Alfa Romeo Super Flow I by Pininfarina illustration
As a kid, one of the most disappointing things I realized about cars is that looking aerodynamic to the untrained eye is not the same as being aerodynamic.
As designers, engineers, and racers began to make their vehicles more slippery in order to increase top speeds, there seemed to be a period in the Jet Age ’50s when those on the bleeding edge ended up designing vehicles that looked fit for Speed Racer.
Both Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina were riding this bleeding edge, and by the mid-’50s had already begun to experiment with new materials. Much like Horacio Pagani and Koenigsegg these days, the elite coachbuilders found themselves trying to walk the line between classic forms and technology, and in the process ended up creating cars like this.
1956 Alfa Romeo Super Flow I by Pininfarina from above • source unknown
The Super Flow I debuted at the 1956 Turin Motor Show, wearing this beautiful body that creatively blends metal with its Plexiglass front fenders, clear front grille “bulge” that extends over the hood, and roof.
