If you got bored with cars in the 1990s and early 2000, you’re not alone. The fact CarNewsCafe.com exists is only a sign that we want more, need to see more, and deserve to have more fun than the abysmally mind-boring dribbles conventional automakers offer for bottom line dwellers on Wall Street. One lackluster reliable looking car after the other has taken its toll and failed to spark our passion, eventually shutting our wallets tights. Why can’t we have both stunning and affordable after such technological breakthroughs?
Retro is the new design cool, according to a few boutique designers and carmaker who have surprised us with stunning retro roadsters this past year, or so.
Retro is the New Design Cool
Concept cars are always great. They spark my enthusiasm. I want one, and I want it for every day, as long as it’s affordable. And why not make it electric, by the way. But besides the electric mobility that picks my interest in the future, I love collector cars, especially those from the 1930s, 50s, 60s and 70s. The evidence of which are highlighted in the weekly stories I write for the Beverly Hills Car Club, reprinted here. We need to keep history alive, learn from it as we pave the way forward. Isn’t this be the best way? To strike that careful balance between forging ahead and burning all bridges, to that of holding back, stuck in the past? But I digress.
Retro is the New Design Cool with Performance
So how about a retro cool Roadster that boasts a svelte 1,565 lb, 710 kg, with a mid-rear mounted 304-hp V6 driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission? And to the question I asked on LinkedIn, why not make it electric? I can understand the appeal, although I would love the choice of energy powerhouses in that chassis.
Jannarelly the automotive designer company, brainchild of Anthony Jannarelly, offers the possibility of owning a retro yet modern interpretation of a Ferrari 250 Testarossa with updated modern lines. This roadster sprints the 0-60 mph in about four seconds with a top speed of 135 mph, 225 km/h. Using a naturally aspirated V6 engine, DOHC 24 valves 3498 cc, the 304 HP pushes this 710 Kg Roadster of fun down the road. And all of it can be had for as little as $55,000.
Retro is the New Design Cool, and Trendy Too
But Jannarelly is not the first one to currently offer an alluring retro design. The even more stunning Effeffe blends the lines between classics and answers that dilemma. What if you wanted a Maserati A6GCS and a Ferrari 250 GT, but couldn’t afford either? Personally, I wake up in the morning and after my strong desire for tea, my second thought is: “What if I could jump into a faithful, yet updated reproduction of a classic?”… Well, the Effeffe Cars gracefully celebrates one of the greatest periods in automotive design, sadly sorely lacking these days.
The Effeffe, FF in Italian, is said to be completely hand made, according to the standards of the legendary 50’s.
Of course, what’s a beautiful coupe without an Alfa Romeo engine? This superb berlinetta interpretation uses an Alfa Romeo 1962 cc with 180 HP DIN a 6500 rpm with its twin overhead camshaft. However, this one is driven by double chains, and as it was with higher-end Alfas in the 1960s. The engine is fed through 2 horizontal Weber 45 DCOE double choke carburettors. The Effeffe also weighs in at a light 790 Kg, giving it a power to weight ratio of 4,38 kilogram to a single horsepower. Enough said…
Retro is the New Design Cool, and I’m Glad!
We’ve seen our fair share of insipid, lackluster daily cars for too long. Boring looking doesn’t necessarily equal reliability, case in point the millions upon millions of recalls these past two years. It’s good to see passionate modern interpretations of famous iconic designs of the 50s and 60s brought back to life and updated. History has a lot to teach us, and the one thing I take away from this new trend is that there is a need for passion and if that retro design cool is coming back into the automotive world, I welcome it.
