sought to address the issues of mass production by introducing colour and model variations each year. This making the previous models less desirable and creating demand for the newer cars.
Shaping Space moves us to the future where initially Petrol beat Electric and it’s recent reversal. The dominance of fossil fuels making expeditions possible, with the Citroën’s Auto Chenille. Then later conservation of the fuel with more efficient vehicles such as the Messerschmitt KR200 bubble car. Fuel extraction is covered too and there is a lovely model fuel station too. If motorway electric charging points look like 1950’s visions of the future, sign me up.
Finally the flying car concept. Will the car of the future be what you see in the movies? Yes, I think so and you can see the steps that manufacturers are taking to do this. Maybe not in my lifetime, but it’s coming.
The exhibition is well worth the visit and the £18 admission. There is much more to see and some of the artwork and films used make it worthwhile alone.
The exhibition open until the 19th April 2020, click the link to the V&A website to learn more.
Cars: Accelerating the Modern World Book
V&A publishing have produced a book to accompany the exhibition. Written by Brendan Cormier and Elizabeth Bisley it features the themes to match. But more than that it’s got some fantastic period images, I’m enjoying my copy.
Thanks to the Victoria and Albert Museum for allowing Jalopy access and for all the exhibition photos.
Simon