Sculpted in Steel- Houston Museum of Fine Arts

The Art Deco cars presented in this exhibit are nothing short of magnificent. The design and aesthetics of these vehicles immediately evokes a sense of time and place, and conjures images of the lifestyles lived by the owners. Extravagant Excess. Hermes scarves blowing in the wind, opulent mansions, and endless garden parties with flowing champagne. 

This beautiful bright orange 1930 Cord L-29 Cabriolet was once owned by Frank Lloyd Wright, who knew a thing or two about design himself. And while his house designs sought to blend into the surrounding environment, he certainly wanted his car to stand out. He frequently had his vehicles painted what he called Taliesin orange, a signature color of sorts, which looks stunning on this car. The low slung body lines, lengthy hood, streamlined grill, and fender trim all exemplify Art Moderne styling.

The H6B Dubonnet Coupe was designed to look like an airplane fuselage, with a curved glass panoramic windshield, and upward opening Plexiglas side windows. The doors were suspended on hinges, which allowed them to open rearward. Clearly not designed for a trip to the grocery store, but absolutely appropriate for a Monaco road race.

The car tapers elegantly from front to back, featuring an almost triangular rear window, above teardrop styling. All of these elements combine to create a car so sleek, it appears almost fluid. The company which hand built this car atop a Hispano-Suiza chassis was founded by a French apertif baron, which is the most delicious jazz age occupation one could imagine.

The exhibit also showcased the era’s two wheeled Art Deco designs. The 1930 KJ Streamline is seemingly a study in steel liquidity, and while achingly beautiful, the complex curved body was difficult to ride and a challenge to make. Perhaps a bit of form over function. However, lest you think the KJ was all beauty and no brawn, its 1200cc, four cylinder engine could exceed 100 mph. Perhaps not wise on a motorcycle whose design made it hard to ride, but nevertheless, it was built for speed.

This Spring 2016 Houston Museum of Fine Arts exhibit showcased a total of 14 cars and three motorcycles manufactured between 1929-1940. Based on a similar 2013 exhibition at Nashville’s Frist Center, Sensuous Steel, one can only hope that this collection continues to travel.