Original body design and prototype manufacturing for the automotive sector

Cars entered our lives with the vehicle named Motorwagen, which had an internal combustion engine running on gasoline, invented by Karl Benz in 1885. This sector, which started in the late 19th century, saw the development of horse-drawn carriage-like vehicles on their chassis by many companies and inventors. These vehicles were initially produced individually by skilled craftsmen or companies entirely by handcraft, hence used as special luxury consumer goods appealing to the rich when they were first manufactured. In 1913, Henry Ford's introduction of the modern assembly line production system made automobiles accessible to the wider public. Initially, automobile design primarily focused on functionality and mechanical performance. However, over time, alongside technological advancements, the aesthetic appearances of automobiles and prioritizing user experience became crucial. This situation, along with engineering designs, facilitated the entry of art into the automotive industry with Harley Earl at GM in 1927. The convergence of art and engineering initiated industrial design processes, evolving until today. In this study, two different original body designs and prototype manufacturing were realized using traditional clay modeling methods and modern design techniques. Firstly, a prototype was created using the traditional method of clay modeling. Then, a second prototype was developed using modern design methods. The thesis will provide an evaluation of the different design and manufacturing techniques of these two prototypes. The results will contribute to the understanding and advancement of innovative approaches in original body design and prototype manufacturing in the automotive sector.