Chip Foose's Take on the Classic Mini

[MiniDave]

https://www.facebook.com/Hagerty/videos/363470871357883/

I actually liked a few of his ideas, but the 17" wheels.......erm, no.

I also didn't really like the blisters over the wheel openings, at least the way he drew them. I did like what he did with the grill opening and bonnet.

[BruceK]

Ummm.  No.


Makes me appreciate even more how good Frank Stephenson's R50 MINI design was.

[MiniDave]

I agree, I liked the new MINI the first time I saw it - such a great interpretation of the original design cues, yet a fully modern car.

[Red Riley]

He did say at the beginning that he's never actually had his hands on a real classic Mini. But it was pretty obvious that he likes the BMW M3 and wanted to make the old Mini more like the M3. I laughed when he said he didn't think the 18 or 19 inch wheels would fit and it would need something smaller like 15 or 17 inch.

[MiniDave]

Yeah, seems like all the modern designers only know how to draw cars with 20-22" wheels anymore......really bothers me to see cars from the 50's - 70's with those ginormous wheels. They just look wrong.....

The things I did like about Chips design (there were only a very few) were the grill opening, de-seaming, and the A panel treatment. I'm not a fan of the blisters over the wheel openings nor the 17" wheels. I think the 13's look about as big as you should go on a classic Mini, anything bigger would make it look like a cartoon car.

It was interesting how he linked up the A, B and C posts in the design phase.....he also said it had a flip front end, but those don't really make it easier to work on a classic unless it flips up from the front.....the other thing I REALLY disagreed with was adding the BMW logo! 

[gr8kornholio]

Agreed, the blisters are completely unnecessary.  He talks about the seems ruining the beautiful lines and then he goes and sticks blisters in those lines. 

That whole argument reminds me of the 924 and 944 Porsche.  Exact same body, but the 44 looked so much more aggressive with the bulged fenders. 

All in all, watching and master artist at work is always fabulous. 

[BruceK]

Not to trash Foose - I like him and know he is talented - but has he ever designed a car from scratch?  Something that is his alone rather than modifying other's designs? 

[Scargo]

What a fun exercise to watch him go through. He did lose me however with his treatment to the rear body panel. He has it angled inward from the belt-line to the bottom in lieu of it remaining angled slightly outward or near vertical. To my eye, that part of the design is somewhat reminiscent of an old Ford Fiesta.

[gr8kornholio]

Not to trash Foose - I like him and know he is talented - but has he ever designed a car from scratch?  Something that is his alone rather than modifying other's designs?

Yea, see all things Boyd Coddington. All his customs and wheel designs were done by his head designer... Chip Foose.

[BruceK]

Good to know. Thanks.

[jeff10049]

The Shockwave and Hemisfear are all Foose designs and, ugly as shit like everything foose.
Thats just my opinion. 
Might be a cool guy never ment him but i just don't like his designs.