The Return of the Designer's Sketchpad

During the original run of Rare Component Cars, between the late 1990's and early 2K's, a regular feature in each online issue was the "Designer's Sketchpad". This was intended as a source of inspiration for aspiring Kit builders and included a collection of sketches offering customization ideas for various classic and contemporary kit cars. 

The sketches were the work of webmaster and designer, John Mellberg (yours truly), and subjects were generally favorites of the author. In addition to the illustrations, suggestions on how to implement the ideas and the inspirations behind the various ideas were discussed. Subjects featured during the first run of RCC included the Sterling (aka Nova), Cimbria, Clan Crusader, Davrian/Darrian, Fiberfab Avenger, Fiberfab Aztec 7, Dutton Phaeton, and Elite Laser 917.

 

Screen Capture from the original "Designer's Sketchpad", Fiberfab's Aztec 7

A revival of the Rare Component Cars passion project began during the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic. It took root on Facebook as a profile page, then branched into a Facebook Group, and ultimately a Blog. The whole thing had come full circle, from a site on the late GeoCities (RIP) to its new iteration, hosted on the conceptually similar environment of Blogger (aka Blogspot).

In its new iteration, RCC has orders of magnitude more content than the original and focuses on the history of kit, low volume, and one-off cars with details of their designers, manufacturers, and builders. However, the industry news and sketchpad features have yet to fully take shape. This is the backdrop for this posting, a return visit to the aforementioned "Designer's Sketchpad".

Screen Capture from the original "Designer's Sketchpad", Elite's Laser 917

To further preface this initial foray back into the "Sketchpad", late in 2023 the author had been exploring the potential of various software that used generative algorithms (AI) to turn line drawings into 3D images. The subject of a 'lost' successor to Piper P2 seemed like an excellent one for such experimentation.  

However, this was not the only such experiment. Captured images from the original RCC Designer's Sketchpad features were also used, being cleaned up and altered in subtle ways so as to ensure the best results. This after a brief process of trial and error, plus learning limitations of such tools was engaged. These were then fed into the "AI" tools and further massaged in Photoshop. What follows are selected results of the process, based on the cars originally featured on RCC.

The Fiberfab Aztec 7

The Aztec 7 is, among kit cars of the period, an unsung classic of automotive styling, but there are always avenues for taking a design further. Given the car's undeniable inspiration in the Alfa Romeo Carabo by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, an obvious choice would be to play up that Italianate style even further. Another car with similar stylistic roots was Gerald Weigert's Vector, an American take on the same sort of supercar/doorstop. One might think it was a case of convergent evolution that the Aztec 7 designer(s) made a lot of similar choices.

So here, the addition of width, in the form of flared wheel arches, a splitter up front, side skirts, and side-mounted radiator intakes make the stance more Vector-like and add a dash of another Gandini/Pagani creation, the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Lamborghini Countach. A rear mounted wing, cribbed from the W8 iteration of the Vector, and a set of wide tires stretched around some deep-dish wheels completed the desired look.

An AI enhanced render of the Aztec 7, for the new "Designer's Sketchpad"

The Elite Laser 917

In 1972 Elite Enterprises introduced one of the most popular kits of its era, the Laser 917. Based on the Le Mans winning Porsche 917 of racing fame, the Laser was designed to fit on a full-length VW Bug or Karmann Ghia chassis. It featured a very curvaceous body penned by the west coast designer, illustrator, and transportation design instructor at Art Center College of Design (in Pasadena CA.), Harry Bradley.

Quoted from the original RCC, "At the request of one of my readers, I bring you my idea for a VERY customized Laser 917 roadster. Radical modification abounds. My design calls for chopping the roof, softening what I think are some funny creases in the bodysides, replacing the windshield with Plexiglass or Lexan, reworking the rear fascia, and shoehorning a Cadillac Northstar V-8 into the mid-rear".

An AI enhanced render of the Laser 917, for the new "Designer's Sketchpad"

All illustrations are the property and work product of John Mellberg (Jr)

Sources : 

RCC Archive (Wayback Machine)