I informed Denise Thorpe that:
> > The Farina Magnette was a
> > production car, and was imported here; Farina Magnette is just a shorthand
> > reference to the last Magnette (at least the last I can remember being
> > imported). The years would be late 50s OR early 60s--anyway the successor
> > to the Z series. The Magnette was restyled with fins and chrome, with the
> > assistance of the coachbuilder Farina. You have probably seen them
> > without hearing the Farina nickname.
And she replied:
>
> I've seen some pretty ugly cars in my time -- I used to own a Daimler SP250
> Dart, but I've never seen anything as nasty as you're describing. Maggets
> are bad enough without fins and chrome.
Well, I now have a reference article in front of me. There were Austin,
Morris, Wolseley, MG, and Riley variants of this car. I believe only the
Austin and the MG Magnette made it to these shores. The body design was
by Pinin Farina, aka Pininfarina. He designed some spectacular Alfas after
the war, but when working for the Americans or British, he seemed able
to design in the vernacular, so to speak, slathering on chrome and fins
with abandon. The BMC Farina quints were built starting in late 58 and
59.
They have a certain period charm, one might say. One british mag says the
consensus is that these cars were stodgy old puddings with all the classic
potential of a watering can. Well, imagine stodgy underpinnings with
fins, duotone paint, and plenty of chrome, and you've about got it. My
youngest brother had an Austin Farina, so I have even driven one. Heavy
and slow, but pleasant compared to American iron of the day. I'd
sure as heck rather drive a Farina than a 59 Chevy, having done both.
As if that were not enough, there were big Farinas, 6 cylinder versions of
the Austin and Wolseley, with the BMC C engine. Farina did design a
version of the A40, which I personally think is cute as cute can be. I'd
love one.
I can't find any indication Farina had a hand directly in styling the
1100, though obviously he was doing a lot of design work for BMC in that
era. It probably was done in house by BMC. But there is a resemblance
between the 100 and the A40 Farina, especially in the roofline and window
treatment.
> The Mini people claim that the 1100 was designed by the same guy who
> designed the Mini -- Sir Igonissossissoss, or some such thing. Of course,
> they may have been referring to the mechanicals.
You are correct Sir Alec Issigonis-ississippi definitely did the
mechanicals; dunno about the body.
But if the 1100 was
> designed by somebody who put fins on a Magget, that would explain the
> goofy little fins on the 1100.
Look at the rear of the A40, and you will find pretty darn near the same
little fins. If BMC did the 1100 design, they probably were aiming for
a corporate look, and Farina had pretty much defined that look.
> Did he design the early Sunbeam Alpine?
No, that was designed by one Kenneth Howes, an english person who had
worked for Ford and Studebaker, where he may have caught the dread fin
fever. The Alpine bears more than a passing resemblance to a
Thunderbird. Some Alpine owners purposely buy early cars to get the big
fins in their pure, unadulterated form.
Ray
Ray Gibbons Dept. of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8910
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