Car Guy

inToledo  |  02/04/2009

I had the privilege of being a kid in Detroit during the heyday of the Big Three automakers. My friends and I waited on pins and needles for the annual introduction of the new car models, scouring the glossy steel and chrome bodies for subtle changes to the tail lights, mirrors, front grills and hood ornaments that, to us, meant New and Improved. Every year, we made the short pilgrimage by bus to the Detroit Auto Show, dashing from one display to the next as though a leisurely stroll meant missing something important, or even worse, not seeing every car from every possible angle. Calling it an "International" auto show was unthinkable, laughable. It was all about Detroit. We were at the undisputed center of the car world.

That was then. This is now. Let's not dwell on the catastrophe that is the current domestic auto industry. This is a moment for nostalgia. And what better way to represent a bygone era than with artwork that distills the essence of the "WOW factor" that once held us enraptured with American chrome. And Perrysburg artist, Ted McLaren, is one of the best in the nation at capturing the "classic" in classic cars.

"I don't try to paint the entire car," said McLaren. "I like to take just a small part of the car; a headlight and a part of the bumper, a fin and tail light, a section of grill, with the classic cars, a close-up view of a few details was enough to clue you in on the whole."

Do you think the rear fin and tail light assembly on the 1957 BelAir was the ultimate in cool? How about the aggressive sneer of the 1966 GTO, or the toothy grin of the 1957 Chevy? McLaren captures these in oil and acrylic paints in a way that turns them into fine art. He's a wonder at rendering the sensual curve, the gleam and reflection of chrome and high gloss paint.

But that's not just me, singing McLaren's praises. In June, he won the 2008 Bridgestone Eye of the Artist Award that is one of 20 EyesOn Designawards given by the Detroit Institute of phthalmology. The awards have since grown to become the most prestigious of awards programs in the world that showcase automotive design and fine automotive art. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would win an award like this. It's serendipitous for me - I lost my sight for a month in the spring of 2007 following a minor eye surgery," said McLaren.

McLaren received his award on Father's Day, June 15, 2008 at Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. The Henry Ford Museum invited Ted back for a private showing of his work on November 24. The show was in conjunction with a trunk show given for members of the museum only. At the event Ted unveiled a painting of the Model-T Ford in commemoration of the historic car's 100th birthday.

Recently, McLaren took his artwork to Ballas Buick in Toledo, Ohio for a first-of-its-kind art opening at an auto dealership. The exhibit included 16 of McLaren's award-winning paintings of classic cars, including a '64? Mustang Convertible, two GTO paintings and several Cadillacs. At the same time as the art exhibit, Ballas Buick hosted a Toys for Tots campaign for the U.S. Marine Corps.

"When Ted's people proposed the idea of mingling classic car art in a showroom for new cars, I couldn't resist," notes Marianne Ballas, president of Ballas Buick. "Ted's bright, large scale paintings have a way of drawing people in. For us it's a great way to take our clients and the general public down memory lane, as well as introduce them to the latest Buicks which are destined to become classics."

"This was a prototype project for us," said McLaren. "Car paintings are neat, but there is a limited following, mostly among car clubs, car collectors and car dealers. It's a big, but specialized, market. We hope to take the show from here to dealerships in Scottsdale, Arizona and Orange County, California. It may create a way to bring people into the showrooms."

An industrial designer by trade, McLaren has over 40 patents, including one for cardboard furniture sturdy enough to be used by children (no small feat, as any parent will tell you). After retiring, he turned his eye for design toward the classic cars that he loves. "Those cars really showed the sensibilities of the designers," he said. "A lot of the design cues were borrowed from the aircraft industry. I miss those days when cars had distinct personalities. My artwork is a way of remembering and honoring those designs."

by Dennis Hicks