Delving Deeper

The pedal to the metal
Benjamin Bowden originally wanted to study music, but due to an administrative error he ended up with an engineering degree from London’s Regent Street Polytechnic. He went to work as a car designer at the Humber factory, which frequently consulted with Raymond Loewy’s studio about restyling. During World War II Humber produced armored cars, which Bowden designed for some of England’s most important political dignitaries, notably Winston Churchill. It was here that he met Donald Healey, whose penchant for racecars anticipated the postwar drive for fast cars and the recreational use of new technologies. The two collaborated with engineer Achille Sampietro to produce the Healey 2.4, the first postwar automobile to reach a speed of over 100 mph. Bowden’s work in the automobile industry, as well as exposure to the vast range of developing transportation industries, informed his design aesthetic.