Alcraft Motor Company to ‘reinterpret’ British vehicles

Alcraft Motor Company, a new British bespoke design and engineering business, has launched its first design study in a line of concepts that will “reinterpret vehicles using British design values.”

With the help of students from the Royal College of Art, Alcraft will initially focus on marques with British heritage, including Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.

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It’s this last brand Alcraft is turning its attention to first, reimagining the 2013 model year Range Rover with even more of a British spin. Here’s how, according to Alcraft design consultant Matthew Humphries:

“We’re extremely pleased with how the Range Rover study has turned out. We’ve made it more elegant by simplifying the lines and have given it the timelessness associated with the best British design.

“We’ve also differentiated it more from the other Range Rover models and I think we’ve achieved a more limousine-like presence while ensuring a degree of classic British understatement.”

While we agree that the re-designed Rangie is much simpler and more elegant – the chintzy chrome has been banished – we have to admit the styling approach is more evolutionary than revolutionary.

But then again, this is the idea behind the new project in collaboration with the RCA.

The RCA has more of an influence on modern car design than you might think, too. Many graduates from the institution have progressed into many major car manufacturers’ design departments, including Paul Howse, who worked on the new McLaren P1 hybrid hypercar.

Alcraft believes there’s a very real opportunity to target those more reserved buyers of high-end luxury cars, as company chief executive David Alcraft explains:

“Although some customers want their cars to make loud personal statements, we believe there’s a gap in the market for personalising products in a way which explicitly respects their brands’ heritage and British style.

“This is something which is not specifically provided for by other companies. We’re very privileged to work with the Royal College of Art, which has helped us develop this ideology into vehicle designs.”

Alcraft’s views are backed up by a recent study, which outlined almost half of people asked said they regard British style, craftsmanship and heritage in their choice of vehicle as “very important.” And that’s despite many respondents owning non-British brands.

The Alcraft Motor Company Range Rover study is the first in a number of re-imagined concepts that will appear in the future – the company is already taking customer enquiries for visual enhancements to the Range Rover Sport and Evoque models, the Land Rover Discovery and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake estate.

What do you think of the Alcraft re-imagined Range Rover?

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By motoringresearch.com