The 1990s were an exciting time for automotive design. Engineers were really starting to push the envelope of performance thanks to a better understandings of aerodynamics and computer-aided design. From 1984 to 1994, the title of “World’s Fastest Production Car” changed hands six different times! One of these victories was claimed by one of my favorite supercars from this era: the 1994 Jaguar XJ220.
By a show of hands, how many of you have heard of the British supercar manufacturer Noble Automotive? Not very many. Well then, even less of you have heard of the Noble’s sister car, the Rossion Q1. This is a pretty unusual car that deserves some attention, but before we delve into the Q1, it is necessary to cover a little backstory first.
The Lincoln Continental has been around for a long time, but I would say that the fourth-generation (1961-1969) Continentals are the ones that come to mind when most people hear the name. The car’s slab-sided design and suicide rear doors are signature design elements that people instantly recognize as “Continental.”
At the Scottsdale Pavilions car show, I ran across a 1968 Lincoln Continental sedan that’s been customized in a pretty cool way. First, the roof has been completely cut off. There is no top at all! That’s a pretty bold move to make, and I like it.
I ran across this Chevrolet hot rod at a church car show in Glendale. While I like the twin turbo V8 engine and the wide rear tires, there are a lot of details about the truck that leave me scratching my head. Take the sword sticking out of the driver’s side fender for example: what’s that all about?
From the back, we can see the huge aluminum wing which I think looks too new on such an old truck body. Why is it installed backwards? Is it an aesthetic thing, or does the owner really not realize that it’s backwards? The “Jesus Saves” taillights obviously reflect the owner’s personality, and while they are definitely an original idea, it’s not one that I am a fan of.
The utter simplicity of the twin turbo installation here is pretty cool. However, the flex pipe exhaust and various dice pieces accenting the engine bay make this thing look more shoddy than “DIY cool.” Don’t get me wrong, I really want to like this truck! However, the owner has gone overboard with personal touches that I feel don’t really blend together.
Still, I bet it goes like hell when he puts the pedal down!
