All articles by Flavien Dachet – Page 3
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Concept Car of the Week: Pininfarina Peugette (1976)
Unveiled in 1972, the Peugeot 104 was a compact car with a simple and honest design by Paolo Martin. The most powerful ZS model was more of a warm hatch than a hot one, but it did feature a 1124cc engine with 66bhp. Thanks to the car's weight of only ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Mazda Ibuki (2003)
With the Ibuki, Mazda designers synthesized the most successful of the first generation MX-5's iconic elements and evolved their forms to make them even more memorable and simple. To do so, they used a strong geometric theme throughout the car inside and out: LED headlamps; front air intake; tail lamps; ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Chevrolet Astro (1967)
It gave its name to a boxy van in the 80s, but the Chevrolet Astro I was one of the most exciting dream cars developed within the GM styling studio. Presented in New York Auto Show in 1967, it was the first of three Astro concepts shown in annual succession ...
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Concept Car of the Week: DeTomaso Zonda (1971)
Not satisfied in producing one of the most astonishing sports cars of the ‘60s with the Mangusta, Italian carmaker DeTomaso asserted its ambitions in 1970 by presenting an even more striking sports car, the Pantera, alongside the luxurious Deauville four-door sedan, both powered by the same Ford V8 engine.
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Concept Car of the Week: Audi Rosemeyer (2000)
When the Volkswagen group opened Autostadt in June 2000, rumors of a mysterious prototype drew the crowds in the Audi Pavilion. The German brand unveiled an impressive concept that crystallized its latest design philosophy, while also nodding to its glorious racing history.
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Concept Car of the Week: Toyota EX-III (1969)
The Toyota EX-III was presented at the 1969 Tokyo motor show, alongside the EX-I and EX-II concepts. It was by far the most advanced and portrayed a Japanese answer to the American and European dream machines.
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Concept Car of the Week: Dodge Copperhead (1997)
"If the Dodge Viper is credited for reinventing the Shelby Cobra, then the Dodge Copperhead should be credited for reinventing a car in the tradition of the Austin Healey 3000" said John E. Herlitz, Chrysler Corporation's product design VP.
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Concept Car of the Week: Nissan Nails (2001)
Japan's unique culture and lifestyle provides a fertile environment for some of the strangest ideas to blossom. The oddly named Nissan Nails is one of these eccentric concepts that shows typical Japanese thinking.
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Concept Car of the Week: Heuliez H4 (1972)
With the H4, Heuliez set out into unexplored territories by offering a concept tailored to the needs of taxi drivers. If today's minivans are an integral part of our daily lives, this Peugeot 204-based H4 should be placed back in its original context in the early ‘70s, when this monovolume ...
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ArticleConcept Car of the Week: Lancia Bertone Sibilo (1978)
The second half of the ‘70s saw automotive design fall into an era of uninspired and uninspiring economic cars finished with cheap plastic add-ons and stuffed with beige itchy fabrics. Working from the little Bertone studio in Turin, it seems Marcello Gandini didn’t get the memo and carried on drawing futuristic wedgey supercars.
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Concept Car of the Week: Citroën Camargue (Bertone) 1972
Coachbuilder Bertone presented the Camargue at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show as a 2+2 coupe alternative to the quirky Citroën GS hatchback. Named after the coastal region in the south of France, the Camargue was aimed to appeal to a young trend-conscious target audience.
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ArticleConcept Car of the Week: Opel CD (1969)
Despite its sophisticated suspension and spacious interior, Opel struggled to sell its big Diplomat luxury sedan. It was 1968 and Opel simply couldn’t compete with Mercedes-Benz, the leader in that segment by far.
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Concept Car of the Week: Mazda RX500 (1970)
Developed by the Toyo Kogyo Company's advanced design and engineering team, the Mazda RX-500 was described as a ‘mobile test bed for high-speed safety'. Looking at its design, the team's childlike enthusiasm has shone through, resulting in a very cool concept.
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Concept Car of the Week: Volkswagen Microbus (2001)
The turn of the millennium seemed to induce a feeling of nostalgia among car manufacturers and with it a plethora of heritage/retro designs, including the new Mini, new Ford Mustang and Nissan Z.
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Concept Car of the Week: Matra Laser (1971)
Founded in 1937, French company Matra began its activities by manufacturing military equipment such as aeronautics and weaponry. In the mid ‘60s, under Jean-Luc Lagardere's ambitious direction, the company bought Automobiles Rene Bonnet to expand its portfolio with street and racing cars.
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Concept Car of the Week: Alfa Romeo Nuvola (1996)
Before heading Volkswagen Group Design, Walter de Silva spent thirteen years at the reins of Alfa Romeo Centro Stile in Arese. During this time he led an effective overhaul of the brand's design language and market positioning. Keen to bring the brand back to its former glory, he undertook the ...
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Concept Car of the Week: Bertone BMW Pickster (1998)
The creation of new niche products is an ongoing process for car manufacturers and sometimes combining different segments into one can provide a popular solution. Nowadays, all these mongrels are usually categorized under the same label, ‘Crossover', which doesn't mean much anymore apart perhaps for an artificial off-road appearance.
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Concept Car of the Week: Keio Advanced Zero (2001)
‘Eight-wheeler electric limo-MPVs are the future!' said nobody. Ever. But professor Hiroshi Shimizu from Keio University in Japan believed such a machine could help him promote his innovative electric car concept.
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Concept Car of the Week: Toyota EX-1 (1969)
Back in the 60s, Toyota launched a few iconic sports cars such as the 800 and the gorgeous 2000 GT. Not happy to have created automotive perfection with the latter, the Japanese brand went on to explore even more extravagant shapes and unveiled the first of the EX concepts series ...
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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.