“新甲壳虫之父”汽车设计杰作回顾

2002款福特雷鸟

    梅斯1987年加盟福特，正好赶上负责雷鸟的复兴。这款车采用了复古未来主义的圆形大灯，蛋箱式的进气格栅和一个装饰性的引擎盖进气口。但这些设计更像是拙劣的模仿，而不是对经典的致敬，同时它基本没怎么掩饰各种降低了这款车动力性能的妥协和削减成本的做法。它推出时，梅斯曾宣称：“这不是经典车型应有样子的漫画版，它本身就是经典车型。”他这话说得太过头了。他本指望这款车能长期生产下去，但事与愿违，这车的新奇设计造成的吸引力很快就烟消云散，三年后这辆雷鸟就折翼停产了。

2002 Ford Thunderbird

    Mays joined Ford in 1987, in time to oversee the attempt to revive the Thunderbird. The use of retro-futuristic round headlights, egg-crate grille, and a decorative hood scoop seemed more parody than homage, and did little to disguise the compromises and cost-cutting that undermined the dynamics of the car. At the launch, Mays declared, "It's not a caricature of what a classic should be. It is a classic automobile." He protested too much. Instead of the long production run he expected, its novelty appeal was quickly exhausted, and the T'bird had its wings clipped three years later.