Automobile cartoonist and artist Stan Mott has passed away.
Stanley Frederick (Stan) Mott
February 27, 1933 – March 22, 2022
"Of course I drive a car. What made you think I didn't drive a car."
Road & Track, January 1993
From the Stan Mott- Wild Art, Strange Journey and Cars Facebook page:
It is with great sorrow that I must tell you that Stan has left us.
He will be sorely missed as long as there are car people with a sense of humor.Bon voyage old friend.DT
"The Kiss"
In 1953, Mott spent one semester at Art Center School, after which he held a number of odd jobs, before ending up as a car designer at General Motors. In 1957, he sold his first articles and cartoons to Road & Track Magazine, and over the next thirty years worked as writer, illustrator and art director of this automotive magazine, edited by John and Elaine Bond.
Apart from drawing eccentric cars, trucks, trains and boats, Mott loved building, driving or sailing them. Between 1961 and 1964, he infamously quit his job to make a world trip by go-kart. Late in life, he also drew a graphic novel, ‘The Absolute Alliance’ (2014).
Mott excelled in designing zany cars, the most famous being the “Cyclops II”, described as “the world’s cheapest ($14.32) and stupidest (fetal seating positions) car”. Over the years, Road & Track dedicated about 22 articles – written and drawn by Mott in collaboration with Robert Cumberford – to the Cyclops, and the cartoonist’s 1957 design also spawned a number of real-life replicas.
I departed GM to play art director at Road & Track. I only lasted a few months, learning that I didn’t fit into any organization, large or small. Therefore, since 1957, I have been making my way as freelance cartoonist, illustrator, writer, and designer of insane vehicles for automotive, aircraft, technical, satirical, and general magazines and books. This allowed me to drive a go-kart around the world, live in Lausanne, Switzerland for ten years, and in 1975 go…Yachting
While enjoying sailing around the world Stan still found time to create.
Below are some pages from Automobile magazine during the 1990s.
Dean’s Garage has a wonderful selection of planes, trains, and automobiles drawn by Stan.
Dean also runs the Stan Mott- Wild Art, Strange Journey and Cars Facebook page.
The Official Automobili Cyclops SpA Website has all you need to know about Stan’s Cyclops.
all art © Stan Mott