Idea and design:
KesselsGranger DesignWorks are proud to present the design of a luxury two-door saloon, which was commissioned by the Belgian Alfa Romeo collector Luc Colemont for his book Alfa Romeo Freccia d’Oro.
Luc Colemont is an enthusiast of the original Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Freccia d’Oro (Golden Arrow) model, of which only 680 examples were made between 1946 and 1951. The Freccia d’Oro was the first post-World War II Alfa Romeo production car. In contrast to most other 6C 2500 cars, the Freccia d’Oro had a body that was designed and constructed by Alfa Romeo themselves, therefore bearing the Carrozzeria Alfa Romeo badge.
For his 50th birthday, Luc Colemont wanted to find 50 surviving cars worldwide. The result is a Register with nearly 60 Freccia d’Oro’s, many still alive and running.... but the mystery about the Freccia d’Oro which was blown-up in the cult movie “The Godfather” remains unresolved.
Owning an original 1947 example of the Freccia d’Oro himself, Colemont asked the KesselsGranger DesignWorks team, represented by the styling duo Steven Kessels (25) and James Granger (24), to develop their solution for a modern evolution of the large saloon.
“The result is 200% what I wanted. It is stunning,” exclaimed Colemont after being presented with the design at the beginning of May 2007.
A sketch of the design is published at the end of the 548-page full-colour book as a look towards the future.
“We did not want to create a retro design, which is exceptionally easy to do with a car as charismatic as the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Freccia d’Oro. We much rather wanted to create a fascinating avant-garde solution with an individual character,” explains James Granger.
From the front the design builds on the name of the model, which translates as Golden Arrow. The form language is a combination of sharp-edged dynamism with svelte organic curves, set off by simple detailing.
“One of the impressions in this design was to create a luxury car which impresses through its simplicity in form and detail. The beauty is in the clarity of the shape, the sharpness of the lines and the lack of aggression. It is a sensual car with an air of mystery, developed for a customer who is perhaps more demanding than the average car enthusiast, searching for real beauty and art in a modern car. A car like this is intended as more of an art form, a highly individual creation which can be appreciated entirely by its owner for the lack of compromise in its tailored design. It is a luxury car of almost incomparable wealth, however through its beauty and fascination it can never be described as being pretentious. At the same time it is a car which intends to continue involving the owner through the mystery which the design presents: a timeless shape which is developed for appreciation rather than depreciation over time,” explains James Granger.
The book Alfa Romeo Freccia d’Oro will be presented at the Raduno meeting, the International Register for Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 and 2500 models, in Antwerp during the evening of Friday 1 June 2007. The meeting is set to become the largest gathering of the historical Alfa Romeo 6C models to date in Belgium.
“For KesselsGranger DesignWorks this project demonstrates the ability we have to style a unique car, which could also be built as a one-off or in limited series,” adds Steven Kessels.
