Cars and their designers

Author
Discussion

Bar8arian

Original Poster:

65 posts

51 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
I wonder how many classic cars on the roads today, can still be driven by their original designers? The only example I can think of is Ivor Walklett and his Ginetta G4. No doubt, other PH'ers will point out many others.....


SP_

2,966 posts

120 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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Gordon Murray & the F1? Can that be considered classic?

healeyneil

349 posts

162 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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Maybe not quite what you meant, but the Fiberfab Jamaican was designed by Chris Beebe, and he still owns and drives the first one built. His shakedown drive was pretty well all the way across the states .

RATATTAK

15,172 posts

204 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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350Z designer, Ajay Panchal.

RATATTAK

15,172 posts

204 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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DB9 designer, Henrik Fisker.

RATATTAK

15,172 posts

204 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
Depends what you mean by classic.

droopsnoot

13,417 posts

257 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
Wayne Cherry (head of design) and Roy Cooke (in charge of the development and testing) are both still around and could drive a Droopsnoot Firenza if they wanted to. But as above, it depends on where your definition is, and in my example there were obviously loads of others involved in the development as there would be at a company the size of Vauxhall.

Super Sonic

9,519 posts

69 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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RATATTAK said:
Depends what you mean by classic.
Exactly this.

williamp

19,811 posts

288 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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Ian Callum and db7, vanquish, db9 (asterix)...


Lotobear

7,932 posts

143 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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I think the Bond Bug guy is extant is he not?

Missy Charm

1,129 posts

43 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
Lotobear said:
I think the Bond Bug guy is extant is he not?
Not. Tom Karen (Ogle Design) died a couple of years ago. Lawrie Bond snuffed it back in the seventies.

Turbobanana

7,192 posts

216 months

Monday 10th June 2024
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Leonardo Fioravanti could probably just about get into one of his many creations for Ferrari, of which the best known is probably the Daytona and 308 GTB / GTS (the latter of would be easier on his 86 year old bones).

RATATTAK

15,172 posts

204 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
williamp said:
Ian Callum and db7, vanquish, db9 (asterix)...
Deserves to be quoted wink

OutInTheShed

11,262 posts

41 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
RATATTAK said:
Depends what you mean by classic.
I was thinking it's like paintings and music, it can't be a 'classic' if the artist is still breathing?

droopsnoot

13,417 posts

257 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
RATATTAK said:
Depends what you mean by classic.
I was thinking it's like paintings and music, it can't be a 'classic' if the artist is still breathing?
I can't find a photo of a open tin can that has a load of worms in it, but if I could, I'd post it here.

crofty1984

16,424 posts

219 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
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Oliver Winterbottom of Lotus Grand Tourer fame died only fairly recently.

Yertis

19,030 posts

281 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
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Martin Smith - designer of the Audi Quattro’s wheel arches and (IIRC) the VX220, is still with us I beleive.

sassthathoopie

960 posts

230 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
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Frank Stephenson: R50 Mini, F430, McLaren P1

Peter Stevens: McLaren F1, Elan M100, Prodrive Impreza, 80s Esprits, he also did the wheels and aero updates on the V6 Alpine A310 from 1977.



In fairness Ivor Walklett was incredibly young to be designing a whole car - in part because of the nature of Ginetta and the kit industry at the time. You could argue that this is a "who is still alive who designed a car when they were very young" thread!

Edited by sassthathoopie on Tuesday 11th June 11:13

PomBstard

7,366 posts

257 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
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Harm Lagaay is still only 77 so could probably squeeze into a Z1, 968, 993, Boxster or Cayenne. But I’m guessing would probably just fall into a Porsche CGT and, if he couldn’t get out, just stay there biggrin

Turbobanana

7,192 posts

216 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
quotequote all
PomBstard said:
Harm Lagaay is still only 77 so could probably squeeze into a Z1, 968, 993, Boxster or Cayenne. But I’m guessing would probably just fall into a Porsche CGT and, if he couldn’t get out, just stay there biggrin
Would we consider a Cayenne a classic? Or a Boxster, perhaps to a lesser extent?