By all different accounts, Henrik Fisker has been fairly profitable. He had a hand in designing among the most iconic vehicles ever made, like the unique BMW X5 and Z8, Aston Martin DB9, and Vantage. However, after years within the auto design enterprise, Fisker determined to depart to pursue making vehicles. Since then he’s had two unsuccessful makes an attempt — and a 3rd at the moment on the ropes — at making an attempt automaking. His first strive didn’t take a lot effort.
After leaving BMW, Fisker turned design director of Ford-owned Aston Martin in 2001. There, he was put in command of the design of the DB9 and was the only designer of the V8 Vantage. Right earlier than he left Ford, Fisker had change into head of the model’s Southern California-based Global Advanced Design Studio.
But round 2005, he wished extra. Fisker partnered with a person named Bernhard Koehler (who has additionally served in numerous automotive roles at BMW and Ford) and based Fisker Coachbuild. The purpose? To shortcut the entire automotive design and construct course of of constructing customized sports activities vehicles. According to a Wired story from 2007, doing so would keep away from “enduring the indignities of focus groups, marketing data, and concept-to-production compromises.” Simply put, they wished to make vehicles, with out having to make vehicles. That’s how Fisker described his coachbuilding to Motor Trend in 2005:
In the auto world at this time, You have two sorts of design. There’s idea design, the place automakers construct vehicles to point out the trade and journalists how nice they’re. Then there’s the manufacturing design, the place that cool milled-aluminum middle console from the idea automobile turns into spray-painted plastic. I wished to construct a automobile the place a few of these idea issues really made it into manufacturing. We don’t have advertising and marketing knowledge right here. If we really feel a automobile is correct, we simply do it.
Fisker Coachbuild ended up with two fashions based mostly on current sports activities vehicles made with premium supplies and unique design work by Fisker himself. The first was the Tramonto, which was based mostly on the R230 Mercedes-Benz SL. The technique of turning an SL right into a Tramonto was fairly simple. Customers might select whether or not they wished their Tramonto to be based mostly on an SL55 AMG or the monster SL65 AMG. Once that and every other Mercedes choices have been chosen, clients might let Fisker know by means of their Mercedes supplier or Fisker’s web site that that they had chosen their SL, and Fisker would prepare for the automobile to be taken from the supplier to its Southern California facility. Then the conversion from SL to Tramonto would happen over two months.
None of this was low cost, in fact. Including the value of the donor SL, the Tramonto value a bit over 1 / 4 million bucks. But apparently, they have been effectively constructed, with a carbon fiber physique or aluminum physique panels, and trunks lined with Alcantara. Initially, 150 have been deliberate, however Fisker abruptly stopped manufacturing after simply 15 have been made.
Fisker Coachbuild’s second mannequin was based mostly on the E63 BMW 6 Series. Fisker named this mannequin Latigo CS after a well known canyon street in Malibu, California. The course of was the identical as with the Tramonto. Buyers might select to base their Latigo on both the bottom 645Ci or the V10-powered M6. In its design, Fisker mentioned he wished the Latigo to be lovely. It’s not fairly there, however it’s an fascinating design. The entrance fascia of each the Latigo and Tramonto have been impressed by the F/A-22 Raptor fighter jet.
The Latigo wasn’t low cost both. Including the value of the 6 Series, the Latigo value $197,900. The Latigo is even rarer. Like the Tramonto, 150 Latigos have been deliberate, however simply two have been ever made: the prototype proven to the press and a buyer order automobile. That automobile offered for simply over $105,000 again in 2018.
Fisker went on to start out Fisker Automotive the identical yr he stopped together with his coachbuilding enterprise, however that firm finally went below and was later offered. While his present automotive enterprise appears prefer it may need the identical destiny, you’ll be able to’t fault the man for initially desirous to get into the automotive manufacturing recreation by doing one thing most automakers gave up on many years in the past.
Source: jalopnik.com