The Spritual successor to the 1970 Range Rover was revealed at the 2004 Detroit Motorshow… Although not a part of the family now, it is impossible not to include the Range Stormer. Beguilingly handsome and with blue-chip credentials, it is certain that when this car enters production, it will be a huge success for Land [...]

Development on the new Range Rover started in 1995, and it went through several metamorphoses before management were completely happy with the direction it was going in…. Land Rover and BMW produced competing design proposals, and it was the British iteration of the concept that won through at the end of the day. Former Rover [...]

The biggest criticism normally aimed at the Maxi – other than the early model’s obstructive gearchange – is usually reserved for its plain Jane styling. The Aquila showed how it could have been made into a far more stylish beast. Alas, it was only ever to be a one-off styling exercise. AS the winning entry [...]

The Maxi received a couple of facelifts before it reached production in 1969. Here are a number of prototype images of the ADO14 project before it received its final Roy Haynes penned front and rear ends. Pictures supplied by Ian Nicholls. Styling sketch Full-size clays Full-sized prototype The four-door Morris Maxi Thanks to Ian Nicholls [...]

This car is an AROnline favourite, and this one still exists at the British Motor Heritage Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

Below are some pictures showing the development of ADO71 – or Diablo, as it was known in the early stages. Wedge development Slippery wedge… Three-box alternative Frontal treatments Interior designs

In 1986, we were treated to a pedestrian-friendly Metro – somewhat ahead of its time, we feel… Snub-nosed Metro THE Pedestrian Safety Car One (PSC1) had a re-designed nose, compliant in order to deform on impact with pedestrians. At speeds upto 25mph the polyurethane front bumper, which measured eight inches high and six inches deep, [...]

Although it seems inconceivable now, in the late 1970s, when the mini Metro was being developed, it was being groomed to replace the original Issigonis-designed Mini, a car that remained in production until 2000. For all those die-hard Mini owners how didn’t believe they needed a hatchback, BL developed a saloon version of the Metro. [...]

The Honda Ballade came to BL in the early months of 1980, and the company planned to create a different look for the car. The sketches, penned by the BL Styling Department clearly show that the designers initially worked under the false assumption that they would be able to alter the car’s styling – as [...]

Thoughts on replacing the E-type weren’t limited to the V12-powered XJ-S grand tourer. Jaguar was also cooking up this potentially pretty sports car to supplement the new and exciting XJ6 saloon. But, as Ian Nicholls explains, things weren’t always that simple… The missing link THE Jaguar XJ21 was the missing link between the E-type sports [...]

A mid-1970s update and bumper height regulations meant that Jaguar needed to facelift the front end. Some of these proposals are very interesting indeed… A new face Images supplied by Ian Nicholls

Getting the styling right on Project XJ4 was always going to be tricky… And as you can see, they had a few goes at it, before settling on the final, beautiful, solution. From E- to XJ- in a few simple steps Experimentation: Fronal styling Images supplied by Ian Nicholls

The 1300 was a vitally important car for Triumph. It is clear from the number of attempts to get the styling right that the company wasn’t taking any chances – and Michelotti obliged by producing a fantastic looking product. Michelotti styling sketches Nearing completion Thanks to Ian Nicholls and Graham Arnold for the pictures

The origins of ADO17 can be traced back to XC9000, the first in a series of designs produced by Alec Issigonis in 1956, following his return to BMC from Alvis. The rear-wheel-drive XC9000 prototype was developed into the front-wheel-drive XC9001, before the project was shelved in response to the Suez Crisis. The XC9001 design was [...]

Some photos taken during the Triumph 2000′s development programme… Project Zebu Project Barb Project Innsbruck 2000 fastback

Designated the C2, engineered at Poissy and styled in Whitley, the five-door hatchback that emerged sported a clean and crisp style and contemporary layout. Concept drawing Clay models Saloon styling proposal  

A brief look at how the ground-breaking Mini made it from sketch pad to showroom in little more than two years. This page was contributed by Declan Berridge

The Triumph Stag might have started on a Michelotti-penned whim, but it was developed into a potential world-beater by the engineers and designers at Canley. Here are some images of the Stag’s development from concept car towards production – and the still-born three-door coupé version. From 2000 to Stag, via Michelotti Coupé version

In 1967, Joe Edwards of BMH managed to secure the services of Roy Haynes from Ford as a stylist at the new BMH/Pressed Steel styling studios at Cowley in Oxford. Haynes had previously successfully styled the Ford Cortina MkII and he applied the style of this design to his new project, ADO28 – what was [...]

The Morris Marina was conceived in a hurry, but designers consoled themselves in the fact that it was only going to last five or six years… Here we reveal pictures of the ADO77, and discuss why it never came into fruition. Missing Marina THE trouble with developing and launching a car in a hurry is [...]