The forgotten Bertone's EB110 proposal design

Only Clay Still about one of the forerunner the design proposal for Bugatti EB110 which is expected to arouse the French automotive brand from its long hibernation. As we all knew, the French legendary car brand had been hibernated in a long time since the 1960s, in early 1990s it's tried to be revived by Ferruccio Lamborghini and Paolo Stanzini was then proposed to Romano Artioli.

The Bertone's proposal design for the next Bugatti EB110 back in the 1990s. (Picture from: CarStylingru)

Then through the new formed company named Bugatti Automobili S.p.A., Artioli assembled an unparalleled group of talents in pursuit of building a supercar worthy wore the Bugatti's badge. Besides empowering their own designers and engineers, it turned out that the newly risen company also invited several well-known designers and design houses such as ITAL Design, Gruppo Bertone, Paolo Martin and Marcello Gandini to submit a new car design proposal which was later known as Bugatti EB110.

The Bertone's proposal design for the next Bugatti EB110 back in the 1990s. (Picture from: CarStylingru)

Now we will discuss a little about the design proposal made by the Nuccio Bertone-owned design house. The Turin-based coachbuilder was invited in the project and also had opportunity to develop a design proposal for the next Bugatti's supercar to mark the revival of the French' legendary brand. In short, the designer team lead by Marc Deschamps, the chief designer of Gruppo Bertone at the time built  a clay model in 1:1 scale.

The Bertone's proposal design for the next Bugatti EB110 back in the 1990s. (Picture from: CarStylingru)

In our opinion, the model presented by Bertone at least, one of the most intriguing, as the car manages to look radical yet simultaneously refined and aesthetically cohesive with well integrated aerodynamic features that hadn’t been seen on production cars to quite the same extent at the time. Although it was quite an enticing design, there is one drawback ie its form is look not ease to recognizable as the Bugatti, so considered not meeting expectations of Romano Artioli, the Bugatti' CEO whose from the very beginning has the aim to tie together the past of Molsheim to the present in Campogalliano.

The three variants of the Bugatti EB110 in front of the company headquarter in Molsheim. (Picture from: Autoblog)

However, in early 1990, the Bertone's in clay model was tested in the Pininfarina wind tunnel in the presence of Oliviero Pedrazzi. Unfortunately it then made the collaboration between Bugatti and Bertone became increasingly difficult. On the one hand, Bugatti wants to assemble its own coachwork component (made by Golden Car based on the design of the Marcello Gandini). On the other hand, Nuccio no longer believes in the project. And by his own initiative, then ended the collaboration.

As we all knew, the Marcello Gandini's wedge design was chosen which would by further explored by Paolo Stanzini and the engineers of the marque, forming the basis of the five aluminium prototypes. There is also an interesting story behind the design concept created by Bertone, after pulling out of the Bugatti EB110 design invitation, the Bertone' design team then removed some Bugatti's badges of the model, and made a design overhaul included to change its color. After it was finished, it was submitted to Lotus's brasses as a car design proposal named Lotus Emotion in 1991. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES |  SPORTCARDIGEST | CARSTYLINGRU | CONCEPTCARZ | AUTOBLOG | WIKIPEDIA | SOMETIMES-INTERESTING | TORQUEDAILY ]

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Paolo Martin's unique proposal for Bugatti EB110

Radical Concept Apparently gloomy days have also been experienced by a well-known automotive company like Bugatti. In the 1960s, the Molsheim-based company had declared bankrupt and should ceased production for a long time before revived back in the 1980s. The idea of Bugatti’s revival was initially proposed by none other than Ferruccio Lamborghini together with ex-Lamborghini engineer and designer Paolo Stanzani to Romano Artioli.

The most radical proposed design concept for the Bugatti EB110 called Bugatti 110 PM1 by Paolo Martin in 1989. (Picture from: SportscarDigest)

This happened when Ferruccio wanted to start another project after selling his raging-bull logoed company in 1981. At that time Romano Artioli was known widely as a Bugatti collector, turn out also had a personal ambition to establish a company worthy of Ettore Bugatti’s legacy, Bugatti macaron, and the horseshoe grille. And made the initial idea to estabilish a new brand changed into a wildly ambitious plan to revive one of the all-time great auto marques.

The wooden maquette of the Bugatti 110 PM1 posed along with its creator Paolo Martin at the Turin Auto Show 1991. (Picture from: Carstbatnevermadeitetc)

Disagreement with Artioli’s ambition to go huge from the very start, then prompted Ferruccio Lamborghini retreated. Following the dispute, Artioli and Stanzani soon started working on a draft to acquire the Bugatti brand. After successfully acquiring the brand, they teamed up with like-minded enthusiast, automotive historian Jean-Marc Borel founded a holding company called Bugatti International in Luxembourg in 1987.

The Bugatti 110 PM1 featured with a panoramic windshield and a floating rear wing integrated within the diagonal character line starting behind the front wheels. (Picture from: AllCarIndex)

Borel was managing the holding, while Ettore’s youngest son Michel Bugatti was among the board of directors. Romano Artioli himself led the Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. while 35% of the Bugatti International holding was held by Tecnostile, a highly regarded independent engineering company employing former Lamborghini personnel. In short to strategically place Bugatti at the center of the supercar industry, the company then established a modern production facility in Campogalliano, the outskirts of Modena.

It is interesting that in the Paolo Martin's design appears to reference the Luigi Colani’s extraordinary Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept of 1970. (Picture from: SportscarDigest)

In early days of this newly resurrected auto brand the man in charges leading the project was Paolo Stanzani together with Tecnostile, envisioning the underpinnings of the car. Both Artioli, Stanzani, and the principal Tecnostile team of Achille Bevini, Tiziano Benedetti, and Oliviero Pedrazzi agreed that the car had to go beyond the well-established concept boundaries of the time, namely the mid-engined V12 supercar. Still, the team spoke from experience, as they developed the chassis and the engine of the Lamborghini Miura.

The Bugatti 110 PM1's design revolved around aerodynamic efficiency, but it proved to be too far-out and definitely not elegant enough to be considered for production. (Picture from: SportscarDigest)

In the car design later known as the forerunner of the Bugatti EB110, apart from involving its own designer team, the company also invited several well-known designers at the time such as Giorgietto Giugiaro, Paolo Martin, Marcello Gandini, and Nuccio Bertone to create the looks of the upcoming car. A quartet of accomplished designers returned their vision for the future Bugatti and each was special in its own right.

The Bugatti 110 PM1 concept sat on display as a wooden maquette at the  the 65th Turin International Motor Show in 1991. (Picture from: Bestinsketch.it)

After some time ago we had discussed Giorgietto Giugiaro' designed car called the Bugatti ID90 Concept. Well, now we will discuss about the most radical proposal came from Paolo Martin (a former Pininfarina designer) who created a unique prototype called the Bugatti 110 PM1 in the 1989.

The Bugatti 110 PM1 concept shown as a model of sports car in 1: 1 scale and made entirely of wood. A structure whose shape exceeds the stylistic value. (Picture from: SportscarDigest)

The car appears in such an unusual shape with a panoramic windshield and a floating rear wing integrated within the diagonal character line starting behind the front wheels. Meanwhile, Bugatti 110 PM1 was a single seater sports car controlled by a joystick and “paddles” rather than a steering wheel. It is interesting that in the Paolo Martin's design appears to reference the Luigi Colani’s extraordinary Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept of 1970.

The Bugatti 110 PM1 concept has a single-seater cabin consists of a capsule in which the steering wheel is replaced by two handwheels located on the arm rests, for a more ergonomic ride. (Picture from: Carstbatnevermadeitetc)

The designer said that the philosophy of the project was essentially to create two distinct areas, that of traction and strength tied to earth and that of the living cell with aerial shape and ideally detached from the body. Inside its capsule cabin consists only one-seater in which the steering wheel is replaced by two handwheels located on the arm rests, for a more ergonomic ride. For safety, the driver has a four-point anchor belt that incorporates an abdominal airbag. 

For safety, the Bugatti 110 PM1 driver has a four-point anchor belt that incorporates an abdominal airbag. (Picture from: Carstbatnevermadeitetc)

Although they had made in a 1:4 scale model but this project reportedly did not run smoothly, due to the design proved to be too far-out and definitely not elegant enough to be considered for production and later the project was cancelled.😩

The Bugatti 110 PM1 concept in any case a reality resolved in a traditional way and presented so simply, to reawaken that intimate sense of taste and charm that always accompanies a valid work for a long time. (Picture from: SportscarDigest)

Furthermore, in 1991 this project had back on the track after Joshiro Kitami, a Japanese businessman was interested in it and wanted to revived the Ford Cobra's brand in which he had investments. Even in that time the designer had executed its polystyrene model to start engineering, but unfortunately this operation back to fail due to financial problems.😭

The Bugatti PM1 Concept known as a single-seater supercar made entirely of wood while sat on display at the National Automobile Museum (Il Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile) in early year of 2016. (Picture from: la Repubblica)

It made the designer then switched to build a 1:1 scale model out of wood. Finally, the wooden maquette of Bugatti 110 PM1 (only bodywork) finished and shown to the public for the first time at the  the 65th Turin International Motor Show in 1991.

Observed in its unique technical aspects or appreciated simply as an "unusual mobile" car, the PM1 is in any case a reality resolved in a traditional way and presented so simply, to reawaken that intimate sense of taste and charm that always accompanies a valid work for a long time. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BESTINSKETCH.IT | SPORTSCARDIGEST ]

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The provocations of Colani's biodynamic design over the Miura

UNiquE As previously discussed, related to automotive works from renowned designer Luigi 'Lutz' Colani, namely about the biodynamic design concept which is very thick spoke on the most results of his works and at the same time showing the figure of unique and unusual vehicles. If You wanna see another Luigi Colani' works, visit his sites Colani.org.

The Colani’s Miura Le Mans Concept is finally visible to the public for the first time after about forty years at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin, before its return in the USA in 2011. (Picture from: MuseoAuto)

And among the many works that have been produced by the maestro, perhaps this is the most radical and controversial design concept. If we look closely, such this vehicle design was also later applied by Colani to several of his works as follow: the Eifelland Type 21, a Formula-1 racing car of 1972 and the Innotruck, the futuristic biodynamic designed truck of 2012.

The Miura Le Mans Concept consists of 'two-part hybrid car' with a Lamborghini Miura rear chassis section and front passenger cabin designed 'like a glider cockpit'. (Picture from: Dyler)

The mentioned car is the Miura Le Mans Concept made as a study design concept unveiled in 1970 and consists of 'two-part hybrid car' with a Lamborghini Miura rear chassis section and front passenger cabin designed 'like a glider cockpit'.

The Lamborghini Miura P400 S is widely regarded as the world’s first Bertone's made supercar took by Luigi Colani as the basis of his unique biodynamic designed car named Miura Le Mans Concept. (Picture from: Hemmings)

For your info, Lamborghini Miura is widely regarded as the world’s first Bertone's made supercar, powered by a 3.9-litre V12 engine which propelled it to a top speed of 163 mph and would reach 0 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. And we all agree that the Miura since it was first launched in 1966 one of the most beautiful cars ever produced, even until today almost sixty years since its launch, it still winning awards for its aesthetics.

The Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept sketches by Luigi 'Lutz' Colani back in the 1970. (Picture from: Dyler)

 

 

The Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept sketches by Luigi 'Lutz' Colani back in the 1970. (Picture from: Dyler)

In the midst of his admiration for the Miura in 1970, he took the iconic sports car as the basis, then turned it into a unique biodynamic car called the Miura Le Mans Concept and so called because it was formally intended to race on the legendary endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The seating position in the Colani's Miura Le Mans Concept was almost identical to today’s Formula-1 seating. (Picture from: Dyler)

In the making process, Colani cut the Miura transversely while still using the powertrain and rear axle only, and coated it with a fiberglass tapered body work which ends with blunt tail. While the air intake channel for engine cooling is pinned in front of the rear wheel arches.

Luigi Colani made this Miura Le Mans Concept car by himself in his dining room. (Picture from: Dyler)

Hinged over the rear, the front (also made of fiberglass) is clearly inspired by the shape of the glider cockpit, in this case it has been enlarged, in addition to being able to accommodate two passengers sitting side by side as well as to compensate for the width of its rear-mounted engine. The cockpit is accessible through an extendable plexiglass dome, and uniquely, its two passengers's position inside the cockpit is almost laying down, as on the current Formula-1 cars.

The front and the rear parts of the Colani's Miura Le Mans Concept move independently (like the tractor of a truck and its trailer), with a rather limited turning radius. (Picture from: YoWModelini)

While its two front wheels are hidden under the lateral ends of the passenger compartment. The control of the car is entrusted to a joystick positioned in the center through a series of mechanical transmissions. The front part and the rear move independently (like the tractor of a truck and its trailer), with a rather limited turning radius.

After completed, the unique Colani's Miura Le Mans Concept presented in several expos during the 1970s, the automotive artwork designed by Colani was then sold in the United States, where it remained hidden and had even floundered for more than thirty years. It then returned to Germany and was restored before an American collector purchased it back. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | COLANI.ORG | MUSEOAUTO | DYLER | CARSCOOPS ]

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The Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000 is never be broke any record

GeGe As usual when surfing on the internet, and met uniquely shaped cars from the past, that spontanous made Us feels like to write something. This time we met again with the figure of a unique concept car made by Vignale, an Italian coachbuilder company in 1962 named the Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000 was built on the basis of the Fiat 600D.

1962 Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000 is built based of the Fiat 600D based design prototype with a massive 'fish-bowl' windscreen. (Picture from: Twitter)

If you look at the unique shape which at first glance resembelance a shape like a teardrop or gocia in Italian. Indeed, such vehicle's physical form was very popular to be developed by car makers at the time. Out of a series of aerodynamic studies that have been carried out and implemented in vehicle design, the teardrop design form managed to be the most efficient in terms of airflow.

1962 Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000 sat on display at the Turin Auto Show 1962. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)

Some of You might be remembered a similarly shaped vehicle called the Abarth 750 Coupe Goccia previously developed by those coachbuilder company in 1956 which designed by Giovanni Michelotti together with the Abarth 750 mechanics.

And five years later, Vignale made another one-off concept with a very striking distinctive look like the massive 'fish-bowl' windshield and is intended to be a record-breaker vehicle, at the time, the Italian coachbuilder claimed its Cd figure was just 0.25. However, no evidence appears to exist to suggest that any such record attempts were made.

1962 Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000's wraparound windscreen was absolutely enormous, while the glass roof very much similar the current's panoramic sunroofs. (Picture from: Drive-my.com)

Well, Vignale crafted the car in a long, low and relatively wide shape. The car’s wraparound windscreen was absolutely enormous, while the glass roof very much similar the current's panoramic sunroofs. The headlights were faired in behind Plexiglas for smoothness of airflow and the front bumpers were shaped like bullets. At the rear end, the tail was sharply cutoff, Kamm style included a variety of the cooling ducts were provided for the rear-mounted engine.

Inside the cabin of 1962 Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000, there're two futuristic-themed seats with three gauges are mounted into a wooden instrument panel, housed in a binnacle extending forward to the base of the windshield. (Picture from: Drive-my.com)

Just like its previous concept car of 1956, the 1962 Vignale-made Sperimentale 1000 was based on the platform of the Fiat 600D, complete with its suspension and rear-engined layout. While the engine has expanded from 767 cc to 1,000 cc carried out by the Turin-based ZM tuning company.

1962 Vignale Record Sperimentale 1000's wraparound windscreen was absolutely enormous, while the glass roof very much similar the current's panoramic sunroofs. (Picture from: Carstyling.ru)

Then inside its cabin, there are two futuristic-themed seats with three gauges are mounted into a wooden instrument panel, housed in a binnacle extending forward to the base of the windshield. While the chairs are anatomically shaped, with oddly shaped grip handle extensions. Uniquely, only the seat on the passenger side is given a wraparound headrest which is said to be inspired by aircraft, while the spare wheel is stored behind the seats.

And after completed, the one-off concept car was then exhibited for the first time in the 1962 Turin Auto Show. At that time, the Sperimentale 1000 had a conventional wheel arches, had conventional wheel arches, but when it was shown again at Geneva in March 1963, it had been slightly modified with a faired-in wheel covered by all round spats, perhaps as the result of extra aerodynamic experiments. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DRIVE-MY.COM | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI | CARSTYLING.RU | QUIRKYRIDES ]

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One of the forerunners of Bugatti EB110 proposed by Giorgietto Giugiaro

The Forerunner The 1990s were a very interesting period in terms of automotive design, alongside many other trends. It was an era when the automakers is left their automotive designers completely to work, which then led to a series of unique and interesting designs.

The Bugatti ID90 Concept posed along with its creator Giorgietto Giugiaro. (Picture from: DriveTribe)

One of them is a supercar called the Bugatti ID90 Concept which is a 2-seat, all-wheel-drive, mid-engined supercar. The Bugatti ID90 concept is one of the models proposed by 4 renowned designers (consisted Marcello Gandini, Giorgietto Giugiaro, Paolo Martin and Nuccio Bertone) for the Bugatti EB110 supercar.

The style of the Bugatti ID90 Concept is clearly featured by a beautiful curvy lines and purposeful implemented with a massive glass dome coupled with an open rear section where air vents were installed to cool down the V12 engine. (Picture from: DriveTribe)

As quoted of DriveTribe, the Bugatti ID90 Concept, which debuted at the 1990 Turin Motor Show, was the first Bugatti's car model created by renowned automotive designer Giorgietto Giugiaro of ItalDesign. In general the ID90 Concept (the 'ID' in the name stood for ItalDesign, Giugiaro’s design company) and EB 110 have several things in common including a similar overall shape and many other design elements.

The Bugatti ID90 Concept is one of the models proposed for EB100 by Giorgietto Giugiaro of ItalDesign and debuted at the 1990 Turin Motor Show. (Picture from: Motor1)

The style of the Bugatti ID90 Concept is clearly featured by a beautiful curvy lines and purposeful implemented with a massive glass dome coupled with an open rear section where air vents were installed to cool down the V12 engine sits behind the cockpit. Such style known as the hallmark of ItalDesign had also been implemented by the Moncalieri-based auto design house to the 1984 Lotus Etna, BMW Nazca C2 and M12.

Furthermore, the Bugatti ID90 Concept is powered by a 3.5-liter mid-mounted V12 engine with four turbochargers to drive all the wheels. Meanwhile its legs received a set of retro-flavored wheels as a nod to the 1926 Bugatti Royale. Unfortunately the Italdesign' design proposal was not approved, although some styling cues run on the Bugatti EB110 production in 1991.😭 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DRIVETRIBE | WIKIPEDIA | GTPLANET | MOTOR1 ]

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Bizzarrini's beautiful car parades

~Parades of Glory~ In the world's automotive, Giotto Bizzarini is known as one of the famous automotive design and engineering practitioners. This can be seen in his very long professional career portfolio ranging of several world automotive brands such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Iso, Lamborghini up to establishing his own automotive brand.

Bizzarrini 5300 GT is the first Giotto Bizzarrini's production version car after he estabilished his own company in 1966. (Picture from: Petrolicious)

The story started in 1953, when young Giotto Bizzarrini is finished to build his own car based on the Fiat 500 Topolino which became known as Macchinetta. After all here're several great cars that have got the magical touch of Giotto Bizzarrini since he worked at several notorious automaker, ie Ferrari 250 GTO, Lamboghini 350 GTV Prototipo was the first model and forerunner of the Lamborghini cars, then several Iso's cars such as the Iso Rivolta, Iso Grifo A3 and many others.

1953 Macchinetta built by Giotto Bizzarrini based on the Fiat 500 Topolino, while he was a student of the University of Pisa. (Picture from: Hemmings)

And in 1966 he founded his own automotive company based in Livorno, called Bizzarrini SpA. which had success when producing beautiful cars like the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada or 5300 GT Corsa for the road going and racing examples respectively, then followed several car models were produced in limited number, such the Bizzarrini 5300 SI Spyder, Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa aka a 'baby' version of 5300 GT, the extraordinary Bizzarrini P538S, and the most unique Bizzarrini Manta.

This is Bizzarrini 1900 GT Europa aka a 'baby' version of 5300 GT is built in between 1966 to 1969 and powered by a 1,897 cc Opel engine. (Picture from: RMW)

It seems that as an entrepreneur, Giotto Bizzarrini lacked talent so the company of his owned had to work hard, rise and fall to just keep going in the tough business world and eventually had to give up when the company was declared bankrupt in 1969.

One of those rare Lamborghini V12 powered race cars, the 1967 Bizzarrini P538 located in the United States. (Picture from: Lambocars)

Because of his love for the world of automotive design, he continues to strive and continue to work, it is known that in the 1970s, he had involved to build several examples of a new American car model named the AMC AMX/3 and several units of the P538 S. 

One of those rare concept cars named the Bizzarrini Manta designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. (Picture from: LSXMag)

Then in the 1990s, he contacted by an investor named Barry Watkins and created World SuperCars, Inc. which later launched the Bizzarrini BZ-2001 based of the Ferrari Testarossa in 1993.

1993 Bizzarrini BZ-2001 has an entirely body consisted of carbon fiber and powered by a 4.9L Ferrari Testarossa V12 engine. (Picture from: Carscoops)

Then entering the second millennium, the effort to revive this classic Italian brand is still not over, this time carried by an Italian manufacturer named VGM Motors which then launched a new car in 2006 called the Bizzarrini Ghepardo GTS Concept.

2006 Bizzarrini Ghepardo GTS Concept by VGM Motors while sat on display and is powered by an upgraded BMW's Mecachrome V8 engine. (Picture from: Drive2ru)

And now Bizzarrini under new management after being revived almost a year ago (November, 2020) by the London-based luxury car dealership group Pegasus Brands and a team led by former CEO of Aston Martin, Dr. Ulrich Bez, so then the car had approved as one of the models produced by the Italian marque.

Bizzarrini 5300 GT Revival Corsa encapsulates the spirit of a bygone age of high-performance race cars, and the thin line that Bizzarrini drove between road and track. (Picture from: Bizzarrini)

As quoted of the automaker official site, that recently the marque produced in a limited number of the Bizzarrini 5300 GT 'Revival Series' sports car (only 24 units) called the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Revival Corsa. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BIZZARRINI | TOP SPEED | AUTOCAR | DRIVE2.RU | GTPLANET | PISTOHEADS | EN.WHEELSAGE.ORG | DREAMSTIME | NEWATLAS ]

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