Maserati Boomerang 1971
It was 46 years ago, exactly this month, when Maserati showcased at the Turin motor – The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Boomerang car model. All eyes were on it, but had it attracted the major eyeballs, then the greatest car still would have gone into production.
Fast forward to today, Italian car-maker, luxurious car brands like Maserati has not stopped innovating. In fact, they have gone on to produce even more impressive new ranges that will strike a chord with drivers who have strong tastes for bespoke tailoring and excellent car performance with focused and purposeful concepts.
That Boomerang car which was once said “never to go into production”, became the same car that not only made a strong impact on most automakers, but also went on to set the benchmark of how future luxury model cars should be.
Ironically, in the following decades, most of the vehicle designs from supercar to supermini were strongly influenced by Giugiaro’s automotive art, illustrated by the impactful razor-sharp lines and wedge shape. Little would have car fanatics known that the fully functioning Boomerang was eventually put up for an auction, and Bonham’s European head of motoring Philip Kantor said quite simply that: “It’s considered by many to be one of the most remarkable designs of the 20th century.”
Guess what? It was not surprising then that the hammer price was €3,335,000 ($3.7 million).
If you have a penchant for vintage cars, here’s a showcase of six Giorgetto Giugiaro Cars to mark the anniversary. And yes, you don’t always have to be a multimillionaire to own a piece of Giugiaro automotive art. Then Giorgetto Giugiaro Cars were pretty well accepted in the market and between 1960 and 2015, he was commissioned by Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Buick, Daewoo, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, Maserati, Lamborghini and Bugattis to design their car models that people will want to own it.
Here’s a showcase of six most influential Giorgetto Giugiaro car designs from the last five decades:
The Lotus Esprit 1972 has the strongest resemblance to that of the Boomerang, exemplified by the low to the ground, rejecting curves in favour of angles, and incredibly short overhangs at the front and rear. The Esprit was also starred in James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
The Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit 1974 introduced the age of a hot hatchback, taking cue from the VW Beetle’s phenomenal success. Both the interior and exterior offered an acceptably angular version of the automotive future. And 42 years on, this car model is a favourite among many car lovers.
Lancia Delta 1979 is designed to look like a functional family hatchback with sensible lines that are refined yet does not go out of fashion in the next 20 years. Do you know that this sporty hatchback version has won the various world rallies since it made its debut, and it is remembered most for its original lines that were never changed.
The DeLorean DMC-12 launched 1981, the finished car may have been what it is portrayed to be “absolutely terrible in terms of mechanics, reliability and performance, and the man behind the company was arrested on fraud and drugs charges,” those did not deter the car from looking one-of-its-kind with large side wings. How futuristic!
Alfa Romeo Brera 2005 got fans very excited each time it launched a new version car that followed strictly the modern interpretation based on Alfa classics. However, the car did go into production in 2005, and the “scissor-opening doors” were ditched for the traditional looking doors and the performance did not quite meet expectations. It found favour with a niche group for its looks alone.
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale 1962 features a “shark-nose” exterior and that’s how it derived its nickname from. The 1973 Dino 308 became a truly unique car when it fetched an eye-watering auction price of $16,500,000 at Pebble Beach in 2015.
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