In 1966 when the producers of the original series of Star Trek needed a design for a new ship, the Shuttlecraft, they turned to the acclaimed design firm of Raymond Loewy Associates. Art director Matt Jefferies had done several designs of the craft that were deemed too expensive or difficult to build and these were turned over to the firm with the instructions to design a ship that would be easier to construct.
Thomas Kellogg was given the job of coming up with the design. Kellogg had worked on the Studebaker Avanti so, not surprisingly, the Kellogg shuttlecraft’s design does have some similarities to the classic car. Kellogg designed a glossy black shuttlecraft that was boxy but with graceful lines. It had a giant glass front end, glowing red engines and dual antennas.
The shuttlecraft that ended up in the series retains the main body of Kellogg’s design, but there where some changes that were required before construction could begin. The large glass window in the front was replaced with much more practical, and closeable, smaller windows. The color was changed to a neutral gray and two warp pods were added to the ship to better match the look of the U.S.S. Enterprise.