Luthe

If you ever wondered who designed the E28 BMW 5-Series, the answer is Claus Luthe— though depending on who you ask, “designed” might be a bit strong, as the E28 was more of an evolution of the Gandini-designed E12 that preceded it:

Luthe… was tasked with developing a facelift for the aging E12 5-series within a budget of USD 100 million. Luthe solved the cost restraint problem by reusing the passenger compartment structure of the E12, but with new front and rear clips and a new interior. Significant technical developments, such as new front and rear axles as well as climate control, were also added, and eventually the project cost for the new model, the E28 reached USD 400 million. However, the BMW management was satisfied that the improvements in the E28 were well worth the costs (source).

And of course, the illustrious Italian members of our party need no introduction, but we’ll make them anyway for the benefit of the uninitiated: the Ferrari Dino GT4 is a Bertone design credited to Marcello Gandini (as with the aforementioned E12 5-Series); the Alfa Romeo GTV coupe is likewise a Bertone design, albeit credited to Giorgetto Giugiaro.

It was great seeing that particular car on the road after last having spotted it a little over a year ago in a barn with some assembly still required 🙂

~ by velofinds on October 22, 2013.

2 Responses to “Luthe”

  1. Damn rarefied company here! In my mind three of the five best looking cars ever created are pictured. The rest of my list is the BMW e24 6 series and the stunning timeless Lamborghini Miura S.

    Mighty fine looking automobiles and they have all aged very well.

  2. Mr. Price’s GT4 seems to make it’s way into a lot of nice little photoshoots. Though if I could take any home that GTV just hits where it counts.

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