Super Car Ramblings

Pipe Dream or just a MV Augusta

age P4 beauty

Design can be a dreadful form of expression especially with the latest trend of retro trying to be the new modernism, some manufactures seem to struggle with this concept even when they are powered by huge R&D machines, they just fail to impress.

In 1968 Pininfarina showed off their latest design study into aerodynamics with the Ferrari P5, based on one Ferrari's most beautiful race cars the P4. This still borns full name was the Ferrari 250 P5 Berlinetta Speciale and featured a 3 litre, 2 valve, sohc V12, 5 speed gearbox, gull wing doors and glass covered engine bay.

The P or Protype series of cars started with the 250 P in 1963 and was aimed at sports car endurance racing series and won the 12hr Sebring and 24hr Le Mans in the same year along with the manufactures championship. The 250 was followed in 1965 by the 330 P2 and in 1966 saw the arrival of the P3 which was NART's first race car under the helm of Luigi Chinetti, the P3 followed in 66' with lucas fuel injection replacing webbers carbs. Maranello, NART and Francorchamps competed with the 412P which was basically a customer version of the P3. 

 Now move the clock forward nearly 40 years to 2006 when film director James Glickenhaus and 412P and P4 owner along with a host of other race cars commissioned Pinin to create a modern legend.

Using the current Ferrari Enzo as DNA Pininfarina designed, engineered and buit the one off P5 entirely in house and used over 200 unique components. They have managed to keep the original tones tones from the butterfly doors, tapered nose profile and single shell windscreen.

I think Enzo Ferrari would have been proud of the P5 as it's a homage to both their past and their future and to me the prancing horse should represent this collaboration of road and race and clothed only by top italian styling houses, shame this was not the car to celebrate their 60th year.

One that got away......

One that may of got away, the Lancia Fulvia HPE 1600HF. The HPE name became famous with the later Beta and Delta but appeared on this press photograph. This HPE ran on the 1600HF engine and transmission and was based on a modified 2 door coupe shell.

Surfs Up

With a number of people worried at the possible uglyness of the upcoming 09 F1 cars I thought I would post this yesteryear wonder.

   

V power to the people

Royal Dutch Shell's homage advertising to Ferrari

iTV hangs up its F1 hat

After 12 years of F1 broadcasting iTV pass the mantle back to the BBC, they have done a brilliant job from their pre race programmes to their informative, upto date website.  The BBC have a hard act to follow, the below video gives a flavour of the 2008 season.

tritum of solace

Small micro cars are not a new thing of the 21st century, back in the '50's and '60's small kit and compact cars were all the rage. They main function were a cheap bridge between motorcycles and full production cars, most you of them came in some form of kit where you implanted your donor running gear.

In 1963 Tom Karen designed one of the most iconic small cars ever, and it still looks fresh and fun today. Tom was already an awarded winning designer with Hotpoint, when he moved to the famous Ogle Design, after David Ogle was tragically killed in a car accident. Ogle were commisioned in the early sixties to Reliant where they were looking to replace the Regal range, Karen blew life into a project from 1955 and produced two scale models which Reliant Motor Company declined.

In 1967 Reliant revisted this concept as the sports car was in vogue and asked Ogle to bring some fresh ideas. It took another two years of building prootypes when Reliant bought out the Bond car company giving them a dominating position of the three-wheeler market in the UK.

The Bond Bug was created, a classic wedge shape 2 seater with the back sharpley cut off and upward opening canopy to allow better accesss for driver and passenger. The sides were detachable and carried in the small rear boot and the only body colour available was a cheerfull bright tangerine highlighted with bold graphics to give a sponsored racing car image. The Bond Bug was launched in June 1970 and was aimed at the younger market and although not cheap or even pratical it became a cult car from the outset. The 700ES was the range topping model and came with alloy wheels, wing mirrors and an upgraded interior with an F1 style steering wheel and although it cost £629 it became the most popular model.

The last Bug rolled off the production line in 1974 with a total run of 2,268 units, and although they suffered from production, reliability and stability problems the car was received alot of media and public attention where ever it went.

Along with the Bond Bug Tom Karen desined another icon of the '70's the Raleigh Chopper, some people just seem to have it.

Martini's happy hour

 

 

Andy 'M1' Warhol

It's rumoured that it only took Andy Warhol 23 minutes to paint the M1

BMW Art Cars

I like Bavarians, not just the brewers but those guys who run the Motoren Werke company out of that fine tower in Munich which represents a four cylinder engine. The Quandt family have passion and vision and have helped pioneer BMW to the forefront of technology and design, just look at the commotion that Chris Bangle just caused. Love him or loathe him he has got everyone talking about this new language.

Since 1975 BMW has been pushing the artistic boundaries to such an extent that their cars have been displayed in renowned museums such as the Guggenheims of New York and Bibao, the Roayal Academy of London and the Lourve in Paris. In the early 70's French racing driver Herve Poulain commisoned artist Alexander Calder to paint and transform his BMW 3.0 CSL racing car, this spark ignited BMW to establish the Art Car Collection.

In the first years BMW concentrated primarily on their race cars but over time they extended the concept to their series vehicles. Artists such as Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer, Wolfgang Tilmans, Sylvie Fleury and Erwin Wurm contributed to this art programme and presented not just cars but installations, pictures, photographs and videos.