Peter Stevens’ body of work is quite simply remarkable.
Long before the McLaren F1, for which he is perhaps most famous along with Gordon Murray, he was entrusted by Lotus to follow the great Giorgetto Giugiaro in designing an Esprit. And the revival of the Elan, too, making both a very modern proposition to the point that both have barely aged from a design point of view.
Tom Walkinshaw used Peter’s eye and pen to create what became the Jaguar XJR-15, a Group C race car for the road.
From the McLaren F1 he moved on and created the Subaru Impreza rally car, and its replacement, for Prodrive.
He styled his second Le Mans winner in the BMW V12 LM, making it look like a BMW rather than just another prototype sports car.
Within a year of that famous win her switched to overseeing award-winning and brave designs for MG and Rover.
Away from his fabulous production work he retained a love of American machinery, and specials in particular. One he built, named the Alexander Special after its special Alexander Engineering head, has returned to his garage and will be raucously taking to the Experience & Demonstration Track for Flywheel.
The category? Pioneers. Because if anyone could be classed as a pioneer, Peter Stevens could.
Joining Peter’s Model A/Model T hybrid will be a variety of automotive pioneers, whether introducing new technology – successful or not – or groundbreaking in other ways. Expect the unexpected.
To see Peter Stevens’ special creation in all its powerful, skinny tyred glory, join us for Flywheel on 17-18 June. Book now.
