Media Release
The National Automobile Museum of Tasmania located at 86 Cimitiere street Launceston presents The Art of the Coachbuilder as the feature theme display showing until the 22nd of September.
Coachbuilding as a craft began centuries ago. Later during early motoring days the customer typically purchased a rolling chassis comprising: chassis, drivetrain, suspension, steering and the radiator. The radiator was usually the only visual element identifying the rolling chassis brand.
Tasmania, during the early part of last century had many notable coachbuilders. Cramp Bros located in Hobart built an enviable reputation as a manufacturer of first class coaches and carriages. The Pagnell cart featured in the display is an excellent original example of early Tasmanian coachbuilding featuring ornate carved sidepanels and intricate linework.
F. Paine and Son were established in Launceston in 1852 and became one of Tasmania’s leading coachbuilders, trading for over 100 years. The display features a horse drawn Turnout Seat Buggy from the early 1900`s and the 1919 Buick which was produced for display at the 1920 Launceston Show. The Buick was the first car bodied by F.Paine and Son in aluminium and remains to this day in original condition.
The Rolls-Royce marque has been synonymous with the art of the coachbuilder for over a century and many of the worlds leading coachbuilders have been commissioned to produce bodies for these incomparable motor cars.
The 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Salamanca Permanent on display is one of 30 vehicles of this particular chassis and body type manufactured, it is believed that only 3 remain. The Silver Ghost features coachwork by the Willoughby Company, one of America’s larger custom production body builders and the only one who specialized in chauffeur-driven town cars, landaulets and limousines.
The 1949 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith displayed features coachwork by H.J. Mulliner & Co Ltd. The relationship between Rolls-Royce and H.J. Mulliner traces back to the early 1900`s when C.S. Rolls himself had Mulliners build a body for his own Silver Ghost. This magnificent car was used for many years as an everyday car in Launceston by the present owner.
Rolls-Royce acquired H.J. Mulliner in 1959 and merged it with another fine British Coachbuilder, Park Ward, which they had owned since 1939 forming Mulliner-Park Ward in 1961. The 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche 2 door saloon is a beautiful example of the merged company’s craft.
The name Alvis was always synonymous with craftsmanship and performance and the final models produced by this British manufacturer were no exception. The stunning centerpiece to the display is a 1965 Alvis TE21 Drophead Coupe that features coachwork by Park Ward.
After World War II mass production became mainstream, ending the era of separate manufacture of chassis and tailored coachworks. During the sixties monocoque and spaceframe constructions were introduced, which made it significantly more difficult for coachbuilders to fit newly designed bodies on a donor chassis. Freedom of coachwork design became more and more limited due to the predefined shapes of given body structures. Many coachbuilders went bankrupt, were bought by manufacturers or changed their core business.
One of the world’s best known coachbuilders Pininfarina survived these tough times and became a dedicated styling house designing everything from architecture to aircraft. Pininfarina is probably best known in automotive terms through the association with Ferrari, designing many of the Italian marques most beautiful cars. One such example is displayed in the 1968 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2. This magnificent car is one of only 52 right hand drive cars made and is in excellent original condition. This is a true grand touring car of the highest order.
It is a unique opportunity indeed to experience the true craftsmanship present in this remarkable collection of coachbuilt classics. This collection would take pride of place in any automobile museum in the world and must not be missed. See it today only at the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania.
Further details contact Phil Costello on 6334 8888
