Rick McDaniel 

On Automobile Styling.........

Automobile styling is the considerable art of blending the necessary features of automobile's function with the beauty of design alone.  It is an extremely difficult art, given the constraints of the necessary function of the automobile.  Over the decades automotive styling, as an art form has been remarkably well done, as in the Jaguar XKE and on occasion has produced designs somewhat less appealing to the general public (AMC Pacer, Ford Edsel).  

In days gone by, racing car designers and constructors clearly adhered to  the "form follows function" directive and the exercise was simply to cover a well thought out chassis and powerful engine with some sort of external skin, or even perhaps not.  Early F1 engine compartments are an example of this.  As aerodynamics entered the picture, these shapes became more important, but still, the actual form or shape (styling) was mandated only by the need to produce the best possible performance from the vehicle.

Vehicle used for transportation as opposed to timed competition are a different breed altogether.  Here, the "look" of the vehicle is the major attraction and can make or break a design in short order.

Styling enters the picture when it is just as important for the surfaces of the vehicle (what you see) to be appealing and desirable, as it is for the mechanical system to function well.  The argument continues today as to what actually sells cars, styling or performance.  In the successful design, it is clearly both.

Richard Kent McDaniel was born and raised in the Detroit Metro area, clearly ground zero for American automobile design and styling. 
He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, Majoring In Graphic Design 
from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C.
He is a graphic and advertising design consultant 
currently residing in San Jose, California.  He was commissioned from the onset of the Ascot Roadster project to bring his considerable talents to the challenging design Ascot.

He drew his first car when he was just two years old. From there he never looked back, drawing hundreds of pictures of existing cars as well as new designs of his own. At the age of 10, he designed a complete car, inside and out, with all appropriate views and sent 
them to General Motors. GM responded with a very nice letter thanking him for his outstanding efforts and stating that they were not allowed to use designs from anyone not employed by the company. They also sent a package of information on becoming an automotive designer along 
with numerous 8 x 10 pictures of experimental cars. That was it, he not only wanted to design their cars, he wanted to become GM's greatest designer. This inspired him to draw, study and design even more cars.  And not just cars, there were motorcycles, aircraft, trucks, in fact he developed a great passion for anything with an engine. 

Then, at the age of sixteen, he was devastated to learn that GM, as well as most American automotive designers, as a rule did not design entire cars but only parts of cars. Although this bitter pill of information ultimately caused a change in career direction, it was also a blessing in 
disguise. While never leaving automobiles far behind, it did open up a whole new world of subjects for him to focus his artistic abilities on. 

Disciplines introduced in school and practiced to this day such as studying the human form, illustration technique, color theory, along with mediums like painting, photography and sculpture have evolved him into a well-rounded and competent artist. A keen sensitivity to line and form of 
literally any object, man-made or natural, has been the source of great fascination and study over the years.

Although he has been a successful freelance artist for the past two decades, his passion for automotive design has always been there. Now, having the opportunity to pen a car from start to finish, especially one as exciting and unique as the Ascot Roadster, is the absolute realization of a dream.  It is the culmination of a lifetime of study and something that he feels very fortunate to be part of.

Design and styling projects............

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