GLASSFIBRE CONCEPT ONLY NO PLATFORM
SELECTED
The new Design
& Engineering Centre became fully operational in February 1964
and cost Vauxhall £2.25m, a huge sum of money at the time, and was
the most comprehensive unit of its type in the UK for the next
twenty years. Within the centre the styling department occupied
most of the first floor along the north side of the building. David
Jones and his team really went to town on the interiordesign of the
styling area, the choice of materials, furniture and fittings. The
design area was split into two sections – the styling area and
workshops. Large modern styling studios housed the design function
– 3 for car exteriors, the others for car interiors, commercial
vehicle cab design, advanced design and body development and
research. In addition there was a much bigger auditorium or
“appraisal” studio with a conference room and working boardroom at
one end with one glass wall in order any vehicles under review
maybe observed constantly throughout discussions. These opened out
on to an exterior viewing terrace measuring 350ft in length and
70ft wide.
The workshop were
used to build full size styling models with a metal shop, wood
shop, glass fibre shop and a paint and soft trim shop. The total
staff employed initially was about 140.
Upon opening the HA
was already in production as was the FB and its replacement, the FC
101, was already set to go into production. The initial clay mock
ups for the PC were moved to the new building and work started on
the replacements for the HA and FC. But in the advanced styling
studio work started in late 1964 on a sports coupe based around the
dimensions being laid out for the upcoming FD Victor but as can be
seen from the pictures below some parts were used from a previous
sports car project HAS65.
THE START OF BUILDING THE STYLING BUCK FOR THE GT CONCEPT IN THE ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO, NOTE THE SCALE MODEL OF THE CONCEPT IN THE BACKGROUND
VIEWED FROM ANOTHER ANGLE, NOTE THE FULL SIZE DRAWING OF THE CONCEPT ON THE WALL, THE STEERING WHEEL IS ONLY HALF SIZED AS THE INTERIOR WOULD ONLY BE FROM THE WINDOW LEVEL UP. THE SCUTTLE IS FROM AN EARLIER PROJECT - HAS65
THE GT CONCEPT VIEWED DIRECTLY FROM THE REAR SHOWS THE PRONOUNCED CURVATURE OF THE SIDES & OVERALL WIDTH
THE GT CONCEPT WITH THE ROOF FITTED AND HALF THE FRONT END MODELLING COMPLETED, NOTE THE WOODEN SUPPORTS TO HOLD THE MODEL UP
VIEWED FROM THE REAR THE WOODEN SUPPORT CAN BE SEEN, IN THE BACKGROUND THE SCALE MODEL IS STILL THERE FOR REFERENCE, NOTE THE FULL SIZE DRAWING OF A MORE AMERICAN LOOKING CONCEPT ON THE WALL ALONGSIDE
THE GT CONCEPT WITH FURTHER FRONT MODELLING COMPLETED, NOTE THE CHANGE IN THE SIDE WINDOW DIVISION FRONT 1/4 LIGHT & THE UPRIGHT REAR DOOR SHUT LINE
THE GT CONCEPT NOW FITTED WITH MODIFIED WHEELARCHES WITH EXTENSIONS, FROM THIS ANGLE THE REAR END IS SIMILAR IN STYLE TO THE AMC JAVALIN COUPE LAUNCHED SOME 9 YEARS LATER
THE GT CONCEPT VIEWED FROM THE RIGHT HAND REAR SHOWING TWO DIFFERENT ANGLES OF THE SLANTED TAIL
THE GT CONCEPT FURTHER DOWN THE DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE WITH THE REAR END STARTING TO COME TOGETHER
THE GT CONCEPT FRONT END ALMOST COMPLETE & SHOWING A DISTINCT LIKENESS TO THE MASERATI BORA LAUNCHED 6 YEARS LATER
THE GT REAR
END WITH MORE WORK DONE & SHOWING TWO DIFFERENT REAR 1/4 PANEL
TREATMENTS, IN THE BACKGROUND CAN BE SEEN A FULL SIZE RENDITION OF
A "MINI - X - 2" DESIGN PROPOSAL
THE GT WITH CLEARLY VISIBLE CHANGES TO THE REAR 1/4 AND CHANGED WINDOW & DOOR OUTLINE
VIEWED FROM THE RIGHT REAR SHOWING ANOTHER VARIATION IN THE REAR 1/4 DESIGN & ANOTHER WINDOW AND DOOR ARRANGEMENT
FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE ANOTHER WINDOW & REAR 1/4 VARIATION & ALSO A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BONNET LINE, IN THE BACKGROUNDIS A COMPARISON WITH A MINI & A SMALL VAUXHALL DESIGN IDEA
IT WAS AT THIS STAGE THAT THE PROJECT WAS SPLIT IN TWO. GT CONCEPT 1 ABOVE WAS BUILT UP AS FULL SIZE STYLING BUCK WITH 2 DIFFERENT DOOOR SHUT LINES EACH SIDE
GT CONCEPT 2 WAS GIVEN THE SAME TREATMENT WITH A DIFFERENT WINDOW LINE TO CONCEPT 1 AND ALSO HAD A DIFFERENT DOOR SHUT LINE EACH SIDE
THE OTHER SIDE OF CONCEPT 1, THE DOOR OUTLINE WOULD HAVE ENVISAGED A PILLARLESS WINDOW ARRANGEMENT
THE COMPLETED STYLING MOCK UP OF GT CONCEPT 1, NOTE THE PROPOSED ONE PIECE DOOR & WINDOW ARRANGEMENT
THE OTHER SIDE OF CONCEPT 1, WITH A PILLARLESS WINDOW ARRANGEMENT & ALTERNATIVE REAR WHEELARCH & REAR 1/4
GT CONCEPT 1 IN THE DESIGN STUDIO, VIEWED SIDE ON THERE IS A DEFINATE ITALIAN FLAVOUR TO THE STYLING
THE GT CONCEPT 2 HAS A MORE ELEGANT LESS AGGRESSIVE WINDOW LINE, THE DOOR SHUT LINE INDICATES A PILLARLESS ARRANGEMENT
GT CONCEPT 1 VIEWED HEAD ON SHOWS THE ELEGANT FRONT END DESIGN WITH CHROME ACCENTS AROUND THE TWO AIR DUCTS
THE REAR VIEW IS POSSIBLY THE WORST ASPECT OF THE GT CONCEPT DESIGN AND WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRACTICAL WITH NO BUMPER
VIEWED SIDE ON THE ASTON MARTIN STILL LOOKS DATED, STRANGELY BOTH CARS ARE FITTED WITH KITSCH LOOKING RACING NUMBERS
THE GT CONCEPT 2 HAS A MORE ELEGANT LESS AGGRESSIVE WINDOW LINE, THE DOOR SHUT LINE INDICATES A PILLARLESS ARRANGEMENT
GT CONCEPT 1 VIEWED HEAD ON SIDE BY SIDE WITH AN ASTON MARTIN WHICH LOOKS A BIT FRUMPY BY COMPARISON
THE REAR VIEW IS POSSIBLY THE WORST ASPECT OF THE GT CONCEPT DESIGN AND WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRACTICAL WITH NO BUMPER
THE RIGHT SIDE OF GT CONCEPT 2 SHOWING THE BETTER LOOKING AND MORE PRACTICAL DESIGN, THE INTERIOR IS A DUMMY
GT CONCEPT 1 VIEWED FROM THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SHOWS THE NEATER LOOKING ONE PIECE DOOR & WINDOW ARRANGEMENT
ANOTHER SHOT GT CONCEPT 2 IN THE LUTON STUDIOS, NOTE THE FD ESTATE DRAWING IN THE BACKGROUND & A PV JET CAR DRAWING!
GT CONCEPT 2 VIEWED FROM THE FRONT WITH THE ENVOY ESTATE IN THE BACKGROUND
GT CONCEPT 2 VIEWED FROM THE REAR IN THE LUTON STUDIOS, NOTE THE HB ENVOY ESTATE & ANOTHER COUPE DRAWING ON THE WALL
GT CONCEPT 2 CENTRE PIECE IN THE LUTON STUDIOS, NOTE THE FD 2+2 COUPE DRAWING BEHIND