Page 5 - Lancia Stratos Zero Sample pages

THE CONCEPT OF CONCEPTS
1953 ALFA ROMEO B.A.T. 5, 7, 9
When Alfa Romeo asked Italian coachbuilder Bertone
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to devise some aerodynamic solutions for its 1900,
Bertone’s answer was the extraordinary B.A.T. 5.
Designed by maverick stylist Franco Scaglione, the
B.A.T. 5’s all-enveloping bodywork featured shallow
wraparound windows and smooth fenders that
enclosed the wheels, sweeping through to the inward
tapering tailfins, all coming together into a narrow rear
that was both stunningly beautiful and also minimized
vortices.
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And it worked: the drag
coefficient of the B.A.T.
(Berlina Aerodinamica
Tecnica, or technical
aerodynamic coupé)
was just 0.23, absolutely
brilliant for its time, and
very good even today
when the best cars are
0.26. Developing the
concept further, Scaglione
and Bertone produced
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the B.A.T. 7 and B.A.T.
9 in subsequent years.
ALBERTO MARTINEZ
1954 GENERAL MOTORS
FIREBIRD I Initially called the
Firebird XP-21, and later referred to as
the Firebird I, this was an extraordinary
concept from the golden era of American
dream cars. Essentially a rocket on four
wheels, the Firebird I also explored the
possibility of using a gas turbine engine
developing 375bhp at 26,000 rpm. It was
a single seater that was huge, measuring
5.66 meters long. Surprisingly, the weight
was just 1107kg. GM’s gas turbine engine
was designed by Emmett Conklin, who led
the project, with styling from Harley Earl’s
team. The body was made of fiberglass to
keep weight down, and a Perspex canopy
enclosed the ‘pilot’. The braking system
was special: it featured drums on the
outside of the wheels for more efficient
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