A BUTCHER’S hook, look (Cockney rhyming slang)
going nowhere fast
I remember being really surprised to see this pair of junked ‘66 Porsche 911s, left out to slowly fall apart - I don’t think I’d ever seen a Porsche in any kind of disrepair. It was a surprise similar in a way as when I saw a flat screen TV dumped on the street for the first time - unexpected.
things past
As a very young architect my dad designed this Ford dealership in Poole, near Bournmouth (UK) in 1957 - one of his first jobs and then the biggest Ford dealership in the country. Looks good to me and from what I’ve found out, it still has a fan club even today, well after it was demolished in the 70s
I came across these photos in his office files and noticed the car in the showroom - not a Ford, but a Jaguar XKSS. With the much talked about recent reveal of the new Jaguar Type 00 in Miami, here’s an example of a much earlier and equally impressive Jag. This one is actually very rare, one of only 16 made, so to spot it sitting in ‘my dad’s’ showroom definitely caught my attention.
Jaguar were sitting around wondering what to do with their D-type racing cars as they were withdrawing from competition racing after winning Le Mans for three consecutive years -1955, ‘56 & ‘57, so they decided to make a few minimal adaptations and make them ‘street legal’- they created a pretty fantastic machine.
things fast
Already a really small edition production of 25 planned, 9 were destroyed in the Coventry factory fire in 1957 and only 16 were completed, to be sold. One customer was Steve McQueen, who had the car re-sprayed British Racing green (originally white), changed the leather (originally red) and named it the ‘Green Rat’. Another custom alteration was the addition of a lockable door on the glove compartment, providing a safe spot for his Persol sunglasses (sensible!).
For those who need to know more about Steve McQueen’s XJSS on Jay Leno’s Garage (22m, driving it after 10m) where denim clad geezers go through the car, its history and take it for a drive.
picture of cool
POV (test drive)
Point of View – A phrase referencing the video gaming world that echoes a previous notion of ‘playing’. I created this 2D/3D collage using my childhood Matchbox #8 1966 Mustang combined with one of my many generic road postcards. A multi dimensional view into both a past as well as a future.
Bullit - I had to do it!
I spotted this can of dog food in Italy
Bullitt - watch the original trailer here (if you haven’t seen the film, now’s the time!)
Your father was a very talented, accomplished, architect.
What a great building and story - hurray for your papa!!