Nov 29
Aerodynamics, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Car Design, Designers, German Cars, Italdesign Giugiaro, Lightweight cars, NSU, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen
Ferdinand Piëch on the Future of Car Design
Giancarlo Perini ©
The other day I was searching a story through my collection of Car Styling and I also noticed an interview with Ferninand Piëch, shortly after the introduction of the new Audi 100, the Car of the Year of the time. I found interesting to read again his words and check his visions with the development of Audi (and the entire Volkswagen group) some 27 years later.
Perhaps you too may like to read them and share your comments with other readers.
Status and Trends of Automotive Design Development.
Q: How would you describe the present status of automotive engineering in general?
A: Automotive engineering is currently in a state of tension between numerous influencing factors, some of them mutually contradictory. Increased awareness of environmental problems is taking effect in the form of statutory limits on exhaust emissions and noise, but is obliging us to design engines with unfavorable fuel-consumption characteristics and to increase body weight unnecessarily. However, rapidly rising fuel prices and the drop in our potential customers’ available incomes on almost all volume markets oblige us to devote top priority in our development work to reducing fuel consumption. All in all, therefore, automotive engineering is striving to achieve the optimum compromise between economical running and long-term durability, with increased safety and environmental acceptability thrown in at the same time. Considerable progress in the field of electronics and in the materials sector has resulted in technical features appearing on production vehicles which would have been considered impossible to achieve only a short time ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 27
Alfa Romeo, BMW, Bentley, British Cars, Citroen, Electric Cars, French Cars, Hybrid Cars, Hybrids, Hyundai, Italian Cars, Lamborghini, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Motor Shows, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Show cars, Sports Cars, Supercars, Toyota, Volkswagen
by Giancarlo Perini (c)
You can look back at the Paris Motor Show, the latest top-ranking of the season from many different perspectives: business as usual or new perspective, sexy style or strict functionality, economic status or talks between car-makers to discuss new alliance and even a show within the show. Indeed this is what tiny British carmaker Lotus has done in Paris. By presenting as many as 5 new concept-cars and mock-ups (Elise, Elan and Esprit, Elite and Eterne) the company has attracted a lot of attention from the media and caused a series of serious of questions now waiting for an answer.
Read the rest of this entry »
Jul 19
Audi, Automotive Design, Bentley, Car Design, Designers, Events and Seminars, Fiat, German Cars, Hyundai, Italdesign Giugiaro, Italian Cars, Italian Coachbuilders, Lamborghini, Lancia, Maserati, Proton, Volkswagen
A commentary.
In the mid-sixties, the Milanese Inter foot-club was dominating the scene in Europe, under the leadership of coach Helenio Herrera and the ownership of Angelo Moratti. Herrera had a lot of talent and a simple, pragmatic strategy: buy all the best players, even if he could not use all of them. Read the rest of this entry »
Apr 29
Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Automotive Design, BMW, Bentley, Bertone, British Cars, Bugatti, Cabriolet, Car Design, Car Styling, Concept cars, Concourse D'Elegance, Corvette, Designers, Electric Cars, Ferrari, Fiat, Frua, Fuoriserie, Italian Cars, Italian Coachbuilders, Lamborghini, Lancia, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Mindset, Perana Performance, Pininfarina, Porsche, RACING CARS, Rinspeed, Rolls-Royce, Sports Cars, Stile Bertone, Touring, Tuned for the road, Villa d'Este, Zagato
The Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este this years has been as good as the weather. That is to say that half of it was very good, with peaks of excellence, and the remaining half was bad, raining and boring, with touches of ugliness.
By the end of the elegant week-end on the Lake of Como, one would say it was not one the best edition ever but still offered enough interesting cars to look at, people to greet and talk to, and subjects to discuss.
As such it was one not to be missed. Those who did not attend it missed the extremely rare chance of hearing the sibilo and smelling the pollution of its turbine engine, not to mention seeing this extraordinary visualisation of the dreams about the cars of the future they were dreaming in the fifties and sixties.
Read the rest of this entry »
Nov 27
Alfa Romeo, Automotive Design, Bentley, Car Design, Car Styling, Chinese Cars, Concept cars, GAC, Italian Coachbuilders, Motor Shows, Show cars
Many Alfa Romeo executives and enthusiasts should pay attention to the “VIP LOUNGE show-car” one of the top-six Chinese carmakers has recently unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show. The reason is easily said: that show car is a preview of the sport sedan that Stilebertone (see focus story attached) is designing for Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC). Until recently, GAC has been renowned for its flourishing joint-ventures with Honda and Toyota and the only big state-owned carmaker that has not cars with its own brand so far. Read the rest of this entry »
Sep 29
Automotive Design, Bentley, British Cars, Car Design, Car Styling, Cars, Concourse D'Elegance, Flamboyant Cars, Fuoriserie, Italian Coachbuilders, Supercars, Zagato
There is no doubt that the design of the Bentley Continental GT is a masterpiece, inside and out; and you would expect that everybody would be just happy with it. Actually, since its launch, the British brand is a striking success and sales are much better than anticipated.
Yet, Zagato – which are through their stimulating renaissance just like Bentley – has been able to give this very fast (600 HP turbocharged W12 engined) four-seater, two-door coupé a new personality, with a more emotional and indulgent style by simply re-shaping its skin. The car is more sensual now and yet its style is shaper, sophisticated and distinguished. It has the perfect style of a bespoke – tailor made – motorcar. Read the rest of this entry »
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