Coachbuilder

Luxury-car shoppers used to buy a chassis and have a coachbuilder make a custom body for it. What body would you put on the Tesla Model S chassis?

There was a time when a customer would buy a chassis from an automaker like Bentley and then take it to a coachbuilder to have whatever bodywork they wanted put on it. The practice was particularly prevalent in Bentley's earlier days, but the industry has progressed in such a way – with tighter regulations and unibody construction – that such a practice is no longer feasible. But Bentley wants to get back into that business.

1965 was the first time Zagato and Lamborghini hooked up, when the Milanese coachbuilder created the Lamborghini 3500 GTZ for Marquis Gerino Gerini. There have been several more collaborations since then, the one you see above being the latest: the Lamborghini 5-95, created for collector Albert Spiess and designed to be "a modern collectible" in honor of Zagato's 95th anniversary.

Back in January, we reported on a new British coachbuilder called David Brown Automotive. In February, the startup released the first details and images of its inaugural project, and now it has revealed the finished product.

Italian design house Pininfarina predicted last May that it would face an operating loss for 2012 but still come out with a net profit. Both predictions have come true – the company is reporting an operating loss of 8.2 million euros and a net profit of 32.9 million euros ($42.5 million US).

The world of automotive design has lost another great. Sergio Pininfarina – the honorary chairman of the Pininfarina Group that bears his family name – passed away last night at age 85.

Automotive News reports Pininfarina projects it will turn a profit for 2012, thanks in part to debt restructuring. The Italian design studio hasn't seen a profit in eight years, but signed a deal in April to restructure $182.6 million in debt. The move effectively stretched the studio's repayment deadline from 2015 to 2018. At the same time, Pininfarina announced it will likely see an operating loss this year, but a one-time gain of

Galatea Revision – Click above for high-res image gallery

DC Design "Black Ruby" Rolls-Royce coupe – Click above for image gallery

Karmann throughout the years - Click above for high-res image gallery

Gearing up for production of the Silver Ghost, Rolls-Royce recently put out the call for craftspeople good with wood, leather, and paint. If a new MotoringFile report is true, if any of you get the job, you might be making wood veneers not just for the new plutocratic sedan, but for a few special Mini models as well.

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the Rolls-Royce Sapphire

Click above for a high-res image gallery of the F&M Vulca S

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 ve

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 makin