Brian Smyth in design hall of fame for Valiant Charger at Adelaide Chrysler plant plus wider contribution

Brian Smyth was on the team that designed the VH Valiant Charger R/T E49 coupe 1971-73 at Adelaide's Chysler Australia plant.

Brian Smyth  – inducted into the Design Institute of Australia’s hall of fame in 2006 and honoured as a South Australian design icon in 2017 – made his name at Chrysler Australia in Adelaide but made a much wider contribution to design.

At Chrysler, Smyth was instrumental in designing iconic vehicles including the Simca station wagon and the highly popular Valiant Charger, Wheels Magazine car of the year 1972. He also worked on car designs in Detroit and South Africa.

Smyth, born in Adelaide in 1931, attended Footscray Primary in Melbourne and Rose Park Primary in South Australia before Norwood Boys Technical High School. He went straight from his leaving certificate at school to join Chrysler Australia as a draftsman in 1949. In 1953, he became assistant supervisor/aircraft tool template maker for the then-secret Jindivik pilotless aircraft.

Two years later Smyth was sent for work and training to the Chrysler institute of engineering in Detroit where he met future wife Jan, working across in Canada for Ford. They returned to Australia in 1958, and Smyth was promoted to manager of the styling department, where every visible item of a vehicle was introduced or redesigned under his supervision and direction.

In 1968, Smyth initiated an automobile interior design course at Croydon Park Technological College of Automotive Engineering where he  lectured for several years. Smyth served the broader community as a board member of the Industrial Design Council of Australia and South Australian president of the Industrial Design Institute of Australia (1976-79), and was made a fellow of the institute in 1979. His voluntary contribution was a board role as honorary designer for Minda Homes to develop ergonomic solutions to help residents with a disability.

Smyth resigned from Chrysler in 1977 to take up private practice as Brian N. Smyth & Associates for the next 25 years. It produced big range of diverse and award-winning products across a wide spread of industries. A young staff member was David Robertson. later Design Institute of Australia national president for eight years.

Smyth’s practice generated products from self-propelled combined harvesters (Prince Philip design prize 1986) to the Cedric Eyegaze, an electronic aid for paraplegics (worldwide English award for best working prototype) and children’s safety bunks with the South Australian Health Commission (1991). Smyth’s early work for Sabco produced many products, from carpet sweepers, brushes and squeeze mops, sold worldwide.

Smyth also designed hovercraft, tooth and paint brushes, restaurant fish tanks, sprinklers, dioramas and a lucerne bale compressor. His practice produced working prototypes and scale models for British Aerospace Australia, AWA Defence Industries, Vision Systems/Abell, Gerard Industries, Autoplex International and Tenix Aviation.

In retirement, Smyth joined the Pastel Artists of South Australia.