A tale of tail lamps…
On the subject of tail lamp units, an cursory glance might suggest to the uninitiated that the Maserati Kyalami sported a pair of these – not exactly the wildest assumption given their superficial similarity to those fitted to the SM. Both Citroën and 130 are from very much the same era, so one can safely assume their respective designers were thinking along broadly similar lines. But regardless of whether or not these were also borrowed for use elsewhere, they definitely set a template for the 1970s, as did the 130 Coupe itself.
The Lancia Gamma Coupe was the third in a row of this type of tail-lights.
Uncanny. Almost a straight lift. Anyone know who actually styled the Gamma Coupé?
Aldo Brovarone at Pininfarina designed it. A great article (in Italian, unfortunately) of this rather unknown name of Italian design can be found here
http://web.archive.org/web/20121001171301/http://www.virtualcar.it/?p=554
Including this beautiful sketch of the Gamma Coupé, dated 1974
Of course, Brovarone! Silly me. He was also responsible for the styling of the Gamma Berlina, so I really should have known that. Thanks Roberto, and yes, that rendering is lovely. Note the stepped roofline, which gives the impression of a structural member. Frua did exactly the same thing with the Kyalami – both cars debuted the same year. Fears over proposed US rollover legislation perhaps?
Those profile sketches are wonderfully economical. They say a lot and are easy to read. They also served well when cars had sharper transitions from the top surfaces to the sides. As the top-to-side blend or radius has got bigger the profile is less able to capture the complexity at its edge.
I forgot to say, the article title is very good, Eoin!
Duality of meaning innit? Thanks for noticing, Richard…
Is it me or is that Fiat coupe sitting quite low on its rear suspension?