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Sam Low Filmmaker, Harvard-trained anthropologist and lifelong Porsche loon Sam Low is the only guy I know who could turn a competition class at Skip Barber into a 3-year project for PBS. His eventual product, Fast Cars, aired on Nova last year and will be replayed on March 19, 1996. Make sure you check your own TV listings, though. Local times may vary, and this is one show you shouldn’t miss.

Sam wanted to cover Bobby Rahal’s experiences at Indy ’93 for his documentary, but after following the 1992 Champ all through the year, Rahal’s failed aerodynamic package prevented him from making the 500 grid. That got our man thinking about the role of downforce in modern motorsports, and finally came The Black Art, a history of the subject for SCI. The article begins on page 72, and it’s a good one.





Charles M. Jordan (1955)For some 43 years, Charles M. Jordan—Chuck to those who know him—was a professional car designer. During the last six years of his career, he was also GM’s VP of design; the firm’s top styling exec. That means he personally oversaw the styling of every car, truck and van built from model-year 1989 through 1996. Jordan retired on October 31, 1992, and the last of his designs have yet to come out. Still, recent examples include the latest Camaro, Aurora, Seville, Bonne-ville, Blazer and Cavalier: GM’s Jordan era brought bold, handsome cars that stand out from the crowd, and Chuck should be proud of his efforts.

This issue carries the first installment of Jordan’s new styling column, which is meant to give readers a deep insider’s view of the topic. This is one guy who’s never been shy about expressing his opinions, and we were able to convince him that SCI is a good place to do just that. His first installment is a general overview of where we stand today; after this, we’ll get down to particulars.



Eoin YoungAsk Eoin Young how he started, and he’ll say "In 1961, I traded the excitement of a bank in New Zealand for the humdrum life of Grand Prix racing as Bruce McLaren’s secretary." From there, Young became a founding director of McLaren Racing, went on into journalism in 1967 and later wrote books and regular columns for Road & Track, Autocar and others. He’s also just finished an autobiography called It Beats Working, the title of which makes him my instant hero.

Starting in this issue he’ll be filing a regular page on his travels, which also beats working. —Jay Lamm, Editor

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