This early sixties wagon proposal was not its stylist’s finest hour, but if it had gone into production – and it very nearly did – it would have been an engineering sensation.
Who can name the stylist and the client?
This early sixties wagon proposal was not its stylist’s finest hour, but if it had gone into production – and it very nearly did – it would have been an engineering sensation.
Who can name the stylist and the client?
Driven To Write 
Michelotti, for Ferguson’s R5 technology demonstrator / prototype project, flat 4 front engine and Ferguson Formula 4WD, this one was in 1960.
Correct.
The frontal aspect is a damn sight worse, but it’s of its time.
Michelotti moved on to more tasteful things soon after. The Ferguson proposal could have been knocked into something quite decent, but Ferguson died in October 1960 and nobody else had the will to see the project through.
Some elements of the Michelotti proposal for ‘Zebu’, the pre-Leyland Standard Vanguard replacement, can be seen in the Ferguson design:
Not to be confused with ‘Barb’ which became the Triumph 2000.
Cannot say am a fan of the Michelotti styled R5 prototype or the original R5 prototype for that matter, although the latter at least had a tidier looking rear that somewhat makes up for the “what-the-hell-were-they-thinking” front grille (and had it been fixed would have actually been an improvement on the Michelotti styled R5 prototype IMHO).
Was also not aware that BMC showed the most interest in actually building the thing, yet why would they commit to production run of 350 for a car that seemingly had no mechanical relation to other cars within the company and was said to be powered by a Claude Hill designed engine reputedly derived loosely from the Jowett Javelin Flat-Four?
https://www.harryfergusonlegacy.com/1953/ferguson-r5.php
Was then BMC chief designer Gerald Palmer involved in potentially producing the Ferguson R5 before the latter became a casualty after he was fired?
https://jowett.org/oldjowetttalk/_disc3/000000f5.htm