All articles by Flavien Dachet – Page 4
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Concept Car of the Week: Oldsmobile Aerotech (1987)
In late 1984, Oldsmobile management had so much confidence in the potential of its new inline four-cylinder engine Quad 4, that a small team was assigned to the creation of the Aerotech, a research vehicle designed to demonstrate the engine's performance by setting a new world speed record.
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Concept Car of the Week: Alfa Romeo Disco Volante (1952)
In 1951, straight after winning the F1 championship, Alfa Romeo surprisingly retired from racing. The tough post-war financial situation led the Italian brand to focus its investments towards more profitable projects such as the 1900 Berlina. The competition department stayed open on the condition of delivering a brand-boosting racecar for ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Ford Mustang I (1962)
Influenced by science fiction and Space exploration in the early sixties, Ford Motor Corporation developed a series of research vehicles to test innovative layouts, experimental technologies and futuristic styling on such radical concepts as the X2000, Levacar Mach 1 and the Gyron that still captivate the imagination. In parallel, Ford's ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Bugatti 18/3 Chiron (1999)
In 1998, Volkswagen AG acquired the French company Bugatti with the intention of restoring it to its former glory. After the luxurious EB112 and EB118 concepts, Ferdinand Piech commissioned Italdesign to work on another prototype: a Bugatti flagship supercar - the Chiron.
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Concept Car of the Week: Chrysler Lamborghini Portofino (1987)
In 1987, Chrysler purchased the bankrupt Italian carmaker Lamborghini to add an exotic brand to its portfolio. In celebration of its acquisition, Chrysler announced it would unveil a futuristic concept car at the Frankfurt motor show bearing a unique logo with the Italian raging bull framed inside Chrysler's famous Pentastar.
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ArticleConcept Car of the Week: Citroën Karin (1980)
With the 1980 Paris Motor show approaching and no new model to unveil, Citroën needed something to wow the crowds on its home turf.
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Concept Car of the Week: GM-X Stiletto (1964)
With dreams of flying cars as the ultimate inspiration, General Motors designers in the ‘60s used every trick possible to make their creations appear as though they were floating - long, straight bodies, wheels pushed in and hidden away, large fins and lights that looked like rockets. As William L. ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Lincoln Indianapolis Boano Coupé (1955)
There is always a plethora of wonderful cars on display during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and also some not so wonderful, like the Spyker B6 Venator and Laraki Epitome. This year, one of the cars stood out with its bright orange color and unusual styling - the Lincoln Indianapolis ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Hyundai HCD-1 (1992)
After a difficult start to the '80s, Hyundai thought of a new strategy to penetrate the American market and to compete with the industry leaders - Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota being the primary target. It came back in 1990 and set up the Hyundai California Design Center to develop ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Lincoln Sentinel (1996)
After a decade of the rounded forms of bio-design, car manufacturers worldwide wondered what the next big trend would be. Ford's answer appeared in 1995 with the breathtaking GT90 that inaugurated the experimental 'Edge Design' era, defined by its use of precise edges, tight lines and sharp graphics. The following ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Pininfarina Ferrari 512S Berlinetta Speciale (1969)
Back in 2001, Filippo Sapino retired from his position of managing director of Ghia S.p.A after over 30 years with the company. During this time he oversaw the development of production cars and wild concepts as well as forging a long partnership with Ford Motor Company.
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Concept Car of the Week: Dodge M4S PPG Turbo Interceptor (1985)
As a major paint supplier of Detroit's big three, PPG would commission every year a car to be used as a pace car in the Indy Car World Series.
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Concept Car of the Week: Dodge Deora (1967)
Half concept car, half custom but all awesome, the Dodge Deora was designed by former GM designer Harry Bentley Bradley for the famous car customizers the Alexander brothers who wanted to build a radical custom truck using one of the Big Three's new cabover mini-pickups.
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Concept Car of the Week: Honda Unibox (2001)
The Tokyo motor show is famous for unusual concepts and the 2001 edition didn't disappoint, featuring some of the weirdest yet. Nissan unveiled the Nails, Toyota its Pod and Isuzu the Zen, but Honda had arguably the most intelligent concept there - the Unibox.
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Concept Car of the Week: Honda Kiwami (2003)
As part of Honda's exploration into new, clean-performing technologies, the Kiwami concept was created to test public acceptance of the idea of a large, fuel cell-powered luxury sedan.
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Concept Car of the Week: Mercury El Gato (1970)
Of all the brands that marked American automobile history, Mercury had never been the most popular or the most loved, which ultimately led to its demise in 2011 when Ford chose to terminate the brand. To be fair only a handful of Mercury models are worth remembering: the 1950 Mercury ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Ford Ghia Focus (1992)
As far back as the 1960s, Luigi Colani was preaching about organic design, and the 'biodynamic' forms that eventually became his signature. However, organic design didn't gain widespread popularity among car designers until the late 1980s and early '90s, and no car paid a greater tribute to nature and its ...
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Concept Car of the Week: BMW Z13 (1993)
Rear-mounted engine, three seats, central driving position, 830 kg. What might sound like the ingredients for a fantastic little sports car apply in fact to the exceptionally compact and exciting BMW Z13 concept presented in 1993 at the Geneva motor show.
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ArticleConcept Car of the Week: Cadillac Sixteen (2003)
Many premium brands struggle to keep their heritage of crafts and aesthetics up to date without often falling into obvious retro references. With a rich tradition of innovation, Cadillac tackled this difficult task in 2003 by creating the stunning Sixteen concept.
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Concept Car of the Week: Mercedes-Benz C111, C111-II and C111-IID
In 1962, Mercedes-Benz launched a research program to investigate the development of the Wankel rotary engine and its potential both on the road and track. While the early mule wasn't a looker, the prototype's design continued to evolve until a public unveiling of the C111-I concept, designed by Bruno Sacco, ...
