It might be tempting to dismiss my submission as a testosterone driven fantasy, and I'll willingly admit, there is some of that here, but I also view the Jaguar E-type as a work of art. Many of my personal favorite works of art have an infectious quality to them, and this is no exception. The E-type’s sleek, sculptural lines and throaty 6-cylinder roar give me goosebumps every time. Some of the preceding posts have described a similar quality of art as being "captivating." The Jaguar E-type certainly captivates me just as it captivated a generation of young people at the heart of a counterculture revolution when it burst on to the scene 50 years ago.
Just like the sonic art of the fab four and visual art of Andy Warhol, the E-type has become a pop-culture icon of the 60's. It is certainly no coincidence that Austin Powers' "Shaugar" is an E-type roadster. When introduced in 1961, the XK-E, as it was called in the US, was miles ahead of its competition. Designed by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer and the product of a long line of Jaguar racing heritage, the E-type was a perfect blend of style, performance, and affordability. I could go into detail about the car’s specifications, but I’ll hold off because I don't want to take this too far outside of the art world. However, with that being said, and despite the typical divide between the sciences and humanities in a traditional academic setting, I think you could make the argument that the XK-E is the culmination of just the right amount of Science (math, engineering, mechanics) and Art (aesthetic beauty). That is a discussion for another time, perhaps.
I believe that art can provide a window to an era removed from the present. In my opinion, the E-type does just that. The XK-E managed to capture the essence of a brief but extremely influential time period in history and will continue to preserve that “mojo” for future generations to enjoy and taste.
In 1996, a Jaguar E-type Roadster was placed in an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Architecture and Design. It was the third car to ever enter the museum. A press release for the exhibit can be read here.
If you’d like to know more, here is a short video about the history and impact of the XK-E.
How exactly did you embed the youtube video into your essay?
ReplyDeleteWhen you're composing a new post, look at the top right corner and click "Edit HTML." Copy & paste the code for the video from Youtube into your post.
ReplyDeleteOh, the art of the industrial world. The best artifacts are often outside of the art world. I think it would be helpful to sort out the aesthetics of the object from the aesthetics of the experience of driving. I'm not sure that Kant allows testosterone to fit inside his notion of art.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm not a big fan of the muscle-car big front end look. I don't much care for Corvettes (old or new version) or any other out of balance design. The old Mustangs have such a nice balance as do the new 300-series BMW's.
Can a car survive being loved by Austin Powers? That's gotta hurt.
Hi there, Shaugar! No matter how many years have passed, you still remain a beauty! And James, I wholeheartedly agree with your definition of art. The E-type is simply among the best creations of the 60s that captivates every generation of automobile fanatics. For a vintage car, its performance is already considered top-of-the-line, and its sexy curves are just one of the many beautiful things about this Jag.
ReplyDeleteKerstin Shed