College Times

They're curvy, eye-catching, big - even lusted after - and now they're on display at the Phoenix Art Museum.

"Curves of Steel" features 22 rare, limited edition, or one-of-a-kind automobiles some of which are so amazing it's hard not to drool.

These sweet rides are from some of the best collections in North America and are potent illustrations of how aerodynamics transformed the automobile from a rectangular, carriage-shape into a more efficient curved design.

The art museum describes the style as such: "Automakers began to look at the form of a car as a cohesive sculpted unit, not as a carriage with additions and modifications. An entirely new machine required an entirely new design."

Streamlined design emerged as a way to improve speed for modes of transportation in the late 1920s and flourished through 1939. This new design style not only changed the look of cars, streamline influence also changed architecture, radios and fashion.

The 1936 Stout Scarab is one of the most unique designs on display, complete with a rounded body, varnished wicker headliner and moveable chairs. Less than 10 Scarabs were made and sold, by invitation, to the wealthy.

Several of the cars were also award-winners at Concours d'Elegance, where some of the hottest luxury cars are presented. However, aesthetics was not the top priority for all the designers, some just wanted to create something fast, very fast.

The 1952 So-Cal Belly Tanker was created to race on the smooth, dry surface of California's dry lakes and was designed for extreme speed. The red and white racecar's body is a surplus 315-gallon auxiliary fuel tank from a P-38 fighter plane mounted on a custom fabricated chassis and loaded with a V-8 engine.

Of this the museum says: "With this sole purpose of speed, the belly tank car is perhaps the purest expression of streamlining on view in this exhibition."

Another innovative racer in the exhibit, the 1937 Delahaye 145, broke the average speed record that was previously set in 1934 by Louis Chiron, driving an Alfa Romeo. The open-top, light blue vehicle clocked in with an average speed of 146.6 km per hour, winning the "Million Franc Prize."

One of the oddest cars on exhibit is the space-age-looking 1987 Oldsmobile Aerotech. The Aerotech was built to showcase its high-performance engine and was crafted with a long, tail shape that enabled air to flow down the body to be released at the narrow part of the rear. This baby hangs long and low, with just one inch of clearance between the ground and the Aerotech's light carbon fiber body.

The Phoenix Art Museum is the only place "Curves of Steel," will be shown. Go ahead and ogle all the curvy beauties.

Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.257.1222, Through June 3, Tuesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $14

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