Pierre Cardin Automotive

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Couturier with references to the automotive industry: Pierre Cardin

Pierre Cardin Automotive was an American automobile manufacturer that started offering a high-priced luxury coupe called Evolution I from 1980 . The company used the name of the French fashion designer Pierre Cardin , who was awarded the authorship of the design of the body of this vehicle. The Evolution I was a so-called boutique car, i. H. a vehicle that was based on a well-known high-volume model and had an alienated body and an exclusive interior. Only a few dozen copies were made by 1981 and were sold by 1982.

Background and story

In the 1970s, it was common practice, particularly in the American automotive market, to upgrade mass-produced vehicles with specially designed equipment variants. Some manufacturers linked these special versions with the names of well-known designers who were also supposed to give them exclusivity. AMC introduced this concept in 1971 with the Hornet "Gucci" ; Lincoln took it over a few years later for the expensive Mark Series models .

Pierre Cardin also took part in these upgrades and worked with various vehicle manufacturers. One of his first automobile projects was the Simca 1100 Cardin from 1969, a design study with a modified rear and a futuristic interior on behalf of Simca , executed by Chappe et Gessalin , which ultimately remained a one-off. This was followed by small-series, refined models with his name such as the AMC Javelin "Pierre Cardin" (1971–1973) or - far more exclusive - the Sbarro Stash Cardin from 1976, made in Switzerland . Three years later, the American luxury brand Cadillac offered factory-made products a "Pierre Cardin Edition" equipment line of the DeVille / Fleetwood range .

With the Pierre Cardin Automotive company founded in 1980, the French fashion designer went one step further: his name has now become part of the designation of an automobile manufacturer. It is unclear whether Cardin himself was involved in the company. Pierre Cardin Automotive was based in the World Trade Center in New York . It sold the Cardin Evolution I. The very expensive vehicles were difficult to sell. In 1984 the company ceased operations. There was no successor model.

Cardin Evolution I.

The starting model: Cadillac Eldorado of the 6th generation

The basis of the Evolution I was the Cadillac Eldorado Coupé in its significantly reduced form presented in 1978. The chassis, drive technology and passenger cell have been taken over from the original vehicle unchanged, as have the glazing and the essential sheet metal parts up to the fenders. The design of the front and rear as well as the interior, on the other hand, was independent. It was attributed to Pierre Cardin. However, it is doubtful whether Cardin was actually responsible for the design.

The revised front section of the Evolution I was particularly striking. Instead of the conventional front end, Cardin Automotive added an independently designed unit that was more than 50 centimeters long and continued the line of the standard fenders in a slightly sloping manner. As a result, the front overhang of the car grew significantly. A radiator grille made of horizontal chrome-plated struts extended across the entire width of the front of the car; the headlights were hidden behind flaps that continued the design of the grill. Overall, the front of the Evolution I is said to have used less chrome than that of the standard Cadillac Eldorado. The front bumpers were carried over from the Oldsmobile Toronado , which was based on the same platform as the Eldorado and had almost identical dimensions.

The rear of the Evolution I was also redesigned. Instead of the narrow, vertical rear lights, the Evolution I had a narrow strip of lights that stretched across the entire width of the car above the license plate. This stylistic device was innovative and found a few years later, for example, in the Alfa Romeo 164 . Finally, the rear-view mirrors, which were located in an eye-catching, aerodynamically clad housing, were new. Some - but not all - of the Evolution I used the door handles of the Oldsmobile Toronado.

The interior has been significantly upgraded. The Evolution I took over the instrument panel from the Cadillac Eldorado. Unlike in his case, however, the dashboard was clad with high-quality real wood. The seats were covered with English leather. Upon request, a stereo system, a Sony television set with video recorder and a refrigerated mini-bar placed between the rear seats could be supplied; the latter was equipped with crystal glasses. The paint consisted of 30 layers that were applied by hand.

- problematic in practice - as a driving source of unadjusted, 6.0-liter eight-cylinder engine of Cadillac, who served a cylinder deactivation disposal. It developed 106 kW (144 PS). This enabled the car to reach a top speed of 165 km / h. The purchase price of the Evolution I was $ 55,000 in the basic version in 1981 and $ 63,000 with the full equipment. For the same price you got three fully equipped Cadillac Eldorado.

The scope of production of the Evolution I is not clear. Pierre Cardin Automotive initially planned to produce a series of 300 vehicles. Some non-specialist publications readily accept this information. However, it is mostly doubted that such a production volume has really been achieved. The (few) sources available today assume that around 100 vehicles were manufactured. In recent years, various Evolution I vehicles have been offered on the American used car market. The vehicles offered had only two-digit serial numbers. No vehicle with a three-digit serial number is known to date.

At least one vehicle was subsequently converted into a convertible.

literature

  • Car catalog. No. 25 (1981/82), p. 152 (with illus.).
  • Nadja Traxler-Gerlich: Pierre Cardin. Luxury times mass. In: Wiener Journal. No. 18/2005 of May 7, 2005, p. 14 ff.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Albert R. Bochroch: American Cars of the Seventies. P. 19.
  2. ↑ Roger Gloor: All Cars of the 60s . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart. 1st edition 2006. ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 331.
  3. ↑ The Simca 1100 Cardin on the web portal lautomobileancienne.com , accessed on January 13, 2019 (French).
  4. ↑ a b car catalog. No. 25 (1981/82), p. 152.
  5. ↑ a b Information in the sales prospectus
  6. ↑ Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930–1980. P. 95.
  7. ↑ E.g. Traxler-Gerlich, Wiener Journal 18/2005, p. 16.
  8. ↑ A brief overview of the model history on the website www.hemmings.com (accessed on December 23, 2010).
  9. ↑ Internet advertisement from October 2010. ( Memento from February 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ illustration on www.flickr.com (accessed on 23 December 2010).
  11. ↑ Illustration and description of the convertible on the website www.jalopnik.com (accessed on November 2, 2016).