University of Texas at Austin

Norman Bel Geddes (American, 1893-1954)
Model of Motor Car No. 9
Ca. 1932
Mixed media
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Norman Bel Geddes Database

Job 329, Aerodynamic Motor Cars #1-14, 1927-1942

Summary: To Bel Geddes, the smooth, streamlined forms of his cars and other vehicles facilitated their frictionless movement, not unlike that of birds through air or fish through water. This concept required the complete re-design of the American automobile. “Driving today’s motor car,” Geddes wrote at the start of the Horizons chapter devoted to motor cars and buses, “is a peculiar experience for one who understands in the least degree the principles of aerodynamics; for he realizes that the mechanism under his control is so inadequately designed from this viewpoint that it would be more efficient if it were operated with the rear end to the front.”

Designs for Streamlined Motor Car Number 9 and Streamlined Motor Coach Number 2 were used in Horizons (job 237).

Included here is the "Autocar" Truck cab design of 1936. This job consolidates Streamlined Motor Coach No. 2 (job 247) and Streamlined Automobile (job 249).


(click image for description)

Box/Location Folder Description
box 17 329.1 Research --- Patent of Paul Jaray Motor Car 1927.
flat file 329.1 2 Photostats of sketches of Motor Car No. 2 Apr1927.
box 17 329.2 Motor Car No. 7 [i.e. No. 8 per Horizons] captions, photograph record sheet.
object 329.1 Car No. 8 --- Model of Motor Car No. 8 (7 x 18 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, no tail fin).
flat box 7 329.1 Car No. 8 --- 2 Renderings.
photo box 7 329.1 Car No. 8 --- 4 Photographs of renderings.
object 329.2 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Model of Car No. 9 (6 x 18 1/2 x 6 inches, with tail fin).
box 17 329.3 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Sketches, notes 1932.
box 17 329.4 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 6 Preliminary sketches. Exhibit label.
flat file 329.2 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Blueprint (19 3/4 x 29 7/8 inches).
flat box 7a 329.2 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 5 Sketches (matted) and 1 Drawing.
flat box 7a 329.2a Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Drawing of Motor Car No. 9 (with tail fin), rear view (8 3/8 x 10 13/16 inches).
flat box 7a 329.2b Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Drawing of Motor Car No. 9 (with tail fin), side view (8 3/8 x 10 3/4 inches).
flat box 7a 329.2c Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Motor Car No. 9 (with tail fin), preliminary sketch on blue paper (3 x 5 inches).
flat box 7a 329.2d Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Motor Car No. 9 (with tail fin), composite sketch with human figure for scale at upper right (8 x 10 1/4 inches).
flat box 7a 329.2e Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Motor Car No. 9 (with tail fin), composite sketch with cross inside circle at center right (10 3/4 x 8 3/8 inches).
flat box 7a 329.2f Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Motor Car No. 9 (with tail fin), composite sketch with human figure for scale at upper left (10 3/4 x 8 3/8 inches).
flat box 8 329.3 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 3 Drawings (mounted, 2 plans and 1 section).
flat box 8 329.4 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 8 Mounted photostats of drawings, exhibit labels.
photo box 7 329.2 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 6 Photographs of model.
negative box 4 329.1 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 5 Negatives of model.
box 17 329.5 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Photograph Record Copy Book Motor Car No. 9 - Photograph Record sheets 1939.
photo box 7 329.3 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 5 Record Copy Book Photographs of rendering, model.
negative box 4 329.2 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 8 Goldberg negatives of model (1 damaged).
box 17 329.6 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- Captions of publicity photographs, 1933.
photo box 7 329.4 Streamlined Automobile [No. 9] --- 15 Photographs [Car No. 9] - 3 of renderings, 12 of model.
box 17 329.7-8 Publicity --- Clippings 1935-1942.
oversize box 7 329.1 [Starling Burgess' Dymaxion Auto] Clipping.
damaged box 11 329.1 Research --- Dymaxion Car, Jaray Streamlined Car -Clippings.
box 17 329.9 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 3 Sketches. 1 label.
flat file 329.3-4 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 3 Sketches, 2 renderings on board.
box 17 329.10 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 1 Sketch Motor Coach section.
flat box 8 329.5 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 3 Mounted drawings.
flat box 8 329.6 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 10 Mounted photostats (6 drawings, 4 labels).
box 17 329.11 Streamlined Motor Coach --- Patent & drawings Motor Coach 1933.
box 17 329.12 Streamlined Motor Coach --- Photograph Record Copy Book - Captions, Photograph Record Sheets.
photo box 7 329.5 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 6 Record Copy Book Photographs of renderings and model.
photo box 7 329.6 Streamlined Motor Coach --- 12 Photographs of renderings and model.
negative box 4 329.3 Streamlined Motor Coach --- Negative of model of Motor Coach.
photo box 7 329.7 Autocar Truck --- 27 photographs of full size clay model 1936.
negative box 4 329.4 Autocar Truck --- Negative Autocar Truck.
box 17 329.13 Futurama Car --- Patent drawing 1939.
photo box 7 329.8 Futurama Car --- 3 Photographs of clay model.
box 17 329.14 Fascination Car -- Two promotional fliers for car designed by Paul M. Lewis in the 1960s (donated in 2012).

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