The Evolution of Aussie Auto Manufacturers and Car Designs

Australia might not build cars on a global scale nor are they still manufacturing cars today, but prior to 2017, Aussie auto manufacturers were strong in their adaptability and intuition. It is thought to create largely for their own communities, with considerable interest in ensuring that their cars reflect Australian culture which helped them gain a national identity through their cars.

According to Australian car designer Richard Ferlazzo of GM Australian Design, “we historically only did products for our own market, a limited number of platforms, and therefore a concentration on mostly sensible, family vehicles.”

Australian mentality of Australian manufacturers

Bearing what Ferlazzo said, it should be noted that, unlike large corporations that have many facets working together separately, Australian auto manufacturers work on a smaller scale and therefore have the ability to work together with different teams that would otherwise not overlap.

What Ferlazzo had to say about this was that “We have a very broad understanding of the whole process. I can go to the engineering guys – we’re on a first-name basis – and we discuss the issue. With larger organisations, that’s not possible. We don’t just style something and throw it over the fence.”

The changing times and the changing designs

For a long time, Australians have always vied for muscle cars and performance cars, which means you’ll see cars low to the ground with some large speedy wheels. That’s their idea of proportion in the sense that you get an athletic ride that is purposeful and macho.

Bright colours and sleek angles offer a more androgynous look to sportscars and shy away from the idea that muscle cars have to be muscular and square. Being able to break free from this notion has set a lot of designers creativity flowing. While this doesn’t mean that large chunky cars disappeared from the scene, it allowed for more grace to be injected into our automobiles. Being responsive to their community was a strong suit of Australian car manufacturers and it’s a pity that they’ve chosen to stop producing cars to focus on other aspects of the Australian economy.

Taking technology into consideration

All that glitters is not gold and while aesthetics definitely play a large role in determining how popular a car will become, it isn’t all that matters when you’re designing a car. New technologies that allow for more radical sculpting can also create new profiles never seen before or having lights where there didn’t use to be any, whether hidden in the skirting reinforced with waterproofing, or lighting up accents around the vehicle. Technology can also inject a layer of creativity, as long as you’ve got the imagination. In fact, you could potentially cover your entire car in carpet grass and call it a day. Today’s trends see various textures being incorporated into modern vehicles, textures that didn’t exist back in the day. Nowadays, people still enjoy the idea of having a mechanical feel to a car, but in a couple of years, who knows? We might be seeing an all-new design with no buttons or gears, save for a voice-activated menu. But these innovations will have to come from other countries, such as Japan, which is well-known for its eclectic designs that combine innovation into everyday items.

While Australia no longer manufactures cars, their adaptability and sense of design continue to influence modern car designs as well as offer insights into how to survive in the car manufacturing sector.