Here’s Michael Heilemann, a Squarespace product designer, on the long history of everyone’s favorite Star Wars spaceship:
The Millennium Falcon underwent a long and arduous number of conceptual iterations before its final iconic shape emerged; the one we now once again see blasting its way across the big screen. In fact it wasn’t even known by its famous name until well into production, having up until then gone under the much mundane moniker: Pirate Ship.
You should read the whole thing. It’s great.
Even better than his piece, Heinemann sprinkled-in a few Ralph Mcquarrie gems:
