Hasta La Ideas

Holland’s new museum paying tribute to some of the world’s rarest classic cars

A 1914 Dodge Type 30 was the initial inspiration for the Louwman Collection of classic cars and automotive art housed in the newly-constructed National Automobile Museum of the Netherlands in the Hague. Located near the Queen’s Palace, the collection dates back to 1934 when a Dutch car importer happened upon the 20-year-old Dodge that was already vintage classic. The Louwman family continued to expand over the years to its current size, boasting over 230 cars.

The cars are divided up into sections consisting of Dawn of Motoring, Motoring, Racing and Luxury. Highlights include a 1900 Georges Richard, which is rumored to have been found in a Parisian side street and “Genevieve,” a 1904 Darracq from the 1953 film. Rare 1948 Tatra T87 and a Spatz Victoria bubble car with central tube chassis, are both designed by the legendary Hans Ledwinka.

The collection includes an impressive range of vehicles, ranging in year and stature from 1944 Willys Jeep Model MB to a 1875 Thirion Modele N 2 Horse Drawn Steam Fire-Engine and 1922 American Lafrance Hook and Ladder Aerial Type 31/6.

Conceived by architecture firm Michael Graves & Associates, the 185,000-square-foot structure with its peaked roofs and woven brick facade, consists of temporary and permanent exhibition galleries, a reception hall, an auditorium and workshops for conservation and car repairs.

Gear up with a limited-edition Italian bicycle modeled after a Maserati winner

In celebration of their famous 1940 win at the Indianapolis 500 known as the “Boyle Special,” Maserati teamed up with cult Italian bike builder Cicli Montante to create a limited-edition bicycle resembling the victorious fixed head, eight-cylinder 8CTF race car. With driver Wilbur Shaw behind the wheel for the second year in a row, Maserati historically took first place proving the prowess of European design.

Debuting at the recent Paris Auto Show, Cycle EXIF points out that while successful bike/car collaborations are rare, the Montante Maserati 8CTF is a clear exception.

In addition to the beautiful coloring and detailing, Cycle EXIF asks “Who else is sticking a front disc brake on a fixed geared bike? It might not necessarily be the smartest thing to do, but at least they’re putting it out there.”

A limited run of 200 bikes were created (in commemoration of the 200 laps completed during the race), each individually numbered and selling online from Cicli Montante for €3,000.

British car brand Aston Martin are to launch a luxury compact city car, called Cygnet, next year.

The vehicle will be three metres long and offer personalised materials, colours and finishes to make each one unique.

“Luxury is not constrained by scale,” claims Aston Martin’s director of design Marek Reichman.

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The information that follows is from Aston Martin:

Aston Martin Cygnet to become a production reality in 2011

Designed and built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters An Aston Martin tailor fit solution for the city offering luxury and individuality

Aston Martin is pleased to confirm that the Cygnet luxury city car – originally shown as a concept car in March – is to go into production in 2011 at the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire.

The Aston Martin Cygnet is a city car that sets a new benchmark for compact luxury, building upon nearly a century of experience building high performance sports cars, luxurious long-range grand tourers, and extremely competitive racing machines. Cygnet demonstrates Aston Martin’s commitment to innovation and integrity.

“It is time to think differently. Aston Martin is honest and we don’t make compromises” says Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. “Whatever we do, we do right. If we do performance, we do performance; we don’t downsize or compromise our sports cars. The Cygnet needs to satisfy the demands of emissions and space. It is a car without compromise, just like every other Aston Martin.

“Our customers need a small car for urban and city use, and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality.”

Cygnet expresses a simple but fundamental idea: in the modern city, scale equates to speed and freedom. At just three metres long, the Cygnet gives the driver a new dimension of freedom, able to slot into gaps in traffic, exploit the smallest parking spaces, consume the least fuel and emit the lowest emissions, all while delivering exceptional levels of quality and comfort.

“Cygnet is small but luxurious, an Aston Martin tailor fit for the city,” says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Director of Design. With an almost unlimited palette of materials, colours and textures, each hand-finished Cygnet will be truly unique, a personalised space within the city.

Cygnet is a product of Aston Martin’s unrivalled experience in craft, technology and design. The future city will present a very different luxury brand landscape, as social change and legislation increases the division between urban and anti-urban product categories. With the Cygnet, Aston Martin will be at the forefront of these changes, ensuring the company’s enduring brand image will continue to prosper in new market conditions.

Dr Ulrich Bez continues: “The Cygnet is designed to support our sports cars by providing a greater degree of freedom in the urban context; it is a very special car, a premium but compact package with heart, soul and personality.”

The Cygnet, a tailor fit solution for the city, will help drive Aston Martin into the future. “This car is reality; Cygnet is the natural choice for those who want a premium, bespoke commuter car.”

Further details on the Aston Martin Cygnet including pricing and specification will be announced later this year. The Cygnet will be the eighth major production car Aston Martin has introduced at its state-of-the art factory since 2004, offering further evidence of the company’s ongoing commitment to British manufacturing, backed-up by a dedicated local workforce and supplier network.

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BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons	MINI Scooter E Concept	Nissan Cube by Nissan

Since its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the general public hasn’t had a chance to see and be touched by the new Mini Countryman, the first “big” Mini. But during Milan Design Week, the new car is taking center stage with a series of events, installations at State University and the Triennale Design Museum, as well as a picnic party in Zona Tortona. At more than four meters long and equipped with four doors and four-wheel drive, the new model hits dealerships this September.

Part of the festivities at the recent crowded party, Michelle Branch revealed an ongoing collaboration with Timbaland—all within a beautiful indoor garden and a mysterious forest, where Dsquared, Missoni, Fendi and Maarten Baas interpreted four different cars. Each designer packed the car as if for a weekend trip, in keeping with “The Getaway Car” tagline.

The concept for the installation provides an occasion to experience the car as a living object, not simply as a piece of design. As Mini Design’s General Manager Gert Hildebrand told CH, “this car needs to be experienced, not only admired.” The design is in fact surprisingly convincing, with every detail very distinctive and lots of innovative functions to discover.

At State University (one of Milan’s hidden architectural jewels), the installation plays entirely with the idea of the number four, considered the interpretive key of this model. Displayed inside this singular “fourank,” a lighting system carefully designed to show off its lines illuminates the car.

Mini, along with the Triennale Creative Set conceived as the space of creativity which engages the public in a journey through the iconic elements of the Countryman—at the end the vehicle appears.

Newest in the London Design Museum “World Changing” book series is Fifty Cars That Changed The World. Writer Andrew Nahum, Principal Curator of Technology and Engineering at London’s Science Museum, presents a selection of cars that over 90 years have contributed significantly to design, innovation, engineering and national pride. From Buckminster Fuller’s 1933 Dymaxion to the 1998 Smart car, each automobile represents a milestone of achievement.

Fifty Cars That Changed the World is available from Amazon for around $14.