His is not one of the Italian names that dances trippingly off the tongue when speaking of innovation in car design. In fact, the prodigious moustache wearer and smoker of cigars isn’t even Italian. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a visionary of note. In fact, Luigi Colani is one of a dying breed of automotive modernists who believes in things like speed and the future – and as such we believe he should be given more recognition than he has to date received.

Everything you need to know about Mr Colani can be found on his company’s website – and know this: though he may not be producing any cars that will find their way into the forecourts of mainstream dealerships: his biog is a colourful testament to passion within design.

Two of our favourite Colani creations are the tumescent sports car from the late seventies which, it appears, was inspired by the free flowing, rounded forms of the natural world – and the Castrol-sponsored early experiment into speed and fuel consumption from 1974 (see images below).

Long may he draw and be inspired. We need a few more like him…

http://www.colani.ch/movie.html