COACHBUILD
Car design revolution
As the 1920s dawned, mass-market car makers were bringing coachbuilding in-house, where engineers could address new issues presented by automotive use such as vibration and torsional stress. Luxury marques, however, continued to outsource coachwork to specialist houses for several more decades. The high-end customer of the day could still have a rolling chassis delivered to their chosen coachbuilder, who would design and build a car body to the client’s specific requirements – similar to ordering a suit from a Savile Row tailor, or a dress from a Paris couturier. Until the 1930s, most coachbuilders remained true to the long-established practice, which involved assembling a wooden frame, usually in ash, onto which aluminium or steel body panels were either pinned or welded. This allowed almost any shape to be created, with designs based around the interior space and fittings requested by the customer. As their experience grew, materials improved and motor cars’ speeds increased, coachbuilders adapted their methods, with later frames made from metal tubing or angle-iron. This essentially traditional form of coachbuilding continued until the separate chassis was replaced by semi-monocoque construction, with sub-frames for the mechanical components. This process made all but the simplest of adaptations to the body design itself impossible.
Personally commissioned car
As coachbuilders we pay as much attention to the interior as the exterior of the cars we created. Among the key elements are the instrument dials, which often now are merely displaying essential information. We design them to become miniature works of art in their own right. We have had clients commissioning an interior to recreate the ambience of a bold race car. And car lovers who commissioned polished satinwood veneer panelling, painted coachlines and bespoke paints. A few years back Niels van Roij Design was commissioned to create a coachbuilt two-seater coupé featuring a large rear overhang and long bonnet – inspired by the 1962 Breadvan. A one-off coachbuilt motor car from the golden era in the 1960s. The fully coachbuilt modern era racer defining feature is the raked rear profile, the roof-line tapering in a sweeping gesture. The coachbuilt bodywork wraps under the car with no visible boundary to the surfaces. No bumpers, not shutlines. The underside of the motor car describes a progressive upward arc at the rear departure angle, producing the tail that gives the car its name. With its clean lines and outspoken boldness and contemporary, minimalist handcrafted interior, the Breadvan Hommage caused an international sensation when it was revealed. It is now regarded as a true modern classic and the world’s greatest two-seater intercontinental tourers.
Coachbuilt your car
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Are you curious about the possibilities of coachbuilding by Niels van Roij Design for you? Let’s discuss all unique options for your tailor made dream car! Just like your bespoke suit, house and garden, your car deserves your excellent taste. Through coachbuidling by Niels van Roij Design it is possible to co-create your own dream car with us
