Autoblog

German coachbuilder Karmann could be on the block soon. The company, a longtime supplier to German automakers, has been having trouble getting contracts lately. The family that owns the company is reportedly considering all options, and some talks with potential buyers have already taken place. No decision about whom to sell to has been made yet, but within a month Karmann may decide which suitor's offer to accept. The convertible roof business is going well for Karmann, but deals to assemble vehicles for automakers are way down, threatening the painting and assembly operations. Karmann has already cut 500 jobs from its German workforce of 5,000, and another 1,000 are slated for elimination. Perhaps a buyer will swoop in and snap up Bertone and Karmann? Mr. Tata, you listening?

[Source: Auto News – sub req, Photo: Dr Dub]

While Cadillac busies itself with a 2-door version of the new CTS sedan, the folks over at Coach Builders, Ltd have been busy taking their tops off. The boulevardier CTS gets an insulated, hydraulically-powered roof fitted with a heated glass rear window and cloth headliner. The top also comes in several colors. Judging by this pic, it also looks like a fair bit of work has gone into making the car look good with the top down. No word on what happens to trunk space, however.

It'll cost you more than a few quarters -- $19,000 gets the job done in eight weeks -- but that's the price of exclusivity, right? It's also employs a manual release, but these things happen when you're a style pioneer. We'd like to see pics of the car with the top up, because we wonder if this could be the first cloth-topped Caddy truly fit for the younger set.

[Source: Inside Line]

We've posted a number of articles in recent months about coachbuilders like Pininfarina and Bertone finding themselves in financially troubled waters. The difficulties these and other independent manufacturers around Europe are suffering now appear to be part of a larger trend that's forcing these companies to either adapt to the changing market or face extinction.

While major manufacturers once subcontracted the production of niche vehicles – sports cars and convertibles especially – to smaller companies, the larger carmakers have been adapting their assembly lines towards small runs of diverse automobiles, leaving the indie coachbuilders with declining business. As a result, Pininfarina, for example, has been dipping further and further into the red, while Bertone was forced to sell its business on the verge of bankruptcy hearings.

Industry experts now advise that the coachbuilders will have to change their focus in order to survive and return to profitability. Although some have been receiving patronage from wealthy customers seeking original automotive creations like Zagato's Maserati GS and Pininfarina's Ferrari P4/5, that business is sporadic at best. Magna Steyr continues to be awarded contracts from carmakers like BMW, and Karmann is gearing up for an anticipated contact from Kia, but these and other coachbuilders will need to begin looking elsewhere for continued viability. Pininfarina and Bertone can return to their erstwhile core business of automotive design while shutting down or severely downsizing their manufacturing divisions, while emerging markets like China could provide potential contracts in the future. But while there may be a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, European coachbuilders will need to streamline to reach it.

[Source: Automotive News (subscription required) via Winding Road]

If the name SpadaConcept rings a bell, you're probably recalling the Codatronca, the Italian coachbuilder's radical shark-nosed and tail-fined Corvette-based supercar pictured at right. The design studio has now designed a racing helmet for Italian manufacturer Stilo that's almost as radical.

The ST4 helmet is made of carbon fiber and manufactured in an autoclave, giving it a lower weight than conventional designs. Although it's not the first CF helmet on the market, it could be the most intriguing we've seen yet. The aggressive design incorporates two outlets for radio connection and hydration system in an aerodynamic shape good for open-cockpit racing. The result is a package that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie or video game (take your pick), but we'd gladly strap one on to test the 600-horsepower Codatronca, if and when the car is built.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Pur Sang, an Argentine coachbuilder, is normally in the business of making Bugatti T35 replicas. It also makes custom vehicles for those who can afford them, and for one German customer it has made the burgundy roadster you see above. Not much is known about it (or the client), except that the lengthy engine cowl hides the magnesium V12 from a German WWII airplane. It isn't revealed exactly what engine it is, but both Daimler and Junkers made inverted V12 powerplants, and the Daimler model had direct fuel injection and went into the Messerschmidt 109. The roadster's horsepower is listed as 400, which would be a severe detune from the potential 1,200 hp that the 109 boasted. However, torque is a massive 885 lb-ft, which should still allow for some pretty exciting low-level maneuvers. The exact price wasn't revealed, but it was said to be well into six figures, in euros.

Thanks for the tip, Carlos!

[Source: Argentina Auto Blog]

Click on the image above to view the new Diatto GT Ottovu in high resolution

Hot on the heels of our Top 10 Coachbuilt Supercars comes the announcement from Zagato that the Italian carrozeria will be reviving the stoic Diatto marque with a small run of the Diatto GT Ottovu. First shown at the Geneva show as the Diatto Ottovu Zagato, the GT will step out of the concept box and into limited production of 99 examples.

Those coming new to the game might not be familiar with the Diatto name, but it has a loyal and, as it turns out, wealthy following who have motivated (and likely bankrolled) the brand's revival by commissioning the new GT from Zagato. Once a contemporary of Bugatti and Maserati, Diatto started out some 170 years back, producing horse-drawn carriages, then moving on to luxury train cars before becoming one of the first automakers in the world and finally vanishing from the industry in the inter-war period.

Reviving the classic Turinese carmaker, the Diatto GT Ottovu is based on a steel frame with an aluminum body with a front-mid engine layout driving the wheels behind the four-passenger cabin. Motivation comes courtesy of Ford's 4.6-liter V8, supercharged and tuned by Roush and Cosworth to produce 530 horsepower, although Zagato says up to 650 would be possible. As it is, the GT Ottovu is claimed to hit 60 in the threes.

As for the styling, the concept looked better in person than in the pictures, and Zagato clearly went for an elegantly understated design approach. That being said, it still falls short of taking many breaths away. Zagato called the bespoke leather interior "sober, smart and comfortable"...which may as well have applied to the overall design. If it tickles your fancy, though, it will be available through specialist dealers in the United States as well as Europe, but don't expect that kind of exclusivity to come cheap.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

click above image for more pics of the Castagna Milano

One of the most exciting recent developments in the industry, by this writer's account at least, is the re-emergence of the coachbuilding industry. Cars like the Fisker Latigo and Zagato Ferrari 575 GTZ have heralded a revival of the long-lost segment that inherently gives birth to some of the most unique automobiles on the road. It was only a matter of time until the Italians picked up where they left off by crafting unique Corvette-based sportscars.

Italian coachbuilder Castagna Milano, originally founded way back in the 1850s and revived in the 1990s, has created a number of bespoke models, including the Imperial Landaulet concept and a slew of custom Minis. The carrozzeria's latest offering, the Castagna Aznom, was previewed in skeletal form back in April at Monaco's Top Marques show, and the firm has now released further details and images.

Based on the Corvette Z06, the Aznom also draws on retro Corvette styling elements, blended with thoroughly modern design features to create a heart-stopping supercar. The egg-crate grille is drawn from the original '53 Vette, slab-sided flanks from the '58 Stingray and fenders from the '56 SR-2 Sebring race car. On the contemporary side of things, LED rear lights, retracting rear wing, three-section rear diffuser and F1-style fender-mounted carbon-fiber wing mirrors round out the design. Those sharp five-spoke wheels measure 20 inches, shod in 285/30 and 335/30 Pirelli PZero rubber front and rear respectively, housing 356mm cross-drilled discs with six-pot calipers fore and 340mm discs with 4-pot calipers aft. The cockpit even features a Google Earth-powered sat-nav system.

Whether you love or hate the unique styling, the Aznom has the "go" to back up the "show". Castagna has thoroughly massaged the Z06's 7-liter V8 from 500 horsepower to a whopping 750, and with the use of carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium bodywork, has trimmed the weight down to 1,400 kg. With that magical formula of more power and less weight, the carrozzeria puts the performance figures at 0-60 in a scant 3.4 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 217 mph.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Too many trips to SEMA have left us immune to the shiny detritus that populates the pages of some of our favorite mags, but when Henrik Fisker, the man who penned the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9, gets into the wheel business, we take notice.

Beyond his newest coachbuilding projects, Fisker has released two new wheels, designed to fit within the arches of several BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The ten-spoke FL10 has a bit more of a competitive aura, while the FT5 gets away with the right amount of style and substance. Both are available in gunmetal or titanium finishes, with prices starting around $1,500. But if you ask nice and are willing to exercise your Black Card, they'll customize your wheels with the paint scheme of your choosing.

You can see if you can purchase Fisker's wheels for your own whip by following this link to their website.

[Source: InsideLine]

Castagna, the Milanese atelier for cars run by an architect, used the Top Marques Monaco show to debut its new supercar. Known for its work with all things Mini (check out the outlandish Mini Crossup), this is a departure for the coachbuilder that got its start in 1849, and was formerly known for its unique creations during the Jazz Era.

The car is called Aznom, and in coachbuilt tradition utilizes the rebodied chassis from a Corvette Z06. Laid over that is a carbon fiber body that brings the entire car in at under 3,080 lbs. It probably looks much more elegant sitting on its wheels than it does on jacks, but it appears absolutely mean from any angle. A grill reminiscent of the first Corvette gapes beneath a waspish-looking front end flanked by monumental wheel arches. From there, the curves, lines, vents and scoops don't stop until the 3-piece rear diffuser. Not apparent in the picture, the silhouette of the car on the Castagna site has mirrors mounted on the fenders on stalks.

No matter what you think of the looks, if Castagna's telling the truth, the Aznom is going to be excruciatingly quick: 700 hp, 701 lb-ft of torque, a 218 mph top speed, 3.4 seconds to 62 mph, and 9.5 to 124. You can expect the price to likewise be excruciatingly high. An official launch is slated for May.

[Source: Supercars.net]

Automotive News is reporting that despite higher revenue and increased production, coachbuilder Pininfarina is scaling back on staff. Ten percent of the workforce will be let go. Pininfarina says that they had seen a pretty strong period of growth recently with five new models coming out (plus the one-off Ferrari P4/5 among other high-profile projects), and is now hitting a letdown period. Altogether 235 people will be getting their pink slips as a result.

Pininfarina is currently building the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe and Spider, Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet and Mitsubishi Colt CZC in Italy, and the Volvo C70 in Sweden. Only the Italian plants will be affected. They think the workforce reduction will return the company to profitability. It seems amazing that despite growing from a production level of 8,000 units in 2005 to 35,000 units in 2006, the company's €13.8 million ($18 mil) profit turned into a €13.4 million ($17.4 mil) net loss over that period of time. Even at a time when revenue has gone up 68.5 percent to €459.1 million ($597.8 mil).

[Source: Automotive News, sub req]