Cars That Matter

Robert Ross and artist Fireball Tim Lawrence met at the world-renowned Peterson Automotive Museum for a tour of Hollywood's Cars That Matter. From the imposing Batmobile to Herbie the Love Bug's NASCAR makeover, Fireball reveals the fascinating process of bringing these cinematic characters to life. He shares how his career was sparked by legendary futurist Syd Mead, whose vision for the dystopian world of Blade Runner shaped an entire genre of film. These movie cars are more than just props; they're characters with purpose and personality. Also in this episode, Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds, the 1950 Mercury from Cobra, and the 1946 Ford from Grease.

Everyone knows great cars come from great designers, but where do great designers come from? ArtCenter College of Design is renowned for training world-class designers. Robert Ross joins Transportation Chair, Marek Djordjevic, for a discussion about what it takes to train students in the art of contemporary car design using 3D modeling, animation, and classic techniques like drawing by hand. With experience designing for BMW and Rolls-Royce, and an alumnus of the ArtCenter himself, Marek explains what it takes to get ahead as an accomplished designer, and why today's students are even more capable than the ones in the past. 

Step into the world of the Morgan collection with proprietor of Morgan West, Dennis Glavis. Robert and Dennis discuss the legacy of the Morgan collection, the unending appeal and quirkiness, and the magic elixir of driving a Morgan. 

Hand-hammering body panels with the same tools and techniques used in 1965, Jim Marietta of the Original Venice Crew, is meticulously recreating original 1965 Shelby Mustangs with stunning authenticity. In this episode, Robert joins Jim in his garage and their conversation highlights the beauty of these tribute cars, the importance of preserving the legacy, and honoring the hard work of the original mechanics and engineers who brought the Shelby Mustang to life. They also dive into the incredible year the Mustang achieved a historic trifecta by winning three major race series consecutively.