Page 33 - Sample pages "Raymond Henri Dietrich" by Necah S. Furman

philosophy that cars were made to hug the earth rather than take to the air. That being said, he did not believe this precluded visual or structural streamlining. In later years, however, when certain Fifties models donned tail fins that pointed skyward, Dietrich frankly admitted that he considered these designs “aesthetic abominations.”52
Both Raymond Dietrich in Detroit in 1925 as head of Dietrich, Inc., and Harley Earl as Director of General Motors Art and Color Section in 1927, produced innovative experimental designs when judged by standards of the Twenties and Thirties. The result was a new era of automotive styling, the second generation of which would include the Graham’s Blue Streak of 1932 and Philip Wright’s 1933 Pierce Silver Arrow. Chrysler’s aerodynamically-designed Airflow would arrive on the scene at the 1934 auto shows.53
Notably, of those innovative trailblazers, Dietrich designed one entirely, and contributed to the development and refinement of two of the others. In retrospect, it was H. H. Franklin who gave him the opportunity to take that first step with the El Pirata design.
The appearance of these cars during the years 1927 through 1931, coinciding with the era of the Grand Salons, were peak years for the production of custom body types. Throughout this period, according to Hubbard, Dietrich remained Franklin’s favorite builder, although certainly not the only one.
A composite of ten original catalogs issued between 1925 and 1934, labeled “A Catalogue of Franklin Favorites,” shows that many of these designs were characterized by special fenders and concealed running
H. H. Franklin charged Dietrich with designing
an eye-catcher to improve marketing, and the 1930 Series Fourteen Franklin five-passenger Pirate convertible phaeton was the result. Characteristic of these Pirate body styles were a rigid body substructure and flared doors, concealed running boards, and a fixed second windshield that provided
two weather-tight compartments, making it a true convertible touring car. Ray’s Pirate designs for Franklin placed him in the forefront of the trend toward unity of design and harmony of chassis and
body work. (CCCA Museum)
320 RAYMOND DIETRICH: AUTOMOTIVE ARCHITECT
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