On September 16, Luigi Colani, an industrial designer known for extremely unusual concept cars made in idiosyncratic design, died.
Luigi was born on August 2, 1928 in Berlin. And he came to the automotive industry only in the 1950s. And by the way, successfully! For the Fiat 1100 he was awarded the "Golden Rose" at the Geneva Motor Show:
Fiat 1100 third generation
More famous is another car, the prototype of which he created. This is a Porsche 959:
However, Luigi Colani is best known for his idiosyncratic concept cars. These are strange cars, somewhat alien to our world, that have never seen the light of day.
Some of his cars delighted. Others scared.
Here, for example, is his vision of a Chevrolet Corvette. And this is a typical work of Luigi, which has remained a concept car.
Despite the originality, the designer worked not only with Fiat or Porsche, but also with Ferrari:
Or Mercedes-Benz:
There was even a joint project with AvtoVAZ! Lada Gorbi was developed in 1987 on the basis of the Niva. I wonder how Soviet buyers would have perceived this car if it still got into the series?
Kolany’s works look crazy and often bewilderment: how could such a thing be invented? Personally, I thought so when I saw … Let's call it a "motorcycle":
When I heard this news, I remembered one of the most famous works of the designer. Oddly enough, but this is a truck.
Many of my colleagues thought it was a Mercedes, because the base position of the windshield wipers resembled a three-pointed star logo.
Naturally, most of the concepts were just layouts without an engine. Therefore, there can be no talk of any technical characteristics. Only design.
Although, in addition to Fiat and Porsche, there were real incarnations. For example, Eifelland Type 21 took part in the 1972 Formula One World Championship. Despite its not-so-outstanding results, it has become one of the most memorable cars in the series:
Because of its streamlined shape, the car was faster than competitors, but because of the spoiler, it did not have sufficient downforce. Also, the spoiler closed the review, so I had to put a rearview mirror right in front of the pilot. The plague is simple.
To the question of how Kolani treated his concepts that had no future, he replied:
It’s not easy for me to communicate with the industry because it is outdated. Look at General Motors, at Mercedes, at Chrysler, at Porsche, at BMW … They all build cars of yesterday! They don’t understand what tomorrow’s car should look like. But I already built it.
Luigi Colani
Industrial designer
Luigi worked not only on cars. He made toilet bowls and even pianos:
There were cameras. Kolani worked with Canon for a long time:
Canon HY-PRO is the first camera with an electronic viewfinder. And this is in 1984.
His works were revolutionary, crazy, incredible and memorable. Seeing them once, you will forever remember these strange cars, pianos or teapots that Luigi Colani painted, releasing smoke from one of the forty cigars that he smoked every day.
He was doing unusual things. And our world really needs such people.
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Chief editor of the blog – Erika J. Wells .