The story behind the Vandenbrink GTO

Earlier this week Dutch coachbuilder Vandenbrink Design took the wraps off its new Ferrari 599-based GTO (http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1026141_vandenbrink-design-gto-based-on-the-ferrari-599gtb a project that harks back to the days where an individual would build their dream car exactly how they envisage it in their mind. Vandenbrink Design stuck to the original techniques during construction, from hand sketching all the designs to beating out the aluminum panels with a hammer.

Heading the project was the founder of Vandenbrink Design, Michiel van den Brink, who recently sat down with the guys from Autoblog.nl and gave some important insights into the history of the car and its design process. During the early stages of the project, designers analyzed the lines of the original 250 GTO such as the long nose, short rear overhangs and the profile.

It was important that the basic structure of the donor 599 remained. Otherwise the new custom model would have to complete safety tests and gain new approval. This caused a dilemma because designers had to form the shape they desired using the existing skeleton of the 599.

Many more hurdles were encountered on the way, but it was all worth it for the final result. You can read the rest of the story here.