Coachbuilder tour de force: the Antas GT
On display this week at the Top
Marques auto show in Monaco is this extravagant one-off by Italian coachbuilders Walter Faralli (right, above) &
Luca Mazzanti (left). Although pictures of the car are all over the net this week, it actually debuted in September
2005 at the Gran Premio Automobilistico di Roma.
The Antas GT is at the opposite end of the car-building
spectrum from the Caparo T1, also on display in Monaco. While the T1 is a pure expression of form following function,
the Antas is rolling sculpture, with its roadgoing performance secondary to the expression of historic design themes of
the 1930's and 1950's. With a nod to its Italian roots, the Antas gets its name from the ancient Etruscan word for
"Eagle."
Even the engine bay plays a part, scorning fuel injection for the crowning touch of the
chrome intake trumpets of four two-barrel Weber carbs - the classic performance statement of the '50s and '60s brought
back to life.
The Antas wasn't "designed" in the way that Chris Bangle or J Mays probably thinks
of design, it was drawn. In the words of Faralli & Mazzanti, "Nothing was developed by computer; everything
came from the heart, from the imagination and the capable hands of experts."
Whether or not you think
the Antas is a beautiful car, it's nice to know that the automotive world still has a place for artists like Faralli
& Mazzanti. More pictures after the jump, and check out the extensive galleries at the F&M website, here.
[Source: Progettofem.it]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ryan Thompson 3:48AM (7/07/2008)
People going off about how the fin is "ugly" have obviously never seen the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic
Reply
TheOne442 1:58PM (4/21/2006)
Unbelieveable, Where do I sign I want one! I feel dirty after viewing the photos, awesome!
Reply
Reuven 1:59PM (4/21/2006)
Wow... she is magnificent.
Reply
HardwareGuy 2:07PM (4/21/2006)
That car looks a little too crazy for me. The front reminds me of a TVR though.
Reply
Noah 2:07PM (4/21/2006)
Good to see craftsmen doing nice work.
I still don't like it.
I love that they did it tho.
--Noah
Reply
Brian 2:16PM (4/21/2006)
Oh my God, Jabberjaw's been reincarnated as an ugly, overwrought car!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabberjaw
Reply
gbh 2:18PM (4/21/2006)
I'm sure it's not for everybody - but I (mostly) love it!
Though seemingly a bit derivative of the Bugatti Atlantic, Talbot Lago, and a bit of Cobra for the mouth - to me it seems more inspired than copied.
This one is definately "love or hate". Doubtful anyone will be lukewarm on it...
Reply
Jason 2:19PM (4/21/2006)
With the exception of the fin in the back (pointless eyesore) and the shape of the door windows (just...odd), it's sex on wheels. Windshield and forward it's a timeless beauty.
Reply
Steve C. 2:39PM (4/21/2006)
Can't say I want to own one, but I'd love to drive it around Beverly Hills and Malibu for a day.
Reply
Mike 2:56PM (4/21/2006)
pure unadultrated sex on wheels.
Reply
Howard Kerr 3:24PM (4/21/2006)
This looks an awful lot like a cross between a TVR and a Marcos Mantis....with a teeny bit of Bugatti thrown in.
By the way, what does "sconing fuel injection" mean? Does the writer mean to say SCORNING? or has that quaint English biscuit now become some kind of verb?
Reply
pauln 4:13PM (4/21/2006)
Good try, but not quite ready for prime time. As much as I think the "big wheels" thing is currently overdone, the front wheels look way too small in relation to everyting else. The back/fin is blatant Bugatti Atlantique Coupe rip-off. Several other details look rather amaturish.
Reply
Todd 9:03PM (4/21/2006)
I have to agree with #11, the wheels are WAY too disproportioned with the car. You have to remember, many of the cars back during coachbuilts hayday were using 20-22" wire wheels. I hate large wheels too, but I feel 19-20" wheels are less extreme to be alright. Either that or shrink the entire car down to be proportioned with the wheels.
Still, it is a good display of the two's coachbuilding abilities.
Reply
PJ 4:06AM (4/22/2006)
I'm not too into the anachronistic scene, but seeing these artists turn a drawing into a car is awesome. Kinda gives hope to all those study-hall doodlers, however false it may be. Keeping a tradition alive, I suppose.
"Scorning" is analogous to "shunning" in this blogger's usage... they're highlighting the fact that these designers have chosen to go with those delicious chrome carburetor towers in the engine bay, rather than a more modern fuel-injection setup. Can't say I disagree, if only for the raw, howling sound that a carbureted setup makes...
I also agree with the posters that see a bit of TVR mixed with lots of classic Bugatti. The overall effect isn't very graceful, but I have to hand it to hand-coachbuilders.
Reply
amp 9:34AM (4/24/2006)
So they spurn fuel injection, but throw in an LCD? It doesn't fit with the rest of the car.
Like Noah said, I'm glad they built it, but it's not my cup of tea.
Reply