~Stand ground~ In the global automotive industry, if the collaboration between brand owners and coachbuilder companies is commonplace and frequently happened. As we all know, the Italian car manufacturer Automobili Lamborghini Spa. launched its first production car called the Lamborghini 350 GT whose bodywork was done by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera di Milano in 1964.
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ was a solution which originated from the philosophy at that time for racing
cars with a Zagato body and transferred with success to a more
comfortable and well refined GranTurismo (GT) car. (Picture from: LamboCars)
In order to show its existence as an automotive company in an atmosphere of intense competition with its compatriot rival Ferrari, Lamborghini then tried out another Milan based coachbulder company designs namely Carrozzeria Zagato. And in 1965, known as the beginning of the collaboration between the coachbuilder company Zagato and Lamborghini to design and build the new cars based on the Lamborghini 350 GT, later named the Lamborghini 3500 GTZ.
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ is made on a 10 cm shortened chassis of the 350 GT and debuted at the 1965 London Auto Show. (Picture from: Zagato-Cars)
In an official meeting between the two companies in the Lamborghini HQ in Sant’Agata Bolognese which was attended by Paolo Stanzani (body division), Gian Paolo Dallara (technical division), and Elio Zagato, the first son of the coachbuilder company's founder Ugo Zagato. Well, both companies were finally agreed that the mentioned new car was built with a special 350 GT-based bodywork.
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ has a lightweight aluminum-made bodywork with the surfaces and volumes is adopting the Zagato's typical cut-tail design of the era designed by Ercole Spada. (Picture from: LamboCars)
Shortly thereafter, the Milanese Carrozzeria Zagato received a 10 cm shortened 350 GT chassis from Lamborghini, and then 'dressed' it in a lightweight aluminum-made body with the surfaces and volumes is adopting the Zagato's typical cut-tail design of the era designed by Ercole Spada.
And it was also mentioned that the design was a solution which originated from the philosophy at that time for racing
cars with a Zagato body and transferred with success to a more
comfortable and well refined GranTurismo (GT) car.
The Lamborghini 3500 GTZ is powered by a V12 engine with a capacity of 3,939 cc, which is capable of producing the power of 320 bhp (238 kW) at 6,500 rpm, with a peak torque of 375 Nm (276-ft.lbs) at 4,500 rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed ZF manual transmission, and capable of making the 3500 GTZ racing up to a top speed of 161 mph or 260 kph.
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ has an interior somewhat resembles an evolution of the 350 GT is featured with the quintessentially Italian bespoke dials, steering wheel and switchgear remained stock, the dashboard was fitted with a wooden panel framing a 3500 GTZ badge in front of the passenger. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)
As quoted of Lambocars, the finished car looked rather awkward with the front lacked personality (showed some resemblance with a Ferrari 25O GTO, and the structure line of the car’s was shared with the Alfa Romeo TZ2), noted only two cars were ever built, a white over black one (nr. 0310) and a silver over black one (nr. 0322).
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ has the structure line was shared with the Alfa Romeo TZ2. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru)
Then the Zagato bodied Lamborghini 3500 GTZ (finished in white exterior with a black plastic vinyl interior) made its official debut at the 1965 London Motor Show. Unfortunately, this car was built only as the prototype, and was never got into the production lines of the Italian raging bull plants in San'tAgata Bolognese.
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ is powered by a V12 engine with a capacity of 3,939 cc, which is capable of producing the power of 320 bhp at 6,500 rpm, with a peak torque of 375 Nm at 4,500 rpm. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru)
After the London's auto expo is over, the first car (nr. 0310) sold toMarchese Gerino Gerini, a former F1 driver
who was also Lamborghini’s official agent in Milan during that period,
later he sold to car to a fortunate customer in Australia who had it
converted to right-hand drive and repainted in red. Later, this scarce Lamborghini 3500 GTZ was bought by a German collector who shipped it to The Netherlands for a fully restoration, which converted back to left hand drive and repainted in a fresh red paint.
1965 Lamborghini 3500 GTZ has also some resemblance with a Ferrari 25O GTO as you can see it at rear. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru)
Meanwhile,
the second one did really exist with the chassis number 0320 and had
engine number 0228 installed, it was driven by Paolo Stanzani himself at
first, later this one was sold to an American enthusiast, unfortunately
its current whereabouts are unknown. Rumours were this car was later
destroyed in a rather big accident and was damaged beyond repair (but
this statement was never officially confirmed).😭
And that was the end of the collaboration between the two companies in the 1960s, reportedly at that time Ferrucio Lamborghini as the founder and owner of the company preferred to the designs made by other coachbuilders such Bertone and almost all Lamborghini designs that were born after the 350/400 GT were done by Nuccio Bertone and his designing team.
Nowadays it may be commonplace to talk about the "coupé cabriolet," because many automotive manufacturers have produced the such styled vehicles. It could be seen on several famous examples such as the Mercedes Benz SLK, Ferrari California, Portofino to Peugeot 206 CC, and others. All of these models are philosophically connected by a common thread that leads to the Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo Concept.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: NewsBeezer)
The Alfa Romeo Protèo appeared surprisingly in the automotive world in the early 1990s with its unique solid roof folding features. Although it never arrived at the production line, but the technique, arc appearance and color was applied in other production cars.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: NewsBeezer)
Well, it's an innovative 2-seater sports car made by Alfa Romeo with many special features. As quoted from NewsBeezer, after the Alfetta GTV's era is ended in 1986, the Italian car manufacturer tried to create a new sports coupe for years, through its centro stile which at that time was still manned by one of the famous designers, Walter de Silva.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: OldCarConcepts)
In short, Walter de Silva designed the Protèo with a technical base of its bodywork built on the Alfa Romeo 164 chassis, which has been 20 centimeters shortened to 2.46 meters in totall, that's intended to give the new sports car a higher structural rigidity. Meanwhile under its hood mounted a three-liter V6 engine capable of bursting power up to 260 hp.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: NewsBeezer)
The design is also attractive, which the Alfa's classic grille has been minimized and the logo moved on the top of the hood. Well, for the first time, Alfa Romeo had applied two pairs of headlights at the front, each composed of three round elements. Furthermore, its very long snout is combined with an upright stern as the place for the Protèo stored its novelty, ie the roof (or rather the dome) can be divided into three parts and disappear mechanically under the luggage compartment.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: NewsBeezer)
The personal style and unique technical solutions for the roof are just one of the new elements accompany the Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo. There are many other excellent features, such as the "Viscomatic" all-wheel drive system developed by Alfa Romeo in collaboration with specialist Steyr-Puch.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: NewsBeezer)
Then, it was flanked by an electronic control unit that can communicate systematically with other parts of the vehicle (Motronic control unit and ABS) to control various parameters: total torque required, speed of rotation, steering angle and slip difference between the two axes. Depending on the conditions, the system has ensured that torque is optimally distributed across the front and rear axles.
Alfa Romeo 164 Protèo is an innovative 2-seater sports car concept of Alfa Romeo which has a very special features glass roof could be folded and stored behind the seats. (Picture from: NewsBeezer)
The system is equipped with a front differential and a Torsen auto-lock type at the rear, which is responsible for distributing the transmission on both sides of the wheel and ensuring the best traction. Another key feature of the 164 Protèo is the four-wheel steering, thanks to which this research ensures excellent maneuverability and speed between turns.
Initially, Alfa Romeo planned to produce the 164 Protèo at its Portello's plants with a total of 2,000 copies as a limited edition model. But in the end, no more than 3 units were ever made. One of them never knew what the feel while running on the road at all because once it was finished to build, it was taken directly to the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese, Milan for display, while the other two were given the role of the 'muletto' (test vehicles) during the tests (especially) at the Alfa Romeo's proving ground in Balocco.
A few days after its official launch, Alfa Romeo's board of management stopped the project, fearing the car would not be profitable.💔 And now the original and futuristic Italian cabriolet coupe may have been forgotten, but its mechanical legacy goes a long way in today's cars. In addition, its color, a special red, which looks different from the classic Alfa colors in general has remained and lasted for several years under the name 'Protèo Red'. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NEWSBEEZER | JALOPNIK ]
One thing that is noteworthy from the beauty of a four-wheeled vehicle can be seen when the vehicle perfectly represents the soul of the maker. Maybe the sentence is too cliche, in short, how can we as ordinary people see those beauty? Now, let's get a look one of the most beautiful cars of the 21st centuries as follow;
The Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta Touring awarded a title of the "Most Beautiful Supercar of the Year" by a panel comprised of designers, car experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost on the sidelines of the Automobile International Festival 2009 event in Paris. (Picture from: MotorTrend)
As we all know, that one of the most beautiful cars of the 21st centuries is Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta designed and built by Carrozzeria Touring Supeleggera, an Italian coachbuilder company based in Milan in 2008. It was a light and compact two-seater sports car and debuted at the 2008 Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este.
The
Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta Touring awarded a title of the "Most
Beautiful Supercar of the Year" by a panel comprised of designers, car
experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost on the sidelines of the
Automobile International Festival 2009 event in Paris. (Picture from: ArchiiDesiign)
As quoted of Motortrend, the awarding of the title of 'the most beautiful supercar of the year' was carried out by a panel comprised of designers, car experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost on the sidelines of the Automobile International Festival 2009 event in Paris based on the voting results of more than one million viewers of the Eurosport television network. The viewers' choices at the time included the Bugatti Sport Veyron, BMW 750i and Lotus Evora.
The
Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta Touring awarded a title of the "Most
Beautiful Supercar of the Year" by a panel comprised of designers, car
experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost on the sidelines of the
Automobile International Festival 2009 event in Paris. (Picture from: ArchiiDesiign)
That choice seems right on target, because it's the A8GCS was initially developed as a showpiece for the company to advertise their manufacturing capabilities. This beautiful car was built by Carrozzeria Touring based on the Maserati Coupé GranSport. All the process done by the special team headed of Louis de Fabribeckers (also known as the Touring' head of design). As the car' design aimed for a balance between the front end and rear flanks, and a soft aggressiveness.
The
Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta Touring awarded a title of the "Most
Beautiful Supercar of the Year" by a panel comprised of designers, car
experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost on the sidelines of the
Automobile International Festival 2009 event in Paris. (Picture from: ArchiiDesiign)
The design stays to the true Carrozzeria Touring' heritage, while its coachbuilder is said to be inspired by the classic long snouted Isotta Fraschini and Lancia Flying Star figures. In the making process into a modern design vehicle, the Carrozzeria Touring relies on smaller front and rear overhangs, a prominent front grille and two graceful horizontal body lines.
The
Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta Touring awarded a title of the "Most
Beautiful Supercar of the Year" by a panel comprised of designers, car
experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost on the sidelines of the
Automobile International Festival 2009 event in Paris. (Picture from: ArchiiDesiign)
And with a design such this, it seems Touring wants to continue the tradition of the legendary Maserati' long-nosed cars such as the A6GCS/53of the 1950s. Meanwhile, the styling details like the minimalist chrome trim and classic wire wheels give the car a distinctive retro vibe, while also not being unnecessarily nostalgic.
Glancing to the car' dimensions, the Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta is 4.2 meters long and only 1.2 meters high and 2.5 meters of wheelbase. The Touring's beautiful sports coupé is powered by a 4.2 liter V8 engine capable spewing power of 400 horse power. And for the weight of car itself, exactly such the engineers initially planned, ie the finished car' weight of 1,500 kg (3,307 lbs) or 180 kg (400 lbs) lighter than the Maserati GranSport. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | TOURINGSUPERLEGGERA | MOTORTREND | DRIVETRIBE | ]
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~Back to Normal~ Now we are back to discussing one of the legendary cars ever made for the Italian brand, Abarth and what's even more great this car gets a unique design touch from a German industrial designer named Luigi 'Lutz' Colani. The car design is also said to be the way the designer puts into practice a combination of his own style ethos and the great thoughts of Carlo Abarth.
1959 Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta is said to be the way of Luigi 'Lutz' Colani as a designer puts into practice a combination of his own style ethos and the great thoughts of Carlo Abarth. (Picture from: Bonham)
As we all know, that Abarth has successful tested its aerodynamic design theory consistently in various serious efforts to break the world's speed records with small capacity cars. With the actual obsession is to increase straight line penetration and minimize their aerodynamic obstacles, due to the cars always runs by using a very small engine (usually ranging from 350 to 1300cc and rarely up to 2 liters).
At the front hood of the Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta is pinned by the 3 emblems of Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Colani. (Picture from: Bonham)
Meanwhile the brilliant Austrian-born designer is obsessed with the influence of aerodynamics on the car performance. In 1957 Lutz Colani is commissioned by Abarth to build an experimental aerodynamic car based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider platform. As the result, it appears directly recognizable as a Colani's body shape, and also shows an evidence of external influence on many of the Abarth's recently experiences. If You curious about another Luigi Colani's car creation just click here.
1959 Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta is appeared with long and pointed snout at glance seems to be a derivative of the Pinin Farina's practice. (Picture from: Bonham)
And the finished Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta is appeared for the first time in the 1959 with long and pointed snout at glance seems to be a derivative of the Pinin Farina's practice, while the 'double bubble' roof line is a typical characteristic of the Abarth's motives. What's more interesting is the back of the car that might be unique at that time, and the attention was clearly given to air flow management under the car which in the period was said very sophisticated.
1959 Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta is developed as the 'prototype' with the Colucci-designed tubular chassis for rigidity (the intention was for the car to be homologated for the GT category). (Picture from: Bonham)
Initially, this Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo car is developed as the 'prototype' with the Colucci-designed tubular chassis for rigidity (the intention was for the car to be homologated for the GT category). It also powered by the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (998 cc) engine was originally modified by Abarth with the gearbox mounted into the central backbone. Once completed, the car was tested at Monza before being taken to Avus near Berlin for speed runs where it got an accident (due to the tire failure), and was all but destroyed.
1959 Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta is powered by an Alfa Romeo's 1300 cc engine which capable spewed out power of 110 bhp. (Picture from: Bonham)
Following the accident, the car remains were bought by Herbert Schulze who asked Luigi Colani once again to build a new body which took inspiration from a number of sources such the 'double bubble' roof line which is very Abarth. Not only that, the car appeared with a weight of only 780 kg and powered of 110 bhp from its 1300 cc engine. The car is claimed to reach 210 kph (130 mph) and was also recognized as the first GT car that passed to run a lap at Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than 10 minutes.
1959 Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 Berlinetta's back was clearly given to air flow management under the car which in the period was said very sophisticated. (Picture from: Bonham)
After that the car's ownership status shifted to Peter Kaus (for the first time) before disappearing for some time, it ever had sold to Christophe Pund, then he sold it to another collector. The tangled history of the car ownership doesn't stop there; finally this unique car back again to Peter Kaus who fully restored the car to go into the Rosso Bianco Collection.
The Colani-Abarth Alfa Romeo 1300 had been on display in public for years and since the end of 2007 the unique-shaped car was on the Bonham auction list with the prices ranging from £65,000 to £75,000. Even so, this is the aerodyne of the 1950s, one of the rarest Abarth's car ever built, that's said also can be used on the road. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BONHAM | AUTOSITAL | WIKIPEDIA ]
When you take a look back at the history of the most iconic American automobiles, the Chevrolet Corvair models would be near the top of that list. Although in its development, the production and sales figures of the Corvair had affected by the "Unsafe at any Speed" controversial writings of a consumer advocate named Ralph Nader who included a chapter on the danger of the rear-engined car in it.
The Chevrolet Corvair introduced to the automotive market as a compact car featuring many new
innovations including a 6 cylinder rear air cooled engine coupled with
a transmission differential unit and all-wheel independent suspension. (Picture from: JuraganMobilBekas)
Despite all the drama, the Corvair is actually a cool American sports car with a very un-American design. Look at the Chevrolet Corvair concept car of 1954 was an early generation of Corvette and built as a fastback. Well, this Corvair model was made by Chevrolet from 1960 to 1969 and was introduced to the automotive market as a compact car featuring many new innovations including a 6 cylinder rear air cooled engine combined with a transmission differential unit and all-wheel independent suspension.
The American auto manufacturer produced the Corvair in many various styles and one of them was the Corvair 500 Lakewood Station Wagon of 1961. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Infact, the Corvair is the product of a nine-year research and development program that aims to design a compact car at a low initial cost. Corvair models offer consumer stainless steel hub caps with a circular concave center area with the Chevrolet name on the hubcap which looks good for the consumer market. The horizontal inlet grille on the engine compartment cover will introduce cooling air into the engine and also add design interest to the customer as well.
The
American auto manufacturer produced the Corvair in many various styles
and one of them was the Corvair Convertible of 1964. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
The early Chevrolet Corvair built in between 1960 and 1964 which had a similar bodywork appearance and was intended as an economy sedan. However, it didn't stop the development of a sporty, coupe version that was introduced long before the Ford Mustang became popular. At that time, Chevrolet introduced the Corvair Monza 900 Club Coupe model which sold for $ 2,238.
The Chevrolet Corvair is powered by the rear-mounted innovative inline air-cooled engine in 6 options from 2,296 cc, 2,375 cc and 2,683 cc. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Do You remembered to the Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT concept designed by Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine in 1962? It could be said as the possible Corvair-based sports car. Meanwhile the Corvair sports is carried an innovative inline air-cooled engine in 6 options from 2,296 cc, 2,375 cc and 2,683 cc. The inline engine design allows room for a spare tire, more space in the front luggage compartment.
Interior of the Chevrolet Corvair Monza of 1964 shows the standard steering wheel coupled with the 140 MPH speedometer and trip odometer, fuel gauge and clock. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
This area provides over 15.6 cubic feet of shared space with an optional folding rear seat that can be used by both the passenger and the driver. However, after five years of production, Chevrolet stopped trying to sell the Corvair as an American 'Volkswagen,' and realized that with some adjustments as the anticipation of the consumer demands, slowly but sure then refigured it as a US 'Porsche.'
The Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupe of 1968. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Well, the second-generation Corvair that started out in 1965 already has a decidedly European flair, by applying more than a few styling cues borrowed from the Pininfarina's two design studies. So at that time in general the American auto giant, General Motors wanted to offer a perfect style that could be enjoyed by many consumers as a whole. This can be seen from the model being longer, wider, and lower while offering increased engine power.
The Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupe of 1968. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
In these production periods, there's a new top-of-line series called the Corsa, became popular with consumers and was produced in both as the sports coupes and convertibles that replaced the Corvair Spyder. The newly designed Corvair models also provides a wider room and height entrance as well as more legroom in the rear seats for the sports sedan model. While, the convertible models of 1965 also offered a top all-electric mechanism. The Corvair Greenbrier sports car completed the 1965 model lines.
The Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible of 1969. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
The model's popularity led to increased production and sales during the 1965, at that time Chevy dealers managed to sale 237,056 Corvairs.However, in 1967, the Corvair line did not perform well in sale with only over 27,000 cars were produced. Some say that it was influenced by the controversial writings of Ralph Nader which then affected to the consumers' reluctance to buy the Corvair.
Thus
the American giant car manufacturer then carried out a gradual
elimination of the Corvair until 1969. That was the last year Corvair
models were assembled and produced and after that the Corvair nameplate
was completely dropped off by General Motors of its production line for
good.😭
As quoted of Wikipedia, the Corvair was manufactured and marketed in 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, convertible, 4-door station wagon, passenger van, commercial van, and pickup truck body styles in its first generation (1960–1964) and as a 2-door coupe, convertible or 4-door hardtop in its second (1965–1969) with the total production of approximately 1.8 million from 1960-1969.*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CORVAIR.ORG | MOTORCITIES.ORG | HAGERTY.COM | WIKIPEDIA ]
And that was the end of the collaboration between the two companies in the 1960s, reportedly at that time Ferrucio Lamborghini as the founder and owner of the company preferred to the designs made by other coachbuilders such Bertone and almost all Lamborghini designs that were born after the 350/400 GT were done by Nuccio Bertone and his designing team.
