Cars and their designers

Author
Discussion

Bar8arian

Original Poster:

65 posts

50 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

119 months

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

healeyneil

349 posts

161 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
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

15,081 posts

203 months

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

RATATTAK

15,081 posts

203 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
DB9 designer, Henrik Fisker.

RATATTAK

15,081 posts

203 months

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

droopsnoot

13,379 posts

256 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

9,429 posts

68 months

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

williamp

19,798 posts

287 months

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


Lotobear

7,874 posts

142 months

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

Missy Charm

1,117 posts

42 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

7,163 posts

215 months

Monday 10th June 2024
quotequote all
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

15,081 posts

203 months

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

OutInTheShed

11,186 posts

40 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

13,379 posts

256 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

16,417 posts

218 months

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

Yertis

19,011 posts

280 months

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

sassthathoopie

960 posts

229 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
quotequote all
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

7,350 posts

256 months

Tuesday 11th June 2024
quotequote all
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

7,163 posts

215 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?