Telstar and the Alfa Romeo BAT 9 concept car,,,,

i'm in SERIOUS lust with the front end styling on this car,,,it's the Alfa Romeo BAT 9 concept car built in 1955,,,,,,strongly considering doing a similar treatment on the front of the Telstar,,,,I LOVE this thing!,,,,haven't been able to get this car out of my head for the last three days,,,James D has graciously agreed to do a photoshop rendering for me to give me an idea of how it may look,,i couldn't load the pics into a PM for some reason, so I'm posting them here along with a couple of pics of my car,,,hope these will work for ya James!

 

Sure do.

 

I like yours better??? Just my opinion??

 

Ditto....

 

I agree yours is much better....... and its yours

 

Kustom7777, I think you have automotive a.d.d. Just finish the car already!

 

Hey Jim I seem to remeber a conversation we had in Austin where you said you were done with the major body mods. I also remeber everyone laughing and saying yeah right. Your not fooling anyone

Personally I am not feeling the Alfa but I will wait until James does his photoshop to really see.

 

I'll bet the local welding supply place LOVES you!!

 

Step away from the computer and go back into the shop. Your custom looks great and its your design. I like your's better. Next thing you know you'll want to make it look like this...

 

I think the BAT 7 would be a better style for your car than the BAT 9

 

The Bat 9 headlights look like a big, clear pair of '54 Packard tail lights.

The problem is going to be, everything looks good in a James D photoshop, so it might not make the decision any easier. Can't wait to see it.

 

Anyone have an idea about what to replace the Alfa grille with?
Edsel style?

 

that's exactly what we were thinking (sectioned edsel horseshoe)

 

lol,,,,it's just an IDEA guys....
i don't plan to COPY it..
i just like certain elements of it...

as always, i need to explore all my options............

 

I had an upside down front end off of a 1950 studebaker bulletnose hanging on my wall for a few months and it makes for a great front end for a speed racer.

 

Same sort of shape but maybe too large: 1937 chrysler royal

 

Good call though. Unusual.

 

Me too, l think 99% of the HAMB will too.
Doc.

(Please dont do it)

 

mainly interested in the headlight treatment,,,,
just wanna see what James D comes up with,,,,,,

 

Alfa used virtually identical headlights, including the covers, on the 1966-93 Spider.

 

your current design flows well with the rest of the car. Dont do it Jimmy! Please!

 

if you started with 4 cars in the beginning and done the same amount of cutting and welding you could have completed 4 wild customs with the same effort.

I say go with what you got, finish that up, then start another one.

 

I agree with 49ratfink!

your ride is tits bro, finish that thing!!!

 

Hey Jim,

How's that number go, " It ain't about the destination, it's about the journey " ?

The Bertone Bat and Italian vibe to the front end will sure take the build in a completely different direction. The hooded/pointed headlamps/fenders kinda say Lincoln-Mercury XL -500 to me which is" serious cool" in my book, but ground you covered in a previous workout. That you're lookin' back at the Italians for design ideas is good food for thought. Harely Earl, William Mitchel, Virgel Exner & George Mason all leaned heavily on the Italian designers and coachbuilders of the 40's & 50's for raw and refined design ideas.
I'd look at everything ya can on Ghia, Pininfarina, Bertone & Touring, and check out the frog coachbuilders of this era for grille designs, but I'd avoid any contact or use of the "Edsel Vagina" grille as if it was a naughty red head with a big sore on her lower lip!

" The very core of fanatisism is its indifference to things of the mind "

 

I like the front end treatment of the Alfa. I also love the look of your car. But that front end treatment on your car would be a subliminal Jayne Mansfield type thing. That would make it a VERY desireable conceptual 1950s build!

 

Jim, I agree that the look you had was very fitting for Telstar. I like the Alpha front but you would need to find a downsized center grille to use that style. Are you staying with the current headlights ?

 

Most folks don't know what BAT stood for.
It was an Italian anagram.
"Berlina Aerodynamica Technica"

...which wasn't Italian for flying rodent.

 

Here´s a side view I rustled up last night. Probably deceptive, but I think it works, although getting the hoodline down that far might be tough.



The front three quarter view is proving.... problematic. I´ll have another go tonight.

 

OH OH. James I think you are helping feed the monster!!

 

James D, you are a damn genius! Great style!
But Jim, stay on track, don't get distracted by every car part you fall in love with...save SOME ideas for the next one!