You Gotta Pay to Play

Abstract

This article reviews how an automobile is born in a rough sketch and finally hits the road years later. In a viciously quick design cycle, pressure to save time and reduce costs gets passed from the top down to the little guy and from the little guy to the smaller guy. As major auto producers have increasingly outsourced product development over the past two decades, suppliers who may have initially resisted jumping at their customer’s demands to bring in this or that technology have learned the importance of giving in. Automotive stylists can be said to be the clothiers of the industry. They help automakers refine the shape and the look of the vehicle so it appeals to customers, and looks cutting edge and modern. Like parts suppliers, the design firms need to keep up with swift technology developments or they risk losing customers.