70's Coke Bottle Design
The Coke bottle, as a symbol of an era, captures the spirit of the times that design has always expressed: Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, and Art Deco, just to name a few examples. Even within these design movements, there are variations worth diving into.
But what exactly is Coke Bottle Design?
In essence, the era of sweeping lines began in the 1930s with the influence of Art Deco in car manufacturing. It moved away from pure functionalism towards aesthetic forms that also met new requirements, such as aerodynamics. French manufacturers played a leading role here: Bugatti, Voisin, Delahaye, Delage, as well as Hispano-Suiza, and Tatra, are some of the notable representatives of this time. The Peter Mullin Collection in Oxnard, USA, is dedicated to this period.
Major design developments resumed in the 1950s after being shaped by World War II. The US, as a pioneer in nearly everything, also showed its influence through American subsidiaries like Opel and Ford, which imported GM and Ford's technology and design influences to Europe until the mid-70s. Prosperity in Europe fueled the desire for opulent design, both for personal expression and to impress the neighbors: The car as a statement!
Lots of chrome, design elements from aviation, and even erotic interpretations of the female form were in vogue, contrasting with the emerging aesthetic of rationality, whose representatives were mainly found in Italy: Bertone, Giugiaro, Pininfarina, among others.
Coke Bottle Design can be understood as an evolution of the baroque shapes of the 50s and 60s, which are present in the design of the emerging so-called muscle cars at the end of the 60s: Shelby Cobra, Dodger Charger, Pontiac GTO, and others.
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