There is a particular automotive design theme
that has continued to re-appear over the last 60 years and never fails to
give me a thrill. I've found it again in the new Alfa Romeo 8C.
 The 1937 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic of the late 1930's was one
of the first to capture what has become a classic coupe style. Shown here
in 1:43 scale by Rio, this has become one of the most coveted automobiles
of any age. The lines include a 'v' shaped nose, pontoon fenders, a tear-drop
side window and center ridge from nose to tail. The long nose - short tail
look of the Atlantic has influenced the past 60 years of sport/GT coupe
design. Credited to Jean Bugatti, the Atlantic is still an inspiration to
designers today.
For some reason, the Bugatti Atlantic has never appeared in small-scale.
A variety of 1:43 scale examples exist, like the Rio. Bburago even did a
very nice version in 1:24 scale. With Bburago now owned by Maisto, that
casting should continue to be available.
In the mid-1990's, Chrysler created a modern version of the classic Atlantic
as a concept car. This concept was received with rave reviews and the success
of this design can be seen in the many scale versions from 1:18 to 1:64.
One of my favorites is by Matchbox as it is an excellent shape and the colors
of the concept car are perfectly re-created.
Unfortunately, the 1990's saw many automotive companies turn away from coupes
in favor of sedans and Chrysler decided their Atlantic would never sell
enough to justify production. Perhaps they were right based on the numbers
but they were dead wrong based on the passion of this design. More recently,
a Russian-made concept car appeared, also inspired by the Bugatti 57 SC.
While not as handsome as the Chrysler version, it shows that great designs
will always inspire designers.
 Now, Alfa Romeo has created a new coupe, the 8C. The original
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 of 1937 (right) shared many of the design ideas expressed
in the Bugatti Atlantic. The new coupe has clearly reached back to the original
8C for more than just the name. At the same time, other classic Alfa Romeo
models like the SS of the late 1950's and even the type 33 of the late 1960's
have carried on in the tradition and style of the first 8C. Note the rear
window and front fender lines in the SS and new 8C.
It seems likely that the new 8C may have been influenced by Chrysler's Atlantic
concept as well. Why not? The neo-Atlantic is a beautiful car and it deserves
to be recognized through the design of models like the 8C.
The good news is that with sleek coupes like the 8C back in style, perhaps
Asian, European and especially American designers will once again bring
us more of these stylish 2-door models. With baby-boomers reaching the point
where they no longer need to carry the whole family and with more disposable
income, the coupe market should be poised for a major rebound. Thanks to
Kyosho, the new 8C is available in small-scale and when viewed with The
Chrysler Atlantic by Matchbox and Penny Toy's sexy Alfa Romeo SS, we can
appreciate this classic coupe design. |
Alfa Romeo 8C - Kyosho
Chrysler Atlantic concept - Matchbox
Alfa Romeo SS - Penny Toys/Polistil
|
Connecting the Alfa Romeo 8C,