John Z. Goriup Posted December 29, 2020 Share #1 Posted December 29, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Another one of those unlikely moments, when you see something you thought imposible - in this case, seeing all three of the Alfa-Romeo 'Disco Volante' styling exercises in one place. Designed by Bertone, with famed stylist Franco Scaglione leading the effort, the old design studio / coachbuilder had received a commission from Alfa-Romeo to study and to design a series of cars based on researching the effects, and the reduction of aerodynamic drag. Three models were constructed in three consecutive years ( '53, '54 & '55 ), all based on the Alfa 1900 chassis and powertrain, ending up with the B.A.T. 5 which achieved a Cda of approx. 0.19. and actually clocked some runs in excess of 200 kilometers per hour These were one-offs, always introduced at the Turin Auto show and subsequently spent decades as curiosities in various corners of the world, under widely varying circumstances, until one determined collector undertook the effort locate, buy & consolidate all three under one roof in his collection. He had them restored and has since displayed them as a unit of three to emphasize the original intent, validate the concept and illustrate the advances in automotive aerodynamics via this project. These are quite historic cars which never were intended for mass-production, but nevertheless excerted considerable influence throughout the industry. M9-P / 35mm Summicron Asph. JZG Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 8 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316530-they-really-do-look-like-ufos/?do=findComment&comment=4108410'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 29, 2020 Posted December 29, 2020 Hi John Z. Goriup, Take a look here they really do look like UFOs. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
boojum Posted December 30, 2020 Share #2 Posted December 30, 2020 I remember them well. Where was the picture taken? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Z. Goriup Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted December 30, 2020 3 hours ago, boojum said: I remember them well. Where was the picture taken? Concorso Italiano - part of Monterey Car Week, the cars were also shown at Pebble Beach that year.....2010, I believe. JZG Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted December 30, 2020 Share #4 Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) Very weird - but I like weird cars. I'll bet these sell for a ton of cash nowadays, if you can find one that's up for sale. I like the slightly weird but beautiful Volvo P1800. In my mind's eye I could always picture the Pink Panther in a cartoon, driving one of these - but in pink: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited December 30, 2020 by Herr Barnack 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316530-they-really-do-look-like-ufos/?do=findComment&comment=4108516'>More sharing options...
John Z. Goriup Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share #5 Posted January 4, 2021 Located a few more from that memorable weekend. I believe it's only when you start delving deeper into the subject of the 'Disco Volante' B.A.T. styling studies, that one begins to realize how broadly they influenced the subsequent decade or so of worldwide automotive design. JZG Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316530-they-really-do-look-like-ufos/?do=findComment&comment=4112090'>More sharing options...
John Z. Goriup Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share #6 Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) I see Mercedes 300SL Guillwing elements, certainly '63 Corvette Stingray details, and probably a dozen more 'tricks' that found their way into others designs over the years. This is the BAT 9, the final model of the three successive desigs, and I submit it clearly displays the concept of the tail fins that american manufacturers adopted so enthusiastically. I also see the pitfalls of using a fast lens wide open, with its very shallow depth of field. JZG Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited January 4, 2021 by John Z. Goriup 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316530-they-really-do-look-like-ufos/?do=findComment&comment=4112098'>More sharing options...
John Z. Goriup Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share #7 Posted January 4, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) A rear view of BAT 7, the middle model as it were from 1954 - certainly glad they abondoned the outlandish and wildly excessive tailfins.....quite a startling sight. JZG Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 3 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316530-they-really-do-look-like-ufos/?do=findComment&comment=4112114'>More sharing options...
stuny Posted January 4, 2021 Share #8 Posted January 4, 2021 The silver one is my favorite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted January 4, 2021 Share #9 Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) I like the BAT 7, although to me it looks more like a manta ray than a bat: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/giant-manta-small-range-size-ocean-migration/ Edited January 4, 2021 by Herr Barnack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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