The 100 Concept
The 100 Concept began with a simple question: what makes a pre-war grand tourer feel timeless? I studied the stance, sections, and surfacing of icons like the Duesenberg Model J, Talbot-Lago Teardrop, Bugatti Type 57, and coachbuilt Packards; measuring axle-to-dash lengths, cowl heights, fender separation, beltline flow, and that unmistakable teardrop taper. I overlaid period photos, traced key arcs, and cataloged patterns: long hood/short cabin, pontoon fenders floating off the body, a gentle tumblehome into a pinched tail, vertical lamp signatures, and restrained brightwork that frames, never fights, the form.
From there the design moved through a tight loop: thumbnail sketches → CAD surfacing → 3D model → back to sketch, repeating until the proportions felt inevitable. Early pen sketches explored silhouettes and wheelhouse placement. In CAD, I locked package points, pushed clay-like surfaces, and iterated radii to keep reflections clean. Each virtual model revealed new truths about tension lines and section changes; those informed fresh page sketches, which in turn set the brief for the next CAD pass. The cycle continued until the volumes read as one continuous gesture.
The resulting language blends pre-war romance with modern purpose. Separate pontoon fenders and a long, diving bonnet nod to the era, while the body side is a single, uninterrupted ribbon that carries weight over the rear axle before dissolving into a tapered tail. A compact canopy sits low and centered to honor classic dash-to-axle drama. Vertical light signatures reinterpret cathedral headlamps with a crisp, contemporary graphic. The tail employs a subtle boat-tail pinch over a functional diffuser; old-world elegance meeting present-day aero.
Details follow the same ethos of heritage reimagined. The wheel design recalls wire spokes through a modern lattice, framed by clean whitewalls to emphasize diameter and stance. Bronze and graphite accents replace heavy brightwork; they outline key cuts and intake edges rather than adding ornament for ornament’s sake. Surfacing remains disciplined; large, calm primaries with precisely placed secondaries; so reflections stay smooth and the form does the talking.
Finally, high-fidelity renders validate the sculpture: dark blue over a pure white background to spotlight curvature, plus studio and environment views to test proportion, light play, and road presence. The result is a grand-touring silhouette that feels familiar at a glance and new on a second look; a respectful conversation between Duesenberg, Talbot, Bugatti, and Packard, spoken in a modern dialect.
