No individual has ever designed and completed a beautifully engineered automobile entirely on his own, but there’s little doubt the best have always been directed by an innovative genius or a small creative team with a single focus.
There’s little brilliance in democratically achieved solutions. Having complete control of a new concept is the main advantage of being an independent …
Brock's own design, the Daytona, was designed specifically for speed (to best the 250 GTOs) but happened to have very beautiful lines. As did the Series I XKE Coupe!
Agreed. And the giant, be-jeweled "grilles" are especially stupid beause most are nonfunctual. The air comes in through a small area, or beneath, and the rest is blocked off, fake. Most of the most $ aluable cars these days are old race cars. Just lovely, to go with the performance.
Brock is always so right about design. I wondered when somebody of respect would step up and say "UGLY". BMW has certainly stepped on themselves by following with the massive grille. My old 456 Ferrari keeps looking better and better. Thanks Peter.
I think Audi was first with a maw-like grill. To me it looked like it fell off its monorail. Then it got re-purposed with four large tired wheels.
What I loathe most (besides BMW's new grille) is the tendency of making the side windows as little as possible as you go to the back of the car, with too few exceptions. The greenhouse of a BMW 2002 tii illustrates what I consider a decent one. Mr. Brock's excellent article is very enlightening regarding this, given that the sloping roof-top and almost non-existent rear windows mimics the pointy end of a Zeppelin and I suppose that the mirage of it being aerodinamically superior lingers.
What has to be remembered is the huge flat face grills are a function of regulation to "protect" pedestrians. Some study was done that reported the most common injury in low speed car v. pedestrian incounters was to the knees,so the low nose designs had to go. The tiny side windows comes from mandated side impact protection requirements as well.
Words from a Master. Thank you for the insights Mr. Brock!!!
Stu A
Sedona, AZ
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