Motoring misery

sounded the death knell for the coachbuilding industry and if names survived they were reduced to little more than a badge on a posh version of a mass produced model.

A couple of years ago Rolls ­ Royce produced three coachbuilt Boat Tail models that at the time were rumoured to be the most expensive cars in each. Many luxury car makers use a spaceframe sub ­ structure which allows for more design and manufacturing freedom. However the costs of such cars will always be beyond normal motoring folk.

Inadvertently though we may have already witnessed the birth of a new generation of effectively coachbuilt mation, automotive coalescences have taken place. The reportedly less than harmonious RenaultNissan alliance has survived for over two decades, and Toyota has a small interest in Suzuki.

Many car makers have amalgamated, for example Stellantis owns Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel, Vauxhall plus a slew of other brands.

Volkswagen Audi Group is another example with the Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda brands amongst their particular garage.

All these couplings allow manufacturers to share underpinnings of body and mechanical components. Toyota’s Supra and BMW’s Z4 share the same underpinnings despite one being a roadster and the other a coupe.

Skoda’s Octavia, SEAT’s Leon and Audi’s A3 all share the same platform under their bodies. So even those of us that drive more humble vehicles may have inadvertently become the owners of a new generation of coachbuilt cars.