First published on curbs-magazin.com
Originally published on curbs-magazin.com – now part of slickpix.de.
Congratulations Buch
The stately building on the edge of the medieval old town walls, with a direct view of the train tracks, offered young Werner a view of the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) lines, one of which was also used by the DB – the Singen-Schaffhausen-Waldshut-Lörrach line, along the Rhine. It was only logical that the little boy aimed for the career of a locomotive engineer from an early age.
However, this plan changed abruptly when, in the spring of 1947, the Rampinelli car dealership, located near the school path, presented the latest Oldsmobile from GM in the USA: a dreamlike, burgundy-red, two-door fastback sedan with a lot of chrome, a revelation in every respect after the turmoil of the war and a long period of abstinence. „Klein Bü“ gladly accepted the extension of the school path for the sake of passing by the Olds. And with that, the boy's fondness for drawing trains of all kinds, as well as his dream of becoming a train conductor, was filed away and replaced or supplemented by drawings of the burgundy-red Olds – and increasingly, other car models as well. In general, it became clear that the boy found art class in school many times more important than, for example, math or history…
Fortunately, the art teacher showed understanding and spared Bührer from having to draw withered floral arrangements, as he was allowed to concentrate on depicting vehicles of all kinds. This soon led to the smallest scraps of blank paper being scribbled with sketches and designs of new – and sometimes utopian – „car designs.“ That drawing, alongside music, became the dominant factor in Bü's development was reflected in his semester grades on his report card: Math and History 2-3 (out of a top score of 6), Drawing, Languages, and Music 5 to 6 – there you have it!
As he got older, during a serious talk with his parents, Werner Bührer expressed his desire to pursue an apprenticeship as a car mechanic. However, the authorities firmly rejected this, stating: „Absolutely not! You will go to the Gymnasium, complete your Abitur, and then study at the ETH in Zurich. Afterwards, your father will use his position and connections to get you a job in industry in Schaffhausen, do you understand?!“ For Bü, it was the first time his world had crumbled into dust and ashes. After much encouragement from his friends, however, he came to the realization that he had to definitively give up the idea of an apprenticeship as a car mechanic in favor of the Gymnasium and Matura. A few decades later, Bü thanked his parents for setting him on the path toward an academic education.
After graduating from high school and completing compulsory military service in Switzerland, the 17-week recruit school, came the long-awaited exodus from the sheltered nest of „Schaffhausen“ to Ulm, to the College of Design – with the benevolent support of his parents' blessing – a remarkable gesture of understanding from his parents, for which he would be eternally grateful.
Studies at the HfG in Ulm and the goal of finding a long-coveted „super job“ as a designer in the automotive industry now seemed within reach for Bü: internships at Porsche in the bodywork design office in Zuffenhausen, personal contacts with F.A. “Buzzi“ Porsche, among others, playing jazz as a saxophonist on weekends at US barracks around Stuttgart, interesting acquaintances, and after graduating with a degree in product design, the first job as a designer in Baden-Baden – the first money earned, the associated sacrifices to buy his own car with monthly savings, which a year later materialized in the form of a red NSU Sport Prinz. Bü felt he was in heaven.
In 1962, he moved to Cologne to work at Ford's Styling Center. It was a paradise for Bü, where he was able to learn and practice so much about presentation techniques from his colleagues that the desire and certainty grew within him to make his drawing skills accessible to a wider audience. In other words, the next step was to establish contact with the trade press in order to ultimately prove to Grand Prix organizers, through published material, that Bü should be granted access to the pit lane with a press and photographer's pass.
Everything went like clockwork, and the result was a part-time, long-term collaboration as a „Freelance Illustrator“ for trade magazines in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and the USA.
Even in a magazine in Argentina, BüIllus were found. However, after 30 years, Bü is still waiting for the fee that was promised to him...
Bührer made his professional knowledge acquired at the HfG as an industrial designer available, parallel to his car illustrations, but also to companies in Switzerland, businesses whose products had little in common with cars. It became apparent that designers from the automotive industry are indeed capable of successfully incorporating valuable experience, technical know-how, and a sense of formal refinement into project developments, for example, in the design of medical analysis and peripheral devices.
Anyway, the years went by, and the peace abruptly ended in 2008 when a phone call from Bonn sent Bü's blood pressure soaring: „Michael Thier here, we're planning a magazine called powerslide – not new territory for you – would you be interested, and can or will you also… for example, provide illustrations from your time… and, and, and…“
The rest is known and needs no further explanation. All clear?
