Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 153: On the Road to Hell and Back

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 153: On the Road to Hell and Back

My victory in CSC56 gave me all the motivation I needed to host CSC57. For this challenge, the theme would be about a replacement for the 1984-vintage SVM Hellblazer I submitted in the fourth and final stage of the second Journey of Ownership tournament. The premise was that the basic platform and engine for the new Hellblazer (which had been earmarked for the 1995 model year) had already been signed off, but none of the company's designers could agree on a suitable exterior design, which therefore had to be outsourced. Whatever it was, however, it would have to be front-engined and rear-wheel-drive.

Above, from top: The outgoing Hellblazer, introduced in 1984, had a strong following and a good reputation, but was showing its age by the time its replacement began development. 

I set a two-week submission period, and waited for others to submit their designs. As time went by, the entries started slowly trickling in, and within a fortnight, I had received nine entries - almost twice as many as were entered in the previous CSC. When I finally got around to ranking the proposals, I had to reject most of them for looking too outdated, having poorly proportioned features, or just not fitting the brief. However, three designs - a red design that modernized its predecessor's design language, a blue one that took a more minimalist approach, and a green one that used a different car body set and had a more dynamic appearance - stood out for nailing the brief more convincingly than anything else, and they duly advanced to the finals.

Above, from top: The top three design proposals I received during CSC57. The first one was pleasingly minimalist but needed a bit more flair; the second one was a conservative, yet successful modern interpretation of the previous Hellblazer's design language, and the last one (which I crowned the winner of this challenge) had an even more dynamic and curvaceous look - a by-product of using a different (and newer) body set that none of the other entries was based on.

In the end, I went for the car with the bright green exterior color and double-bubble roof - small details such as this helped it get the nod over the other two finalists. As a postscript, it went into production with very few changes, and would go on to have a long and successful life, boosting SVM's image in the process.

Above, from top: The production version of the new-for-'95 SVM Hellblazer as seen from various angles.

Overall, I was very satisfied with how I hosted a CSC for the first time, and was deeply impressed at the quality of design work present in most of the entrants' submissions. Here's hoping the next CSC maintains the high standard set by the current one, after the two previous rounds had an unusually low turnout with no more than five entrants each.