Event>>goodwood: Exotics On The Grass

The Goodwood Festival of Speed attracts some of the coolest cars on the planet and some of rarest.

The Cartier “Style et Luxe” exhibition had two sub themes that combined these two qualities, cool and rare. Titled “Dawn of the SuperCar” and “The Shape of Things that Never Came” the participants drew crowds who appreciated the presence of some really special machines.

In the first category there was a good example of how letting the emotions get the better of common sense will cost a lot of money. After an almighty row in 1961 a group of disaffected workers left Ferrari to set up a rival, Automobili Turismo Sport, or ATS. Led by Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini they made a disastrous entry into F1 and as a sideline produced a mid engined V8 coupe. Only 12 cars were said to be completed and are as might be expected extremely rare. The organisation lasted no more than 2 years with Chiti going on to form Autodelta and Bizzarrini making his own cars.



A much more successful concept car is the 1971 Lancia Stratos HF Prototipo that was displayed in its bold orange livery.

Powered in the end by a V6 Dino Ferrari engine the descendants of the car went on to score many race and rally victories. Even some 30 plus years on the car has a dramatic effect on all that see it.

After the failure at ATS Carlo Chiti joined Autodelta which then became the Competitions Department for Alfa Romeo.  In 1967 the Italians launched the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale which was based on the racing car of the same name.

Featuring dihedral doors and curved windows the car is the very epitome of 60’s Italian chic.



Giotto Bizzarrini also continued in the supercar business after ATS’ demise producing cars that bore his own name, including 4 mid engined cars intended for racing but aside from an unsuccessful Le Mans effort in 1966 this came to nothing.

This particular car, the Manta, became the basis for the initial project of ItalDesign, Giorgetto Giugiaro's design house. Truly a one off now restored to full glory.



A mix of Italian flair and American muscle created the elements for the De Tomaso Pantera. This example, the Series ll prototype, made its debut in 1974 and was powered by a V8 borrowed from the Ford Mustang and the 5-speed transmission came out of a GT40. The reasoning was to mass-produce these easily assembled cars but the oil crisis of the 70’s put paid to that plan and Ford soon abandoned the project.



Another American/Italian collaboration involving Bizzarrini produced the AMC AMX/3.

This car was based on the AMC Javelin and was aimed to the same market as the Pantera. Like the Pantera its market disappeared overnight, thus killing off the project.



Over on the other part of the lawn was a collection of concept cars that never made it into production. Arguably the wildest was the Peugeot Proxima which had been displayed at the 1986 Paris Motor Show.

All manner of advanced features were included in this exemplar of Peugeot’s approach to technology.

Carbon fibre for the body, an early form of Sat Nav, solar energy panels and countless other electrical controls.

From a year or two earlier was the Lotus Etna. After the death of founder, Colin Chapman, Lotus teetered on the edge of financial catastrophe and the Giugiaro designed car wowed the crowds at 1984 Birmingham Motor Show in an attempt to go after the market in SuperCars held at that time by Ferrari.  However lack of capital to develop both the car and engine meant that production Etna never saw the light of day.



The 1995 Detroit Auto Show was electrified when Ford unveiled the GT90 concept car.

A V12 turbocharged engine located in a honeycomb aluminium chassis with carbon fibre body panels showed off Ford’s “New Edge” design philosophy and was billed as a GT40 for the 1990s.

Two years later and Volkswagen pushed the concept car envelope with their W12 Syncro Coupe. Ferdinand Piech, then head of VW commissioned Giugiaro to design a Volkswagen supercar, with instructions that it had to have a 12 cylinder engine in a mid-engined W configuration and also be able to accommodate VW's Syncro AWD system. An unpainted carbon fibre version of the W12 Coupe set seven world 24-hour speed records at the Nardò Circuit.



Finally in 1999 at the Frankfurt Auto Show Bugatti revealed their Chiron 18.3 as a hommage to the great French racer, Louis Chiron.

Designed once again by Giugiaro and based on the Lamborghini Diablo VT platform with Bugatti’s trade mark V18 cylinder powerplant at its heart.

-John Brooks

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1

Needs a sigma there representing mitsubishi's finest

2

Some really stunning prototypes, many of which were in the books I read as a child and I guess are in part responsible for my love of all things car. The Stratos Prototipo and GT90 are my favourites.

I must say I wish the Veyron looked more like that Chiron.

3

Love that peugeot, can see the freaking turbo on the side just chilling there.

4

Wow, some very impressive cars. My favourites are the Alfa 33 Stradale and the Peugeot Proxima (the rear fenders remind me strongly of the Mazda Taiki concept).

5

It's pretty amazing that the GT90 concept is 13 years old and still looks like a modern day concept car. Something that can't be said for the Etna or the Tumbler.... I mean, Peugeot concept.

6

Lancia Stratos? I remember watching with my dad the Rally of Italy when I was growing up.....and seing this cool Martini sponsored Lancia Stratos blazing by.....very cool car.

7

this post has way too much awesome in it. :)



and i wish the syncro system in my car would hold as much power as the syncro system in the Nardo held.

8

I find it amusing that the VW W12 Syncro Couple resembles somewhat the Ferrari F40....lol

9

Did anybody notice the peugeot has that same rear wheel fender thing as that recent Mazda concept?

10

@ bobberz



Yes, me. Just read my last post ;-)

11

Wow, love the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and Peugeot Proxima! I remember seeing it during the tape opening sequences of my dad's rally tapes!

12

Damn, that Ford GT90 still looks cool today. Everything else looks aged and out dated by comparison.

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