IMHO, either of these old-school designs look more like a streamlined super car designed to carry 1+ persons. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Bill Bixby in his Lou Ferrigno suit... I think they have lost the essence of the original- Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here is one design feature I do like on the F80- the slab front fenders that seem to also function as wings mounted vertically. Image Unavailable, Please Login Looks like the inspiration may have come from an old GM prototype Image Unavailable, Please Login
That whole front fender execution on the Ferrari is one of my favorite parts of the design. I'm anxious to see the car in person.
So, you're going to order yours in black and wait for the special Count Trossi Edition rather than the Aperta? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nope, no black cars for this guy. Funny how my tastes have evolved over the years. As a youngin' I had black cars. Now I wouldn't want one. The design completely goes away. Then these people that tint the windows black and put black wheels on . Not for me thank you very much. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
As an aside, I have to confess, I have read every post regarding the F80 in that forum. Yes I know, i need to get a grip and a life, but I have been fascinated by the running commentary i.e 'bring back Pininfarina', 'I hate the car', It's a Lego car', etc., etc.,etc. Having been in the design business for over 50 years, I'm still amazed at the reaction of some. But I do love it. Glad there is so much passion surrounding the design of a car, but some of the commentary borders on the hilarious. Just my humble opinion.
This photo of it looks like a muscle car almost. A Hemi Dodge supercar, very American. It's the nose most people don't like, the "chicken wire" also does not work at all. John, it is not a very pretty car, although it would make a cool racecar. But they are sold out. My doggie poo comment pretty much covers it for limited edition Ferrari's. Paint it red and put a horsy on it and it will sell out . We will see how long that lasts if they go EV someday. Sounds like one of the candidates is against EV mandates.
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Monkeemobile dude! Jim Wangers & Dean Jeffries first encounter since Dean tossed Jim out of his shop in '66 ... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Since we've been talking about Fords lately, here is one I'll call "When Spelunking Met Automobile Production" or "Blue Oval in the Bedrock!" Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Since the ’60s, Ford Has Stored Cars Underground in a Kansas City Cave Benjamin Hunting 21 October 2024 “In Kansas, in the Midwest, you get rain, you get hail, you get winter, you get ice, you get everything. And I think [Ford] really wanted to store the vehicles that they were producing and assembling in the area that wouldn’t come into harm’s way,” said Tompkins. “And so what better location than under a large roof? Since then, Ford has relocated its plant and they are now really adjacent to our underground, so we continue to have a really tight relationship with them.” https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/since-the-60s-ford-has-stored-cars-underground-in-a-kansas-city-cave/?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MED_UN_NA_EML_UN_UN_DailyDriver_Tuesday&hashed_email=8e43f6a5abf43ff70e0771781e4993de6c08fd1510eadb1414b4ce6b84c34e12&dtm_em=8e43f6a5abf43ff70e0771781e4993de6c08fd1510eadb1414b4ce6b84c34e12
Citroen The Car Of The Future—That Never Came For most, the Citroën SM was always too strange, too complicated. But it was designed to be, and was, extraordinary. BY DAVE RANDPUBLISHED: SEP 26, 2024 Image Unavailable, Please Login JAY RAMEY In 1968 it was announced that Citroën, the idiosyncratic French automaker, would acquire control of Maserati, the storied Italian producer of thoroughbred sports cars. A strange pairing I thought at the time, and wondered what sort of Frankenstein the union would produce. In 1970 the answer became clear when Citroën introduced the SM, it’s Maserati powered GT. Here was a car that built off of the fabled DS, but in style, specification, and price aspired to be much more. Image Unavailable, Please Login Citroën DS Represents a Milestone in Car Design But first, recall what the automotive landscape looked like in 1970. If you wanted a four-passenger (ish) luxury coupe there was the BMW 2800 CS, the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe, as well as the Cadillac Eldorado and Lincoln Continental MKIII. All fairly conventional mechanically and visually indicative of the design trends of their respective countries. In comparison, the SM looked other-worldly, like some alien object hovering just above the ground—especially true when dropped to its lowest suspension position. The car defied all normal design trends, except of course Citroën’s own. Image Unavailable, Please Login JOHN KEEBLE//GETTY IMAGES Citroën SM, in low suspension setting. Like the DS, aerodynamics played a large part in the way the car looked. A true fastback in profile, it also tapered toward the rear in plan view, adhering to the belief in the teardrop ideal that had been established back in the 1920s. This resulted in a front track considerably wider than the rear, also like the DS (both cars were also front-wheel drive). But unlike the DS, which dated back to 1955, the SM was a fresh and perhaps more approachable take on modern streamlining. A large vehicle by European standards, the SM had a long wheelbase with relatively short overhangs. There were some beautiful surface details that may not have been apparent at first glance. It also had a very long hood and dash-to-axle, the result of the Maserati V6 mounted behind the front axle with the transmission forward of it, which contributed to its distinctive profile. Equally dramatic was the car’s front, made of six separate headlamps under glass covers that spanned the width of the car. The two inboard lamps steered with the wheels (first used on the DS). Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This unfortunately did not meet US federal standards at the time, and US versions of the car instead got four separate lamps without the glass cover, sadly spoiling the look up front. Image Unavailable, Please Login AUTOWEEK Citroën SM, with a rear view “only a mother could love.” The front grille was under the bumper, not unlike the Studebaker Avanti, as were separate ducts to cool the inboard brakes. The rear of the car was somewhat more conventional with horizontal lamps framed by what appeared to be upper and lower bumpers in stainless steel (all brightwork on the car was stainless). A co-worker once described the rear design “only a mother could love.” And he owned one! Yet, there were some beautiful surface details that may not have been apparent at first glance. The aluminum hood had subtle undulations that formed blisters (or bulges) on either side. Image Unavailable, Please Login SJOERD VAN DER WAL//GETTY IMAGES Citroën SM interior. The area just forward of the rear wheel skirt bulged out ever so slightly—as a result of the plan view taper to make way for the rear wheel—to create a surface transition that was both aesthetic but clearly dictated by necessity. This was in fact the entire design ethos of the car—one of a visual purposefulness that transcended mere styling (even though the car was definitely styled). Image Unavailable, Please Login Detroit’s New Industrial Exhibit Honors Design The interior of the car was equally unusual with the two front buckets resembling lounge chairs with seat cushions that flowed into the seatbacks, one continuous form. Elegant, but slightly awkward comfort-wise with backrest adjustment happening more in the middle of your back rather than the typical lower intersection. All the gauges were oval. With the exception of the instrument panel—on US-specified cars at least—leather covered everything: seats, door panels, and rear quarter trim. The result was both avant-garde and luxurious, befitting a Citroën in this price class. Image Unavailable, Please Login CITROËN Topdown view of the front seats of the Citroën SM, with radio controls in the center console. I’ve concentrated on the visuals of the car because that’s what this column is mostly about, but I would be remiss in not mentioning the crazy, advanced engineering that distinguished the SM from its competition. Here again most of it was based on the DS—the central hydraulic system that operated the suspension, brakes, and steering, which was an ultra-quick two turns lock to lock that built up resistance with higher speeds. The four-cam 2.7-liter Maserati V-6 was not the smoothest engine of its type, having been quickly developed off the Maserati V-8, but it did provide enough punch to propel the car to 130 mph and, perhaps more importantly, came with the right credentials. TOM MURPHY But you had to drive an SM to realize how well all this worked together in creating a uniquely satisfying car. The last SM was built in 1975, after Citroën had declared bankruptcy and was absorbed by Peugeot. It was the last French car that recalled the past of greats like Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, and Talbot-Lago. For most, it was always too strange, too complicated, too different compared to the ordinary cars of the time. The problem with the SM was that it was designed to be, and was, extraordinary. Dave Rand (pictured right) is the former executive director of Global Advanced Design for General Motors.
That was a good read when I got the email. The recent pictures are amazing. Downright space age. The comments were good too. Evidently you can drive right in.
Beautiful how GM incorporated retro design cues into the new building. Fantastic interior spaces but the outside facade is kind of ho-hum and uninspiring. A box does give more space without the challenges of a complex design (Apple HQ). Our house is a mid-mod so love that retro stuff.
I wholeheartedly agree. The interior design using the Saarinen inspired elements is spot on. The exterior however could be anything. The dome used to be the focal point. Now it's dwarfed by it's surroundings.
They got rid of it years ago, then had a change of heart and reinstalled it. It's there now, like it was originally.
