Auto Design

PEUGEOT RCZ

Back from holidays, I am facing great difficulties sitting back to my desk and go through the news to report, possibly in a sensible order. The sun is hot, the wind is fresh,  the sky is blue, the air is clean. Outside. What am I doing in my hole with a keypad and a monitor challenging me?

In addition, there is too much to report but nothing new to make “the news”. It is business as usual. Read the rest of this entry »

Some eight years later Citroen is ready to replace its successful C3 with the second generation and it does with a car that is new on design and conservative on the product concept that has met better than anticipated with the market demand. The development follows the rules: never change a winning horse and so we have a new car that is longer and wider than its predecessor and aim at being so “cocooning” and “gentle” to appeal to female buyers. Male buyers and other genders will follow. Read the rest of this entry »

What happens when the magic marketing guys get it their way and are allowed to follow on the step of a winner in the market place by the name of Mini? Will they invent and create a new Mini from scratch? With all the time, money and risk this involve? Read the rest of this entry »

As anticipated, Volkswagen is ready to launch its three-door Polo after its introduction at at International Motor Show in Frankfurt. Its longer doors compared to the five-door version, new styling of the row of side windows and the dynamic lines of the sporty C-pillars give the car a nearly coupe-like appearance in its side profile. This does not rule out the option of a “real coupé” derivative. Read the rest of this entry »

Different.

Obviously the main feature of any Mini is to be different. An alternative to what the market has to offer. An alternative with a strong character and a personality of its own. These remains – or at least this is what appear – the first guidelines for the design of the Mini Coupé Concept being unveiled in a couple of weeks in Frankfurt and previewed on time by the carmaker. Read the rest of this entry »

LILLI BERTONE HAS FULL CONTROL OF “STILE BERTONE”.

Lilli Bertone, the strongly minded widow of the late Nuccio Bertone, is reportedly the only owner of the Stile Bertone design think tank as of July 28^th. After the Turin Court ruled that Mrs. Bertone has the right to a minimal majority stake in the company, with the remaining 49.9periodical in the hands of her two sisters, the Bertone matriarch has succeeded in buying them out and ensure herself 100% of the stakes into Stile Bertone. Read the rest of this entry »

Italy, August 6th, 2009.

The Bertone Saga is coming to an end these days as the Italian government has reviewed the very few offers presented from five bidders, only three of which met the procedure formality and the expectations of the Appointees (namely: granted a job to all Carrozzeria Bertone workers).

The job of Minister Claudio Scajola was simple and easy. Perhaps just a formality.

The first of the three bidders that made it to the deadline was interested just in the premises and facilities of the coachbuilding industrial complex of Carrozzeria Bertone; one only wanted the Bertone brand name, logo and Archive; the third one wanted both. Read the rest of this entry »

An Embarassing Comparison?

When I received the first set of official pictures of the Audi A5 Sportback, the first thought that came to my mind was how far (or, indeed, how close) the new “5 door coupé” from Audi  is from the new Porsche Panamera. The two cars are very different in many ways, starting from their selling prices to their fuel consumption and performance via their overall dimensions. You cannot compare them when the time comes to buy one.

Yet, they have a lot in common. They are both luxury cars, they both fit in the new trend of  “dynamic, coupé-like, four seater, authoban-cruisers” with that fastback design and rear hatch. Read the rest of this entry »