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Hollywood in Detroit. Automobile designers, writes Holman W. Jenkins Jr. in the Wall Street Journal, "have become independent powers, almost like Hollywood producers." J Mays, for example, the "prime mover behind the new VW bug, was recently lifted into the inner circle of eight senior vice presidents who run the Ford Motor Company." Over at BMW, designer Chris Bangle (the one responsible for that funky-trunk look) "has managed to become not just famous, but controversial, even reviled." Perhaps confirming the star-power of distinctive-looking cars, Nissan's "Carlos Ghosn recently declared that design was now on a part with investment strategy, the most fateful decision a modern corporation can make."
Indeed, the auto "industry's economics," Mr. Jenkins goes on to suggest, "have also become impressively Hollywood-like ... Nowadays," he observes, "any reward for shareholders will have to come from gratuitous profits earned on 'hot models' that customers are willing to pay more than a commodity-box price for." It's a trend that started with the "retrofusion" of the new Beetle and Chrysler's PT Cruiser, and continued with "the 2001 Thunderbird, this year's Chevy SSR and next year's Ford GT. That pace picked up, Mr. Jenkins suggests, with "the Bauhaus-inspired Audi TT ... and a series of Volvo non-boxes inflected with the sensibility of Swedish furniture design."
Coming attractions, he adds, feature "amazing pieces of work like the Subaru WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution." And next year, watch out for star turns by the Pontiac Solstice and Dodge Razor -- America's take on the affordable sports car." All of this boffo design, Mr. Jenkins notes, are backed by movies like "Fast and Furious," which, he says "not so much introduced the return of muscle cars as put a stamp of authenticity on it for the benefit of newsmagazine editors and auto executives." Just like in Hollywood, he continues, "cost means nothing if you're producing hits." However, the real test of box-office car design, Mr. Jenkins concludes, is the Cadillac brand: "If GM succeeds in remaking Cadillac as a hot brand, the Hollywoodization of Detroit," he says, "will become written in stone."
Tim Manners, editor
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