Back in the 1930s, through to 1968 (except for a break during WW2), the Fisher Body division of General Motors had an annual competition for modellers. Clearly seeking out the next generation of full-size car designers.
The Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild was open to boys from 12 to 19 (divided in to Junior and Senior sections), in both the United States and Canada. You could either build a large-scale Napoleonic Coach - taken from the company badge (1931-48), or design your own modern car in 1/12th scale (1937-68).
There were cash prizes for the boys in each state, then regional competitions, followed by a national competition. More cash prizes, and university scholarships. This was not a small competition, there was serious money involved, and the standards were very high.
All the models were scratch-build, from wood and other materials. Over the years of the Guild, several million boys were enrolled. There were thousands of entries per year.
This video from You Tube is a publicity film made to promote the event. Those who won clearly earned their prizes.
(1) "AN ADVENTURE IN CRAFTSMANSHIP" 1940s FISHER BODY CRAFTSMAN'S GUILD MODEL CAR COMPETITION XD11304 - YouTube
A history of the Guild, and some of the winners.
05 06 18, Fisher Body Craftsman Guild Documentary final 1 - YouTube
More history, and a look at several of the Coaches.
Episode 50 - Fisher Body Craftsman Guild Coach - YouTube
Fisher Body Carriage: A Look Back, Rice County - YouTube
FBCG Wood 1933 Age 17 - YouTube
Here is a short video by a former member of the Guild. He has a block of wood that has been marked out, shaped and sanded on one side, and then partly finished, to show the steps involved in making the models.
For Fisher Body Guildsmen - YouTube
A look at the models from the car section. Part 2 shows a model moving from the original design sketch, to the finished model.
The Amazing Cars of the Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild. Part I - YouTube
The Amazing Cars of the Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild. Part II. - YouTube
The competition has also been covered in print. I am not sure if this is the same book under slightly different titles, a new edition, or two totally different books.
The Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild, John L. Jacobus, McFarland, 2005.
Inside the Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild, John L. Jacobus, McFarland, 2011.
The instructions that were sent to entrants in the car competition have also been reprinted by a couple of publishers, and are available from the Book Depository.
Designing, Modelling, Building A Model Automobile, Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild.
Remember, all these models were made from scratch by teenage boys with hand tools. Their skills were, and are, amazing.
Max from Max's Models mentioned this competition on his You Tube channel, so Thank You to Max for helping to spread the word about this event, and the many wonderful models that were entered.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Nice post, Paul! I only learnt about this competion in later life (it somehow having eluded my car-mad teens!) but I've always thought of it as the Mount Olympus of car modelling competitions.
ReplyDeleteNot living in America, it was just another of those things that struck a vague twinge of envy when I learnt about it!
Thank you. I only discovered the competition thanks to Max's Models. I was stunned by the talent, and the quality of work. Those boys were far better modellers than I could ever hope to be. Their work certainly deserves to be remembered.
ReplyDeleteHa! A friend of mine entered this contest in 1966 or 1967, him and his dad made a nice scratch-built prototype of a sleek future-car. Alas, they did not win!
ReplyDeleteSmall world! Wonder what that car looked like?
Delete