Auto Design

A month ago I posted the news about the first dream car being developed at Stile Bertone by Jason Castriota, as reported by the new www.insideprojectm.com. Ever since I have been watching the posted development quite regularly, hoping to get some good piece of information worth reporting.

I have seen a bit of Bertone heritage, a bit of the Stile Bertone facilities, I enjoyed James -Jim – Glickenhaus interesting contributions but not much more. I am wrong, I saw something more: the full scale model being shipped to the wind tunnel for aerodynamics tests.

The image posted shows the car from the back and what I see reminds me of a recent “one off” designed by Ercole and Paolo Spada, the Chevrolet Corvette based “Coda Tronca”. The treatment of the surface is radically different. The Spada’s surface is squared and sharp, looking very high-tech. In the Stile Bertone’s latest Dream car the treatment is very soft and round but the here too to roof end up in water-drop style, extending almost to the rear bumper and looking very aerodynamics.

Now from a very reliable and official sources I have learned that the car will be unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa D’Este on the latest week-end of April and that it comes with a powerful V8 engine at the front. This rules out of the list of possible optional for the donating platform the Lamborghini, leaving only Aston Martin and the Chevrolet Corvette, if we have to consider only the brands listed by the Stile Bertone officially sponsored www.insideprojectm.com  website.

However, if the selected chassis is from one of the listed brands I wonder if any of these other brands (all offering top performance V8) have been considered:

• Audi
• BMW
• Bentley
• Jaguar
• Infiniti
• Lexus
• Mercedes-Benz
• Porsche.

Perhaps the next Dream Car by Stile Bertone will be built on one of their chassis. Which one should it be?

According to an official press release issued today, the French designer Marc Girard, 38-year has been appointed head of the Interior Design department at BMW Automobiles, effective April 1. Marc Girard joined the BMW Group Design organisation 15 years ago. His most recent position was as team leader at Interior Design BMW Automobiles. From 2004 through 2006 he has been head of Interior Design for the MINI brand and responsible, among several projects, for the interior styling of the MINI Clubman. Read the rest of this entry »

It looks funny and you are right in asking yourself how such a small car can pull such a big Trailer with the iconic look and brand such as Airstream. You need not to worry though. On one side the Mini Cooper S Clubman is small but has muscles enough to deliver 172 HP, the Airstream trailer is not that big, and it is all-aluminium, lighter than you may think of. Read the rest of this entry »

Lamborghini has announced its ultimate roadster. The stunning Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster that the company will produce in a limited series Read the rest of this entry »

After the recent experience with my poston the MOMO Mirage that proved how little I know about historic car I shall venture again into territories I am not familiar with and will simply trust whatthe organisers of the 2009 Concorso d’Elganza di Villa d’Este have said to this wonderful car to be seen also at Villa d’Este and Villa Erba, courtesy of Mr. Ralph Lauren. The car from the Bugatti fold that claimed the highest production run and the greatest economic success was the T 57. This model was the only Bugatti to go into series production before the war. One of the most spectacular designs to be based on the T 57 was the Atlantic, of which just three units were produced. Its crouched stance, the vertical, riveted ribs that ran horizontally along the bodywork and its teardrop-shaped side windows gave this model a unique appearance that raised it to one of the icons of motoring history. With the Bugatti Atlantic 57SC, the Concorso presents one of the true legends of the automotive past. The design hails from Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore Bugatti. Gracing the Concorso will be the last of the three units built. The original owner kept the car until 1967. After changing hands several times, the Atlantic was bought in 1988 by Ralph Lauren, who commissioned Paul Russel with its complete restoration. The car will be making its first European appearance in 18 years at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2009.

For a comprehesive report on this Bugatti, I recommend

There is no doubt that the most provocative, outrageous and controversial “concept” car presented at this year Geneva Motor Show is the Lagonda. It was on display only on the second and final press day at Aston Martin. Day one was focuses on the showing of the full scale mock-up and the 200,000 English pounds carbon fibre rolling chassis of the One-77. Read the rest of this entry »

Among the most beautiful cars to be seen at this year Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este is this unique Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B designed and built by Carrozzeria Touring in 1938. The extremely elegant (and fast) Berlinetta was built on the running chassis developed by Alfa Romeo as the successor of the very successful Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. In its time, the Alfa Romeo 8C built in many different configurations for the road  and for the racing circuits was one of the fastest motorcars world-wide. Alfa Romeo built only 33 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B running chassis but, only six were coachbuilt as Berlinetta.

This Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta is owned by Alfa Romeo’s Museo Storico

This unit, coming back to Italy after 62 years spent around the world, ranks as one of the most elegant vehicles to emerge before the Second World War. In September 1947 the car migrated from Italy to Switzerland and to the USA. After being sold to a buyer in South Africa in 1980, the car – with red paintwork at that time – was restored in England and repainted in its original blue.Powered by the famous Alfa Romeo straight-8 designed by Vittorio Jano, the car was purchased in 2005 by Jon Shirley, one of the founders of Microsoft who resides in Medina (Washington) and restored to its original condition

Voted Best Car in Show at Pebble Beach last year, it is very likely that it will double its success and be awarded the Coppa d’Oro di Villa d’Este by public referendum. After all the Concorso takes places few miles away from the shops where this car was built 71 years ago.

Ford proved to be one of the most sentitive carmakers among those presenting a new concept car in Geneva. Its attractive Iosis Max is indeed a “scaled down” SUV that you could well quilify as a small-to-medium alternative to medium-to-large or large vehicles actually in the market. For its dimensions it fits between the “compact” Fiesta and the “middle-class” Focus. According to well placed sources its front design does anticipate more than a trait of the next generation (2010) Focus.

Ford says that its “second generation kinetic design” concept is powered by a 180hp, 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline direct-injection four cylinder engine of the new EcoBoost family, with stop-start technology that can save up to 20% fuel in comparison with previous generation of equivalent performance.

For the complete photo gallery click on the image below:

Obviously, the American gentleman and car connoisseur Mr. Peter S. Kalikow loves cars and the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Two years ago he visited the Concorso with his brand new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, subtly redesigned exclusively for him by Pininfarina.

Last year he returned to the Concorso with his stunning Ferrari 250 GT Serie 1, 1958 and went back home with a new trophy.

This year he is coming back again with a very intriguing car which story must be said.

When Mr. Kalikov visited the New York Auto Show in 1957, he became an instant fan of European cars. This passion led him to Alfred Momo of the New York Jaguar Garage, and a close friendship was to ensue. One day, some years later, Kalikov and Momo travelled to Italy, to drive cars and meet all the key personalities of the car world: Enzo Ferrari, Sergio Pininfarina, and the Orsi brothers. In 1967, Mr. Kalikow sought Momo’s opinion before deciding whether to order a new Aston Martin DBS and what emerged from their conversation was the happy idea of designing a sports car of their own. Against the advice of his family, Kalikow decided to build a four-seater GT for the American market to fill the gap between the spirited Ferrari and the luxurious and comfortable Rolls-Royce. In Pietro Frua he quickly found a designer and coachbuilder. The original plan to turn out 25 vehicles a year fell victim to high production costs and an ailing economic environment. And so just five cars were built, three of which remained in Peter S. Kalikow’s ownership. One of them will be participating at the Concorso on April 24 through 26.

At this anniversary Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the BMW Group will itself be celebrating a rather special birthday: it was 80 years ago that BMW produced its very first automobile. “The past 80 years have shown the high status that BMW accords to design and style. The same applies to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. And that is not least of all why are a perfect fit,” says Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Group Classic and Chairman of the Concorso
When BMW looks back on its 80-year tradition of car manufacturing at this year’s Concorso, visitors can expect to set eyes on some stunning beauties on wheels. Among the models on show will be a BMW 303, the first Bavarian car to sport the kidney-shaped radiator grille, and an example of the BMW 502, which entered the motoring history books as the so-called “baroque angel”. Models dating back to the 1960s, such as the BMW 2002, and the cars that established the BMW model series in the 1970s will also rank among the exhibits. As a special highlight, BMW will be presenting all its legendary roadsters of the last 75 years: from the 315/1 and 319/1 to the 328 and 507, all the way to the Z1, Z3 and Z8 – plus the latest addition to the family, the new BMW Z4.