Thom Patterson writes a great article at CNN titled:
Steve Jobs and the king of stylish cars
Below is a snippet from the article talking about what Harley Earl created:
"During his heyday spanning the 1930s to the late '50s, Earl created innovations that were decades ahead of their time:
-Rear backup cameras connected to dashboard video
-An automated driving system
-Collision warning alarms
-Cruise control
-Keyless entry
-Onboard computers
-Rain-sensing technology
Earl
was the first, say experts, to meld car style with functionality — kind
of like what Apple's Steve Jobs did with personal computers."
Mr. Patterson ends with:
"So why ISN'T Harley Earl a household name? Should he be?
For
a lot of people who aren't enthusiasts, it's not particularly important
who designed the car," Gross said. "I don't know that anyone is going
to erect a statue to Harley Earl, but I think it's important that he's
remembered. There really isn't anybody today in the design industry that
has the impact and the clout, the presence and the profile that Harley
Earl had in his day. ... But Harley had a unique set of circumstances.
He was The Man."
Yes, Harley Earl was THE man...
