From Alfa Romeo to Bugatti, from Ferrari to McLaren, over 100 extraordinary and world-class vehicles from a wide selection of classes graced Art Center’s scenic Sculpture Garden on Sunday, July 17 th, for the Art Center Car Classic ’05: Legends : Timeless Automotive Design. The annual event attracted over 2,500 guests, including top automotive designers (many of whom are Art Center alumni) and distinguished car collectors from around the world, who gathered to celebrate Art Center’s 75 th year of influence in the automotive industry.

Noted collector Bruce Meyer said about the event, “ Art Center has taken its Car Classic from a small gathering of enthusiasts to a world-class show in very short order. This achievement reflects the world-renowned reputation of Art Center College of Design.”

Art Center alumnus and Director of Strategic Design at Ford, Freeman Thomas notes “ Art Center’s Car Classic is an amazing event that celebrates the best in design and the best in designers. This year provided a rare and unique opportunity for everyone interested in design – car collectors, professional designers and students – to exchange and share ideas.”

Hot Rod designers Chip Foose (Art Center alum) and Steve Moal were featured in the morning “Meet the Designers” panel as some of their award-winning designs were on display: Foose designed Ken Reister’s 1936 Ford Roadster “Impression,” winner of the Ridler Award and Moal designed Paul Hansen’s 1932 Ford Roadster “Sedueced,” winner of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award at the Grand National Roadster Show.

In a rare U.S. appearance, legendary car designer Gordon Murray shared his design insights and stories of his work with Brabham and McLaren to a packed auditorium. One of his creations, the McLaren F1 was exhibited by Jay Leno, who also provided the introduction to Gordon’s presentation.

Many legendary and exceptional vehicles were on display, including William E. “Chip” Connor’s 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe, Arturo and Deborah Keller’s 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Viotti Coupe, Peter Mullin’s 1937 Hispano Suiza Dubonnet Xenia, John and Heather Mozart’s 1959 TR59/60 Fantuzzi Spyder, and Jon Shirley’s 1954 Ferrari 375MM Scaglietti Coupe Custom. For a complete listing of the Final Exhibitor Field, click here.

We hope you were able to join us for this wonderful event and we encourage you to browse through photos of the 2005 event and previous shows. Join us next year as we present Coachbuilding: Pasadena and Beyond on Sunday, July, 16 th, 2006, when we will celebrate the beauty and craftsmanship of custom coachbuilding. We will pay special tribute to Pasadena’s own Walter M. Murphy Co. and Bohman & Schwartz, as well as their modern day counterparts.