In August this year, I went to the United States to conduct an on-site survey on the Monterey Car Week as part of our company’s proactive research activities. The Monterey Car Week is a collective term for a series of automobile events held every August on the Monterey Peninsula in California. It’s a large-scale gathering where enthusiasts, collectors, and dealers of classic and luxury cars come together for various shows, auctions, and races. This is my first visit to the United States though I’ve had opportunities to visit India, Brazil, and Italy since I joined GK Dynamics.

It may sound cliché, but what struck me most was the scale of things America presented in front of my eyes. The land is really vast, so the space for two traffic lanes on a Japanese road is used just for one there. I was also impressed by the size of cars, which are much larger than those seen in Japan.

From my experiences of visiting many different countries, I’ve come to realize that vehicles evolve in their own ways to match the purpose and follow the shape suitable for their surrounding environment. In cramped places, for example, vehicles adapt themselves to those environments and their design reflects the local culture. I feel sometimes that such relationships of vehicles and regional characteristics evoke an image of living organisms. My trip to America made me think about how I as a designer will be able to take part in ongoing processes of evolution like this.

Dynamic Design Dept.
Unit Leader
Masahiro Nishino