In the history of the Russian automotive industry, there are both glorious and dramatic stories. Experts note that the qualifications of specialists employed in this industry are in line with international standards. Automotive designer Eric Szabo made his contribution to the development of the domestic auto industry.
Starting conditions
Erik Vladimirovich Sabo is known as the founder of the Soviet school of automotive design. Today this name is known only to a narrow circle of specialists. When an ordinary consumer chooses a vehicle for his needs, he does not even think about who and when created the exterior of the car, which is parked behind the glass wall of the car dealership. The potential owner is interested in the operational parameters of the car: safety, comfort, efficiency. And the car should also look attractive.
Russian industrial production has at all times been guided by the achievements of European countries. And still the best vehicles are made in Germany. However, domestic engineers and designers, including Eric Szabo, managed to form their own school. Create your own machines and technologies that are not inferior in technical characteristics to foreign models. This took resources and time. In order to design cars, a person must acquire a certain set of knowledge. Have a broad outlook and analytical ability.
The future auto designer was born on August 14, 1933 in an ordinary Soviet family. Parents lived in Moscow. My father served in law enforcement. Mother worked as a decorator in one of the capital's theaters. Erik watched the creative process from a young age, when his mother diluted paints and sketched sketches on paper or cardboard. During the war, my father was in the army. And the family was evacuated to the Siberian city of Omsk. Here the boy went to first grade. On long winter nights, he learned to draw with charcoal on brown paper or on the wall, for which he was often reprimanded.
Szabo graduated from school, having already returned to his permanent place of residence. When the question arose about choosing a profession, he firmly decided to get a specialized education at the famous Stroganov Art and Industry School. In his student years, Eric moonlighted in every possible way. He designed "red corners" and "honor boards" at enterprises. Drew posters for holiday demonstrations. At one time, his father taught Eric to play the accordion. And this skill came in handy for the student when, together with a famous saxophonist, he played on Saturdays for a drunken audience in a restaurant.
Professional activity
The career of a designer began for Eric Szabo in 1957, after he was assigned to the Likhachev Automobile Plant. The chartered artist was immediately assigned a responsible job. It was necessary to refresh the appearance of the front end - in the jargon of specialists "face" - a representative limousine ZIS-110. The updated front end was approved in all respects. The young specialist, who confirmed his professional status, was immediately involved in solving real problems. It's time to make changes to the exteriors of the ZIL-130 and ZIL-131 trucks.
Szabo not only successfully coped with the tasks, but also made good suggestions for optimizing work in the design department. It is important to note that a young designer, full of energy and imagination, always offered his own solution. However, the leadership had its own opinion on this matter. Erik Vladimirovich was forced to copy foreign samples in every possible way. From the standpoint of production workers, this approach made sense. But the professional reputation of the designer was infringed upon. After some doubts, Szabo moved to the Special Artistic Design Bureau (SHKB).
Recognition and merit
At his new workplace, Sabo met the talented designer Eduard Molchanov. The randomly formed creative tandem turned out to be very productive. They developed a successful design of a self-propelled wheelchair for disabled people, the production of which was launched by the Serpukhov Motor Plant. Eric Szabo's creativity was not limited to the development of the exterior of passenger cars. He was involved in the design of interiors and body parts.
For many years the venerable designer headed the sector of technical aesthetics at the Central Research Automotive and Automotive Institute, which is abbreviated as "NAMI". Within the walls of this institute, a mini-all-terrain vehicle "LuAZ" and a heavy-duty dump truck "KrAZ-250" were designed. For these developments, Erik Vladimirovich received a "Certificate for an Industrial Design".
Hobbies and personal life
For his productive work, Eric Szabo was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR and the Union of Designers of Russia. In 1980, when the Olympics were held in Moscow, the authoritative designer was part of a group of specialists who were engaged in the design of places and highways where athletes and spectators moved. Szabo took part in the creation of the scenery on the set of the fantastic film "Planet of Storms". In his spare time, he often played his favorite melodies on a synthesizer.
Little is known about the designer's personal life. Eric Vladimirovich met his wife at work. Vera Bondar, a drawing teacher by profession, was engaged in the creation of models from plasticine. Industrial affairs imperceptibly transformed into personal ones. Husband and wife found a common language in everything. Raised and raised a daughter. Eric Szabo passed away in April 2017.
