Presenting one of America’s finest collector car shows: the EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition. Here’s MCG’s report on this past Sunday’s event with a giant photo gallery.
EyesOn Design is a Motor City institution. If it’s Father’s Day and you’re a Detroit-area car enthusiast, chances are excellent you’ll be at the show, which is held each year at the beautiful Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. One of the country’s top collector car events, EyesOn Design supports a very worthy cause: the research efforts of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. This year’s chairman is Kathy Lightbody, Director of Brand Communications, Automotive News, while the honorary chairman is Ralph Gilles, head of design at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Where other car shows are known to focus on rarity or monetary value or collector status, EyesOn Design is all about one thing: classic automotive design—and in cars of every price class and category. This unique perspective makes EyesOn Design nearly unique among car shows. The theme on the show field for 2015 was House Style, showcasing the work of the legendary styling studio bosses: Harley Earl, George Walker, Virgil Exner, Raymond Loewy, and other famed design chiefs here and abroad. From the approximately 300 cars on exhibit this year, please find a very small sample in the gallery below.
Ive never seen that Gremlin / Hornet / Concord thing. Very interesting design but they were correct in not releasing it for production. Disappointed that the Chrysler Atlantic never made it to the street though.
Would love to have the Pinto Cruising Wagon simply because it sums up the mid ’70s auto scene like few things can. I’d also love the Turner. I knew the name but paid no attention because it was one of those rare hybrids that were almost never found in the classifieds. That one reminds me of the Triumph LeMans racers, so there must be a Michelotti / Vignale connection. Which validates the point of the show
Excellent show as always… Program was really well done. The site layout didn’t quite match the maps, however. House Design was a good call for themes, as it really showed how the styling had a family look under a single vision. Disappointed with the class I started years ago, the Hot Rod class. 5 cars that included a drag strip only car, a Rolls resto-rod, & a customized limited production Vette. All interesting cars, but not commonly ever thought of as hot rods. It seems to have lost its way…
Without a doubt, one of our favorite events of the year. Even though we’re from Ohio, Eyes on Design has been a Father’s Day tradition in our family for a decade. What’s not to love about a friendly event with fantastic car selection in a beautiful and historic setting which benefits a great cause?