Niels van Roij on coachbuilding and shooting brakes

RCA alumnus and certified coachbuilder Niels van Roij has found an exciting niche in handcrafted one-off projects, many of which appear in the form of a shooting brake or 'bread van' format. The designer sat down with CDN to explain why it is still 'design' in a conventional sense, and details one project involving a Ferrari 550 Maranello

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It is not often that a designer turns up in a suit made from the same materials as a car they have designed, but that is exactly what Niels van Roij did when we met him in Munich this week. 

Speaking at the fourth edition of Car Design Event, his suit and waistcoat combo was a reflection of the striking Ferrari 'Breadvan Hommage', effectively a wagonised 550 Maranello. 

From pencil sketches, clay models and hand-beaten bodywork, it is an exercise in the 'romance' of car design, van Roij tells Car Design News. We also receive an education on what is, and what is not, classed as a shooting brake.

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