I was trying to think of an example from yesteryear, but failed. Don't think I have heard of one that was/is unique from the ground up, as the "one-offs" usually used an existing chassis didnt they?
A modern one - the Ferrari P4/5 was built for James Glickenhaus (who?) by Pininfarina. It uses an Enzo chassis, but the chassis was lightened and had 200 new parts manufactured for it. The project cost Glickenhaus $4m, the bodywork was fully wind-tunnel tested, and the client designed the interior himself.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_P4/5
When I first saw photos of this car I thought it was a new Ferrari and thought "Thats more like it, looks 10 times better than the F50 and that FXX thing." But no, its not a production model.
Jay Leno has had some weird cars built/ modified, but these have been done by small specialist companies, not major manufacturers. He has one thing that is about 30 feet long and is powered by a tank engine..
www.jaylenosgarage.com/cars/index.shtml
Actually, just looked at the above and there is a "one of a kind" Duesenberg Aerodynamic Walker Coupe.
|
|
Presumably anything produced by Sbarro or Rinspeed would be classed as this?
|
Not sure if this strictly counts ....but - Homer (Simpsons) long lost brother allowed him to completely design, build, and market his "idea" of the perfect car! in one episode, - complete control of design boffins, workforce and factory! - unfortunately, it bankrupted and ruined the company!! I thought it looked ok with it's tail-fins and bubble-domes!
Billy
|
There have been quite a few special cars produced by manufacturers for rich or powerful individuals. Kings and dictators, most notably Hitler and Mussolini in Europe, had special cars made for them by favour-currying outfits like Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo and Lancia. Very rich Indian maharajahs had a number of special cars made, often by Rolls-Royce, some very ornate with gold, ivory silver fittings, mother-of-pearl inlays, tiger skin upholstery and all the rest of it. Such cars cannot be described as mere customised versions of standard models. A number of highly-developed sporting specials were made in the twenties and thirties too... the 'Embiricos Bentley' springs to mind. I suppose Chitty Bang Bangs 1 and 2 were specials from the ground up, but they were professionally made.
I have been racking my brains for the name of the Armenian (I think) banker and shipowner who used to live in London, as his father had done, and had a very distinctive car on a taxi chassis but I believe with Rolls-Royce running gear. This thing had a rear cabin that stuck out slightly in the manner of a 19th century Brougham type of carriage, with yellow basketwork on a deep shiny black background. I saw it a number of times until the middle or late sixties, always in the West End of course and often near the Ritz. It may have been the second or third in a series of the things. The owner wasn't short of a bob or two as we used to say. A virtual pint to anyone less gaga than me who can remember his name.
|
Many do a good line in remodelling standard cars... bit of black ice helps no end.
|
|
|
Armenian multi-millionaire Nubar Gulbenkian!
When asked why he had it built on a London taxi chassis he is reputed to have said 'because it will turn on a sixpence - whatever that is...'
|
Thank you mh, I knew someone would know. Of course it was on the tip of my tongue but stubbornly refused to emerge any further.
A virtual pint of anything you fancy up to and including home-distilled Calva, le vrai Calva soixante-douze pourcent heh heh heh monsieur...
Edited by Lud on 26/02/2008 at 17:22
|
Ha! round here they flavour it with mirabelle miniature plums and you'll forget more than Nubar Gulbenkian after three glasses...
Mine's a simple ex-pat's joy - a pint of London Pride. And I have to warn you, I'll be in SWMBO's old Ladbroke Grove stamping ground within the month!
|
|
In that case mh do if you feel like it and have time seek my coordinates from the website powers that be, and we will render it non-virtual... I don't suppose Young's appeals, or Leffe?
|
Who needs to be rich, this chap here is selling on Ebay something he knocked up out of a Sherpa and a Ford diesel engine....
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2302...7
|
|
A charming pastiche vintage tourer on reliable and solid mechanics... I'm not surprised people are willing to pay good money for it. Ideal in fact if you like that sort of thing and aren't rich.
|
|
Yes - tempted by both the Young's and the motor on eBay. I spent a bit of time this afternoon wondering what my friends would say when they saw it.
|
|
i seem to remember the Sultan of Brunei had some unique Bentley 4x4's, can't remember what they were based on, but they looked 'different'
|
|
found it after a bit of googling, it was a Bentley Dominator 4x4....
|
In the 50's there was a couple known for conspicuous consumption (Sir Bernard and Lady Docker) and I remember seeing them photogrpahed with a one-off Daimler they had had built. It was actually a standard Daimler limo body but it had been adorned with genuine small gold stars, all over, and had an ivory steering wheel. Not a one-off chassis I agree. Sir Bernard was chairaman of Daimler and here is a link to his vulgar car!
www.daimler.co.uk/history/html/docker%20era.htm
The mega rich in UAE have specially adapted Range Rovers for hawking. There is an open roof in which they can stand and view the hunt and the interior is equipped with the gear for the comfort of the hawks.
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 27/02/2008 at 09:30
|
Thanks all - some interesting machinery out there and also some hostelry staff have been witness to a unilaterally beneficial transaction process.
|
Sir Bernard did better than that - he had an extravagant model built for her nearly every year.
The one you mention - 'Stardust' - was just one example of OTT, others had things like lizard skin seat covers IIRC.
Mind you, in those days Daimler made cars that were worth having. Many, including the Royal family, thought they were better-conceived than Rolls-Royces.
|
The Sultan of Brunei had a fleet of special Bentleys made, including off-road 4x4's - I think he had more than one so it wasn't unique but nobody else ever had any!
Several car manufacturers came into being after someone built a car for themself and found other people wanted copies. I think that's how Morgan began, and also Ford. Though the Ford Motor Company was Henry's 3rd attempt. The first company failed, the second succeeded but Ford left after a row and it was renamed Cadillac!
Henry Royce was a crane manufacturer who was so appalled at the quality of a Decauville car he bought that he set out to make a better version of it from scratch. That was the original Royce car.
A slight divergence from passenger cars, but the Midland Red bus company made most of its own buses up until the early 1970's - including the engines.
|
Daimler fell into Sir Bernard Docker's hands because it was part of the sprawling conglomerate BSA (Birmingham Small Arms), he being a Midland businessman who had become CEO (as they now call it) of BSA.
The Daimler Straight Eights that George VI preferred to Rolls-Royces were indeed very stately things, and enormous too. Without power steering they must have been heavy to drive. They were extremely thirsty and could just about manage 85mph. Very few people bought them, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lady Docker's well-intended, and actually rather charming, efforts to jazz them up with bling didn't persuade the royals to move to Rolls-Royces, which could do over 100... certainly the Dockers' extravagance got them into trouble with the BSA board when profits quailed.
|
Indeed!
Recently I got round to watching the DVD of Howard's End, which featured an Edwardian open-top Daimler that laid a smoke screen worse than any I've ever seen. Must have been the Knight sleeve-valve engine - silent and imperceptible unless you were the unfortunate who was following!
I've got some old very old Motor Sports featuring Bill Boddy trying out various straight-eight sleeve valve Daimlers. They'd almost vanished more than 40 years ago.
We really must have a proper chat...
|
straight-eight sleeve valve Daimlers. They'd almost vanished more than 40 years ago.
Sleeve valve engines were notorious for a) smoke and b) snipping fingers off careless mechanics during what must have been very arduous decoking operations...
In my reference above to a trip in an early RR 20 tourer, I was ten years out in assessing its age when I went in it (some time in the early sixties). It was 40 years old, not 30.
Edited by Lud on 02/03/2008 at 16:59
|
In my reference above to a trip in an early RR 20 tourer I was ten years out in assessing its age when I went in it (some time in the early sixties). It was 40 years old not 30.
Not above, in another thread. Doh.
|
|
|
|
