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Motor sports inspire car designers and marketeers. It makes sense But there are also two other disciplines that inspire your cars: fashion and watchmaking.
Many brands, often premium or luxury brands, have agreements with manufacturers or watchmakers to install a chronograph or clock on the central console. This combination brings together two worlds where pinions, gears and the precision of all these mechanics are essential. Creating a watch requires a lot of preparation and expertise. This also true for the automotive industry. And as if the chronograph on board weren't enough, some are inspired by watch straps for the leather upholstery design.
Fashion also forms part of the automotive design office. Car designers follow trends for exterior lines and interior ambience. The choice of colours,materials and even textures may be closely linked to developments in luxury or ready-to-wear fashion. This intimate connection is typically exploited by brands that love to associate cars with haute couture and jewellery. It is also a way of reminding us that concours d'élégance are parades of beautiful car bodies surrounded by women and men competing with grace and boldness in their clothing.
And when evening dress isn't appropriate, we switch to sportswear and competition Colours, on-board ambience, spoilers, wings, wheel arches, rims, bonnet design and bumpers can all take inspiration from motor sport. Manufacturers are happy to commemorate achievements on the race track or rally stages with special limited editions or body kits and accessories. Perhaps even a 'street legal' version, i.e. the a competition model that is approved for use on public roads. And for some, it’s not just a sheep in wolf's clothing, the car really does performs well and is worthy of its competition rivals.
