Frank Leyendecker's last published work was something cool with wheels. Oct 1923

Kim tipped me to the Swedish designer Sixten Sason article by Lasse Wallin. Thanks Kim!

Few Swedish designers have had such an extensive and successful career as the Swede who was behind e.g. SAAB 92 to 96 cars. 

Sason and prototype 92001, one of my favorite banners

In addition to those Sixten Sason’s interesting ideas on how motorcycles, cars and planes could be built began in the late1920s, first as an illustrator for various motor magazines, and then with assignments for the Husqvarna factory.

From the 1930s onwards, his illustrations were seen in several Swedish motor magazines.

In the 20th century ordinary tastes in design changed, and some of the early car manufacturers were both artists and designers, with Ettore Bugatti and Gabriel Voisin as the most obvious examples. 

 In the 1920s car makers began to use artists or designers to draw standard bodies all over Europe and the USA.

Sixten Sason was born 100 km northeast of Gothenburg. His father was a sculptor and had his own stonemasonry, where the young son started his working life and there learned very useful things, such as how to make models in plaster and clay - skills that should be of great use to him later. 

When only 15, he sent motorcycle drawings to the Husqvarna factory, which resulted in a new fuel tank on their motorcycles. In 1928 he was at Husqvarna and helped draw the 1929 models - still a mere 16 years old. 

In the early 1930s he tried being a freelancer for a few years, but during military service in the Air Force he was badly injured and had to stay hospitalized from 1934 to 1939. Despite his hospital stay he was very productive in those years and when World War II started he was employed by the aircraft manufacturer SAAB, as head of the design studio. X-ray drawings were one of his specialties.

Towards the end of the war, SAAB realized that it had to supplement aircraft manufacturing with civilian products, like cars. Sixten Sason was hired as a designer, and the two-stroke SAAB is his best-known work; from the prototype to models 92, 93, 95 and 96, but also the first SAAB Sonett sports car 

the SAAB Sonnet Super Sport ( I think I posted this already)

Already while working for SAAB, Sason was an independent design consultant with his own company, designing for Hasselblad cameras, cutlery, irons, vacuum cleaners, chainsaws, etc. for Elektrolux and Husqvarna.

In addition to some of Sweden’s most important cars and aircraft, Sixten Sason was also responsible for the lightweight motorcycle Husqvarna Silver Arrow

The silver arrow was specially designed to weigh less than 75 kg, thus avoiding weight tax, and the purchase price was therefore paied back in only ten years. Besides being a very nice motorcycle at the time, it is also another beautiful example of a legal way to avoid paying taxes and fees

Credit to Lasse Wallin for the article, he did the work, I just reposted it, and added some more images from 

https://www.saabplanet.com/sixten-sason-designer-of-the-saab-92-93-95-96-99-and-the-saab-sonett/

http://emp-web-84.zetcom.ch/eMP/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalSearch&module=collection&viewType=detailList&fulltext=sason

where was this when I was posting vacuum cleaners last week?

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/british-vacuum-cleaner-london-bvc-vintage-advertising-poster-studio-grafiikka.html

probably only best used for making something cool out of the uniquely shaped bodies, 1960s vacuum cleaners were pretty cool designs that make interesting race car art

Above, Filter Queen, below Hoover Constellation

pretty sure this one above used the exhaust air to float on by pushing it out under the ball, like a hovercraft

above was among the last of the smmoth and sleek, below, first of the "modern age" designs

for a great timeline look at the evolution of  the cannister Elevtrolux http://smithcollection.altervista.org/electrolux-canada.html

but imagine constantly pumping one instead of using one with and electric motor

Anyway, an example of the stuff that's been made from old vacuums?

http://theelectroluxman.com/

http://www.rvhive.com/the-museum-of-clean-in-idaho-one-clean-museum/
https://www.homestratosphere.com/vacuum-cleaner-history/

In honor of the 100th running of the Indy 500, Firestone offered fans the chance to race with one of the sport’s greatest champions, Mario Andretti.

The six-week online “Race Andretti” sweepstakes invited participants to outrace Mr. Andretti while performing everyday household tasks, the vacuum cord wrap, the fitted sheet fold, the light bulb replacement, the milk chug, the orange peel,




 The first challenge was to see how quickly participants can peel an orange.









One lucky racer won the chance to go to the 100th Running of the Indy 500 and meet Andretti. One weekly winner will receive a $500 Firestone Complete Auto Care gift card and a Firestone Racing hat signed by the racing legend himself.



http://leoburnett.us/chicago/article/firestone-raceandrettisweepstakes-gives-indycar-fans-chance-to-race-mario-andretti/
http://www.tirebusiness.com/article/20160425/NEWS/160429963/firestone-contest-pits-contestants-vs-andretti

Vacuum Cleaner, 1910 Made in Bradford, Pa... I think it must have been more novel, not better than, a broom

found on https://www.facebook.com/AntiqueStoresJunkDrawer/?fref=photo via  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447268078825074/

Steampunk East Tumblr has posted some great stuff...

 above is a photoshop of a locomotive over the top of the tank... it's pretty good!

the Isabel

and yup, this is the first time I've posted a vacuum. 

http://steampunkeast.tumblr.com for a lot more