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Automotive Industry

The automotive industry, one of the most important industries in the world, has left its mark not only on the economy but also on the world cultures. The automotive industry is involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles.

More than 73 million motor vehicles, such as cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide in 2007 with a total of 71.9 million of new automobiles sold: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific and 19.4 million in USA and Canada. While markets in North America and Japan have stagnated, those in South America and Asia have grown, with the most rapid growth coming from Russia, Brazil and China.

The Automotive Industry produces automobiles and other gasoline-powered vehicles, like buses, trucks, aeroplanes, and motorcycles, but also electricity-powered vehicles, such as trains. Not only does it provide jobs for millions of people worldwide, but the revenues generated reach well over billions of dollars, providing the necessary base for a wide range of other service and related industries.

The invention of automobiles revolutionized transportation in the early 20th century, and the way people lived and commuted for pleasure or business was forever changed. Goods could be taken farther and faster, and new market areas were now opened to facilitate business and commerce.

Overall costs of production were brought to a minimum with methods such as mass production, meaning that several products were made at once, mass marketing- products were sold nationally not only locally), and last but not least, globalization of production assembling products with parts manufactured all over the world.

However, in 2008 due to increased oil prices the automotive industry is subject to pressures from higher prices of raw material combined to changes in the buying habits of consumers. Moreover, the industry is at the same time up against external high competition coming from the public transport sector, since consumers are just now starting to evaluate the use of their private vehicle.

In North America, the automobile industry is dominated by the famous Big Three:

General Motors (producer of Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac, etc)
Chrysler (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge)
Ford Motor Co – (Ford, Lincoln and Volvo)

Unfortunately, the automobile also means related problems, like air pollution, the emission of gases leading to imminent global warming, traffic, not to mention fatalities. Nevertheless, the automotive industry is still an important source of employment and transportation for billion of people all over the world.

If one word had to describe art, that word should surely be passion. Passion teases your heart and speaks to your spirit. It bypasses your intellect and carves out a niche in your soul. So automotive enthusiasts seek out art that reflects that passion. And automotive artists seek out scenes that inspire them to express that passion.

And if any part of the automotive industry incites passion it is racing.

Automotive racing is about speed and power and its history evokes romance. Today races are run over well-constructed tracks protected from the viewers. The drivers climb into their cars with the confidence that they were meticulously tuned by top mechanics who have worked to the point of exhaustion to insure that the machines at the starting post are as perfect as human expertise can achieve. However, in its infancy, racing was a different story. Races were run on blocked off sections of roads. Drivers drove with the hope that their vehicles could make it to the finish line and perhaps even be the first across. This was the era before television when only artists could convey the passionate hope that accompanied each entrant.

One such artist was Rene Vincent. Vincent was a French artist, born in 1879. Very little is known about his life. He began his art career as a fashion illustrator and gained recognition in that genre. But his obsession with automobiles soon drove him to racing and automotive art. Vincent was fond of illustrating race cars but he also did advertising posters. Vincent was featured in a number of top magazines of his day including La Vie Parisienne and the Saturday Evening Post. And he crafted posters for the Au Bon Marche Department Store. As a result of his various commissions he became known as the automobile poster artist of his era.

Nevertheless, the influence of fashion can be seen in his automotive works. In creating advertising illustrations for the cars of his times it is obvious he appreciated the selling power of a beautiful lady along side the automobile. His “Irat Automobiles Georges” depicts a young man seated behind the wheel giving a good night kiss to his high fashion lady friend standing along side the car. “Salmson,” considered one of his best works, shows a lady outfitted in a heavily fur trimmed jacket over a long, flowing skirt standing next to the automobile.

Vincent died in 1936 but he would be succeeded by Geo Ham, another noted vintage poster artist. Ham whose birth name was Georges Hamel was born in 1900 in Lavelle, France. Like many small boys of that age and this one, George fell in love with cars, especially the early racecars. For a while, he was a part-time racecar driver and his experiences on the track lent a certain realism to his work.

Ham attended the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris where he studied art. He did numerous illustrations for automotive catalogs and magazines. However, his most famous works are his posters depicting the Grand Pix of Monaco and the 24 Hours of LeMans. Ham died in 1972.