With an affection for model cars and the Lotus XI, enthusiast Jim Simpson set out to build one of the coolest enthusiast cars around.
Coachbuilding is somewhat of a lost art. Sure you have larger companies that hand-build cars and there are customizers that will build off of a predesigned car, but for the most part, mass auto manufacturing has somewhat dampened a skill that used to be pretty widespread. Maybe it's about the money involved or maybe it's about attention to detail. Either way, when Simpson Design made this car, both of these aspects played a big role in the final product. It is obvious that no attention to detail was overlooked and no expense was spared.
“The Swift Project”, as it is called, began with an idea. Simpson was really into model cars, of course, this branched into his work as well through his company Simpson Design. This best manifested itself in the form of his admiration for the Michelotti-designed Lotus XI which led to him creating a 1/24 scale model for himself. Of course, this began a long and arduous process of creating a car from a model. Luckily the builder had a friend who offered to make a 3D model of the car and after talks with a potential client he set out to rebuild this masterful work of design.
With heaps of help from various friends and professionals that he knew from years of working in the automotive industry, a final wood buck was produced. This finally allowed for the body to be complete and the process to be that much closer to being done. Finally, the body was fitted to scratch built chassis. This short wheelbase combined with a 1,400-lbs curb weight makes for a good handling car that its creator describes as a sports racer for the street. This car is now up for auction on Lucky Old Car. For more information on this car or how to register to place your bid click here.
