It’s been 50 years since Volvo introduced the P1800, and the Swedish automaker has chosen to mark the occasion by releasing a few sketches of what a modern interpretation of the sports coupe would look like. Christopher Benjamin, chief designer with Volvo, just so happens to be a big fan of the P1800 and worked up the sketches as part of a Twitter chat with fans of the brand. Needless to say, the sketches have created a serious stir among the Volvo faithful, but the company has made it clear there are no plans to bring a modernized P1800 to market.

That’s a real shame, too. We can imagine such a vehicle would give the Audi A5 a serious run for its money depending on final driveline decisions.

Unfortunately, Volvo is still too busy shoring up its core products to worry about branching off into low-volume niches, at least for the moment. If you like the look of Benjamin’s sketches, head over to the Volvo Facebook page to let him know.

Volvo designer pens P1800 for 50th anniversary, no chance at production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

GoAuto RSS – Car News

No related posts.

Designers tend to be forward-thinking people, and Brooks Stevens was one of the most clever, visionary car designers ever. In December 1942, Stevens imagined for Popular Mechanics magazine what the consumer auto market might evolve into after World War II.

The wartime focus was on sacrifice to feed the hungry furnaces of industry churning out tanks, armaments, ships, and aircraft, and that likely colored Stevens’ opinion that Americans were going to lean toward smaller, more efficient vehicles. The explosion of ever more gaudy designs throughout the 1950s was likely a result of the austerity required to stamp out fascism. Stevens did understand the civilian appeal of the Jeep, and rightly suggested that it would make the transition to desirable consumer vehicle.

The Corvair was perhaps the ultimate expression of the auto ideals of the 1930s with its rear-mounted air-cooled engine, and it’s just the type of car that Mr. Stevens thought would take hold in America. Perhaps he was surprised at how reality received the kind of family car he considered in the 1940s. While he may have missed the mark on the Corvair, misjudging the effect of heart-versus-head when consumers consider cars, Stevens was accurate suggesting the proliferation of wraparound glass, bodies without separate fenders and even the way the eventual re-starting of production would ultimately happen, with carryover designs being the first cars to go on sale after wartime production finished.

There’s more, of course, like some soothsaying about plastics in automotive use, and it’s a fascinating signpost in automotive history. It’s tough to read what Brooks Stevens thought about the eventual cars of the 1950s and not try to imagine what he might say about the actual automobiles of the 21st century.

Industrial designer Brooks Stevens examines the effect of WWII on auto design… in 1942 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

Designer Min Seong Kim envisions a rather interesting world where Hyundai, alongside its automobiles and heavy equipment, also builds motorcycles.

The structure of the bike is, in true conceptual fashion, made of a material that can tighten or relax, which the designer believes would aid in steering similar to the way our muscles aid in… well, pretty much everything we do. There’s a cage around the rider, apparently to aid in protection, but we wonder how easy that would be to see around. The six-cylinder powerplant sports bold HYUNDAI lettering across the valve covers, and probably comes with a great warranty as well.

We do have a problem with the rider, however, who is clearly rooting for a different motorcycle manufacturer. There’s nothing wrong with Suzuki bikes, but if you’re going to be shilling for a futuristic manufacturer, you should also be wearing their branded leathers. Regardless, the concept is interesting from all angles, and you can check it out for yourself in the gallery.

Designer imagines a motorcycle for Hyundai originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

No related posts.