Detroit designers have always led the way in car design. The futuristic concept cars, roaring muscle cars, and sleek racers designed in and around the city shape our ideas of what a car can be. Working on paper, in clay, and in metal, their ideas drive American car culture and inform the way we get around every day.

This exhibition organized by the Detroit Institute of Arts highlighted the artistry and influence of Detroit car designers working between 1950 and the present day. It brought together 12 coupes and sedans designed across that 70-year period to highlight significant achievements in style and technology. The 12 cars included unique examples of experimental show cars created for display and iconic production models sold to the mass market. Design drawings allowed the viewer to imagine the creative and innovative processes that bring a vehicle from the drawing board to the street.

A selection of paintings and sculptures highlighted the conversation between the American art world and the car culture from the 1950s to the present day.

Designed in collaboration with Samantha Grassi
Curated by Benjamin Colman
On view at the Detroit Institute of the Arts November 15, 2020 to June 5, 2022