Several Trucks designed by Luigi Colani between 1981 and 2001

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Sea_Cycle_909@reddit

Are there any advantages to those truck designs?

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Jimmy281059@reddit

Of course , you can reduce the fuel consumption , thanks to the aerodynamic form.

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Sea_Cycle_909@reddit

thanks, assumed they where designed to just look cool.

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jac_hop@reddit

Aerodynamics. Fuel efficiency. Field of view. Downsides are difficulty in manufacturing. Questionable ergonomics (or possibly better ergo… hard to say)

Not a bad doc about the designer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVo7H3EheMY

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knarfolled@reddit

More people pointing and taking pictures

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CuckforDonTrump@reddit

They're giving these out?! Thats wild! I thought they'd be super expensive 🤔

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Donteatyellowbears@reddit

This design was made in 1973, during the gaoline crisis. Colani said that it could save up to 40-50% of fuel consumption.a

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Comment139@reddit

Are the drag coefficients actually notably lower?

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KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit

I bet they are, especially in comparison to trucks from the time. Trucks at the time basically had the aerodynamics of a shed.

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Comment139@reddit

I'm guessing we have no numbers.

Also, I'm not sure contemporary trucks are less shed-like in their drag.

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HotSeatGamer@reddit

Collani and these designs have stuck in my head ever since I first saw them on cable tv on a show about future vehicles. The show blew my young mind! There were other vehicles/concepts too.

They talked about electric cars (a concept that was basically laughed about at the time) and how they could make a "skateboard" chassis with just the batteries and motors, then you could basically swap bodies depending on your use case.

They talked about driverless cars and showed basically a gondola on wheels, with no driver seat or steering wheel. It was driving itself along an enclosed test track.

I say all this because while I don't remember the exact name of the show or where to find it (somewhat sadly), I think I remember Collani saying the bubble windshield design saved like a third of the fuel usage and the jet airplane design saved like half!

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KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit

It really depends on the manufacturer. Although I've been trying to keep this a Euro-centric topic (since Colani is German), American trucks vary far more in size and shape than in Europe.

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Comment139@reddit

I live in Norway and I've never seen a truck without a big flat wall as a front. I guess you could say it's a wall with round edges?

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Epic2112@reddit

Don't forget: more efficient at overheating and dehydrating drivers during the summer due to massive glass panels.

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

The audi 100 c3 which had sloped side windows for aerodynamic purposes suffered exactly from this issues!

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Epic2112@reddit

The key difference is that it was a mistake with the Audi, whereas all of Colani's work was deliberately hostile to the user.

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Sea_Cycle_909@reddit

Thanks, I didn't realise. Thought they where just for looks.

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Less fuel consumption

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NocturnalPermission@reddit

Pretty sure Colani’s entire design process is picking up strangely shaped perfume bottles, handing it to an assistant, and telling them to put wheels on it.

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Jimmy281059@reddit

Colani ALWAYS has a reason for his projects, don't think he was just extravagant

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Efffro@reddit

Whilst consuming another huge rail of blow, obviously.

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NocturnalPermission@reddit

Well, I mean obviously.

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Wolf_Daddy95@reddit

The round windshield wiper setup looks pretty neat, imo

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Juzambas@reddit

They look like a woman's torso.

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FreedomSeedFarm@reddit

This is dope

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Big-man-kage@reddit

I think when I was younger and got my first iPod touch I put a picture of one of these as my Home Screen😭because it looked weird and futuristic

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storycars@reddit

We're covering all Luigi Colani designed vehicles in this article: https://www.story-cars.com/every-car-designed-by-luigi-colani

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Jimmy281059@reddit

Colani not "Collani"

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Made a typo: *between 1981 and 2009 ;)

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Donteatyellowbears@reddit

They were all built on Mercedes bases, the most recent ones on Actros bases, more specifically. Some were built on a DAF base (the ones with the large grille halfway the cab) and I even remember one or two being built on an Iveco.

The building rights for this design are now owned by Marchi Mobile, who build luxury RV's

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Donteatyellowbears@reddit

Colani was a genius. Completely nuts, but a genius.

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CatsVsCapitalism@reddit

I once hurt my throat attempting Luigi Colani's accent.

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Darksuit117@reddit

Was trying to remember this guys name few weeks back, was thinking about these weird fuckers when tesla semis were mentioned.

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potatoears@reddit

waluigi

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DrasticAnalysis@reddit

r/luigicolani

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1-LegInDaGrave@reddit

He design the trucks for The Highwayman?

What a fantastic show

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thelocker517@reddit

Thank you! I was trying to remember that show!

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1-LegInDaGrave@reddit

It was so original and fun. That was the first time I experienced sadness with a show being cancelled.

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LePequePepe@reddit

Who let bro cook?!

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South_Oread@reddit

So this dude fucked around for forty years, didn’t make anything that stuck and still had a career? All for it.

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KingHauler@reddit

Who kept giving this guy money to build these... things.

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thelocker517@reddit

Anyone remember the TV show that used one of these truck (or similar looking) for a truck/helicopter hybrid?

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OVERDRlVE@reddit

for a moment i thought it had a analog clock in the windshield

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SlefeMcDichael@reddit

The love child of Optimus Prime and a Fiat Multipla.

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Poopsticle_256@reddit

Deora II looking ass

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Cornualonga@reddit

I believe the first one is what Rodimus Prime is based on

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crazydart78@reddit

Where do you put the piss jug?

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Bah-Fong-Gool@reddit

Luigi "I Never Run Out Of Cocaine" Colani.

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unthused@reddit

Dude was really into spinny wiper blades apparently. Looks like it would be kind of crappy for visibility.

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HoldYourHorsesFriend@reddit

Looks like it would be kind of crappy for visibility.

I fail to see how it'll be worse for visibility, it looks like they have ever more unobstructed view with no blind spots

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password-here@reddit

The window is much farther out from the driver making the sight line narrower. I can see that from here. An you imagine trying to keep all that fancy curved glass from leaking though? Trucks flex a lot.

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DefinitionBig4671@reddit

Pretty sure that the circle is not the extent of the windshield. I can see through some of the side areas where the mirrors are.

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55pilot@reddit

Yep, those windshields are weird. They sorta look like escape capsuls.

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ukyman95@reddit

I think it might work better . A spinning motor just going in one direction can spin faster and clear quicker . Maybe it spins so much faster that you don’t notice them .

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jonpaladin@reddit

maybe it can transform into helicopter gear!

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Callidonaut@reddit

Looks like it combines all the disadvantages of oscillating wipers with all the disadvantages of a clear view screen, whilst retaining the benefits of neither.

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Fenweekooo@reddit

but great to tie in with the merc badge design wise

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ernamewastaken@reddit

Dude must love belugas

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elf25@reddit

I want what that guy smokes

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JFKswanderinghands@reddit

People like to masturbate in all kinds of ways. This is how a “designer” jerks it.

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Driver2900@reddit

r/futigerAero called, they'll take 20

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TheAwkwardBanana@reddit

Wow, I love this subreddit!

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MuchoRed@reddit

Took his inspiration from the beluga whale, I see

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lemontwistcultist@reddit

Someone take away this man's drugs

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shavemejesus@reddit

Looks like a Fiat Multipla had sex with a Xenomorph.

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sendvo@reddit

this is what happens when you surround yourself with yes-men :D

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WolFlow2021@reddit

It was a novelty at the time but those designs aged poorly. Reminds me of some Japanese ricers' cars that have some similar unneeded "extensions".

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Indeed! This was also the first thing that came into my mind. This especially apllies for the DAF Aero 3000, maybe it took some influence of contemporary tuning culture?

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eli-in-the-sky@reddit

Was he like a Make-a-Wish kid?? Why else let these happen,?

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badchriss@reddit

The last truck looks like a Stormtrooper helmet.

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not_that_guy_at_work@reddit

Serious question: Are these designs really effective aerodynamically? Have there been tests to show the efficiency? Or are these closer to concept 'cars' that look amazing but are as aerodynamic as a fry pan? Thanks

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iwantfutanaricumonme@reddit

No testing, but they're probably still better than regular trucks. But the recessed gap between the windshield and bumper will probably create significant pressure. It's hard to tell on these images, but the shape of the rear has a big effect on the aerodynamics, because a tapered rear will leave less of a wake behind it. The shape is more like a hydrodynamic ship with a bulbous bow.

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Equivalent-Wall-2287@reddit

Looks like if Apple designed a truck

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EnviousMeasle@reddit

Looks like the Highwayman

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miksy_oo@reddit

I like the streamlined trailers but those trucks are borderline disgusting

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elkab0ng@reddit

Wild stuff. I wonder what the view looked like out of the window!

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ganguspangus@reddit

http://www.bubblemania.fr/de/spitzer-mercedes-colani/ here’s an article and a view from the inside

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Shpander@reddit

So the front half is articulated, but only the portion with the wheels, not the driver's cab above... Sounds like a nightmare to drive.

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er1catwork@reddit

Wow! The inside looks much nicer than what I was expecting!

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Thanks, reliable infos about the specs are hard to come by.

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ganguspangus@reddit

Welcome, I was fascinated with this thing in the 90s if I remember correctly you can see one of them in a scene of the movie 2010 the year we make contact

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Likewise, saw one at a loveparade years ago and was also fascinated by the design. Was quite impressed, that the earliest examples were build in the early 80s. A decade before this round and organic design language became common in the car industry.

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elkab0ng@reddit

Amazing!! Thank you!

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fall-apart-dave@reddit

Imagine how much hassle a stone chip will be...

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Had the same thought. Would also be a pain in the a** to repair the bodywork

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Wiggles114@reddit

I'm noticing a theme here

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Schoolbububus@reddit (OP)

Happy cakeday

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Sad_Thought_4642@reddit

Dude forgot the driver has to live in the damned thing for a while too.

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GeeNah-of-the-Cs@reddit

A similar design was from the 70s in America specifically for the Red Arrow motor freight line. A fixed cab combined into a cargo module, suspended over a tractor which pivoted on a single kingpin like point.

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