I think it’s safe to say that many of us have a constantly changing list of favorite designs rattling around in our brains. But few of us have the experience to really express why we like those designs like Frank Stephenson.
The designer of the Ferrari F430 and the FXX has taken to his channel to pick his three favorite prancing horses. More importantly, he takes the time to explain why he loves each one so much.
The first is a bit of a low key choice: the 365 GT4 BB. As one of Ferrari’s first mid-engine cars, it was a departure for the Modenese manufacturer. Responding to the gauntlet thrown down by the Lamborghini Miura, it stuck a flat 12 behind the driver that gave the BB a low center gravity and great weight distribution.
Stephenson argues that it also introduced many of the cues that made late ’60s and early ’70s design so lovable. The wide shoulder line that runs the length of the car, the flared wheel arches, and the pop-up headlights make this a stunner.
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His next favorite is a bit more predictable, but only because its design is so widely loved. The 250 GT Lusso, whose design has influenced countless cars including the new Ferrari Roma, was and remains a classic.
It also was the first Ferrari to bring a ducktail spoiler to production, but that wasn’t the secret to its success. The real secret, per Stephenson, is how flowing and natural the lines are. Each piece of the car flows organically into the next creating a path for the eye to follow.
And finally, Stephenson picks the Dino 246 GT. The little lightweight was a response to the 911 and Ferrari’s first mid-engined car. Again, the designer is enamored of the surface transitions that make each part of the car flow together flawlessly.
Whether or not you agree, you can’t deny that the man knows how to pick a pretty car.