Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Books
, Romantic Notions
by Philip Powell on December 2, 2009
The Toleman F1 team, small, unfashionable, always short of money, is rarely remembered, yet it was the team that took Ayrton Senna into Formula 1. The team that launched Derek Warwick, one of the most...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
, Chrysler
, Design
by Philip Powell on August 31, 2009
In the longest of my several careers I was an advertising copywriter and, later, creative director, working mostly on car accounts. At the time we depended on photography to show the cars, as is the c...
Filed in archive
Automobilia
, Automotive Art
, British Cars
, Concours
, Great Gifts
, Morgan
by Philip Powell on August 5, 2009
A major highlight of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for those who appreciate automobile fine art is the annual poster. Now, however, there are three. One for the Concours, one for the Tour d...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
, Chevrolet
, Design
by Philip Powell on July 13, 2009
Why is it that we sometimes need visitors from other places to help us appreciate the beauty of our own domain? I'm especially guilty as I live in what is arguably the loveliest part of a spectacu...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Auto Shows
, Automotive Art
, Concours
, Design
by Philip Powell on June 17, 2009
If I could give myself a Fathers Day gift it would be an all-expenses paid trip to Detroit to see the annual Eyes on Design concours d'elegance. I'd do so because this event is attended by man...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
, British Cars
, Racers
by Philip Powell on May 29, 2009
On January 2nd, 1959, I was working the morning shift at CKFH in Toronto. The station's news policy was of the "rip and read" type, where we announcers ripped off items endlessly flowing...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
, Chrysler
by Philip Powell on March 30, 2009
Every so often I like to feature a beautiful piece of automotive fine art from the Car Art Inc. site. Because of the possible dissolution of Chrysler, this painting by Ken Eberts of a 1957 Chrysler 30...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Design
, Rare Europeans
by Philip Powell on March 23, 2009
I've walked countless times through New York's Grand Central Station while on my way to the J. Walter Thompson ad agency next door. During those memorable years I observed many unusual things ...
Filed in archive
Alfa Romeo
, Automotive Art
, Famous Drivers
, Racers
by Philip Powell on January 30, 2009
Michael Schumaker, Ayrton Senna, Jimmy Clark, Juan Fangio... if your acquaintance with Grand Prix race drivers is limited to contemporary heroes you may not be aware of Tazio Nuvolari. In the postwar ...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Ford
by Philip Powell on December 19, 2008
As Christmas looms closer there is still time to find a gift for the classic car enthusiast. Or, to narrow the choices, the enthusiast who appreciates all sorts of classic transport. Today's blog ...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Gifts
by Philip Powell on November 23, 2008
As Christmas approaches I'll be adding more blogs featuring gifts for car enthusiasts, willingly exceeding my required three blogs per week on your behalf. Several automobile artists have their ow...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Ferrari
by Philip Powell on October 15, 2008
It would be difficult to shower additional praise on the work of Ken Eberts, automobile artist extraordinaire, but you can't blame the folks at CarArt for trying; after all, they sell Ebert's ...
Filed in archive
Automobilia
, Automotive Art
, Catalogs
by Philip Powell on August 9, 2008
We've all collected or read coffee table books featuring beautiful classic cars. Here's one that takes a fresh approach. "Prestige, Status and Works of Art: Selling the Luxury Car 1888-19...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Concours
by Philip Powell on July 16, 2008
Commercial artists normally begin their work with a few initial renderings. The above is Charles Maher's proposal for the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance poster. If you're an automob...
Filed in archive
Austin Healey
, Automotive Art
, British Cars
by Philip Powell on June 30, 2008
If this doesn't stir your romantic juices, gentlemen, nothing will! Imagine the fun of driving a 1959 Austin Healey Sprite and parking by a seaside lighthouse with a lovely British "bird"...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Bentley
, Books
, British Cars
by Philip Powell on May 23, 2008
My ex- and I had booked a table for dinner at a nice though secluded restaurant close by the Thames in London's Chelsea district. We both liked james bond movies and Maggie was an enthusiastic fan...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, British Cars
by Philip Powell on May 14, 2008
Nothing pleases me more than promoting the works of automobile fine artists, especially when an artist has created something truly original. This is one of a new limited edition series by Paul Chenard...
Filed in archive
Automobilia
, Automotive Art
, Catalogs
by Philip Powell on May 7, 2008
Time was when automotive advertising images frequently placed an aircraft in the background, especially in the finned era of the 1950's. And why not? Both modes of transportation represented freed...
Filed in archive
Automobilia
, Automotive Art
, Cadillac
, Design
by Philip Powell on April 28, 2008
Well, this could get me back to using snail-mail! The U.S. Postal Service is issuing a second set of automobile stamps as part of its "America on the Move" series. The first set included car...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automobilia
, Automotive Art
, Catalogs
by Philip Powell on March 26, 2008
I once had a brief career as a public relations person, first with VW/Porsche, then with Ford. To suggest that I wasn't cut out for the work would be an understatement, for to succeed in that busi...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on March 21, 2008
Remember when the "service" in service station really meant something? Eager attendants fueled your tank, checked the oil, cleaned the windshield. Often the local station became a social cen...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on February 18, 2008
Ex-wives and girlfriends may disagree but I think of myself as a romantic with a taste for transportation art. Obviously paintings that combine beautiful cars (or trains, ships, aircraft) with romanti...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on January 30, 2008
On the very morning that the New York Times digital edition offered, for sale from its archives, an historic photo of a 1920's motor race, I spotted the above artwork on The GarageBlog. Both image...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on December 25, 2007
Some of the most intriguing examples of automotive art can be found on program covers that advertise concours, motor races, and similar events. Too often these are tossed after the affair is over but ...
Filed in archive
Austin Healey
, Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on December 11, 2007
You may be aware, if you've followed my efforts over the years for Creative Weblogging and About.com, that design and architecture are among my interests and that I'm supportive of automotive ...
Filed in archive
Automobilia
, Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on December 4, 2007
As an admirer of Oriental culture and classic bicycles, I take great pleasure in offering my viewers this typical Shanghai street scene. Well, perhaps not so typical. In fact, it was a work in progres...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, Italian Cars
by Philip Powell on November 20, 2007
You won't find any calendars hanging in my little condo. It's not that I don't like them, especially when the photos consist of classic cars, planes, trains, etc. In fact I've kept a f...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automobilia
, Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on November 12, 2007
So who is that lady, lying on her back, bosom slightly revealed, with cameras clicking from every direction? She's Sophia Loren, she's 71, and she's still sexy. Luck, genes, and a determin...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
, General Motors
by Philip Powell on October 25, 2007
With this artwork I'd like to honor a friend and former colleague whom I consider to be one of the most talented illustrators and art directors I've had the privilege of knowing in 30 years as...
Filed in archive
Automotive Art
by Philip Powell on October 8, 2007
Our regular visitors will, I hope, notice that this site has an all-new masthead, one that symbolises both Classical Drive's editorial theme and our personal taste in automobile styling. The new m...
