William Towns
William Towns (1936–1993) also known as Bill Towns was a British car designer, likely most famous for his very striking 1976 design for the Mk.II Aston Martin Lagonda. Towns had already designed Aston Martin's 1967 DBS (the successor to their DB6), which evolved into the Aston Martin V8 with very subtle restyling, and which remained the brand's main car until 1989. Later, Towns also drew the again very futuristic 1980 Aston Martin Bulldog concept car.
William Towns | |
|---|---|
1979 Hustler. William Towns is behind the car, facing the camera | |
| Born | 1936 |
| Died | 1993 (aged 56–57) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, designer |
| Years active | 1954–1993 |
| Known for | Automotive design |
| Notable work | Aston Martin DBS Aston Martin Lagonda Rover-BRM |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Percival |
Design career edit
Towns began his training as a designer at Rootes in 1954, where he was mainly involved in the styling of seats and door handles. Later he was also involved with the styling of their Hillman Hunter. He moved to Rover in 1963 and worked there for David Bache and designed the body of the Rover-BRM gas turbine Le Mans car. In 1966, he left Rover to join Aston Martin as a seat designer. In 1967 he was asked to design the body for the new DBS.[1] In 1976 he designed the Aston Martin Lagonda luxury sedan.[2]
He left Aston Martin in 1977 for more remunerative industrial design work, setting up his own design studio, Interstyl.[3] As a freelance designer, he worked on the Jensen-Healey, the successful Hustler kit-car, the Reliant SS2 and the short-lived Railton F28/F29.[4]
Death edit
Towns died at the age of 56 or 57 from cancer in June 1993 at his home in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
Car collection edit
Until July 2005, his own cars were on display at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, UK.[5]
Gallery edit
- 1969 Aston Martin DBS
- 1972 Minissima
- 1976 Microdot
- 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog concept
- 1984 Aston Martin Lagonda
- Lagonda S.2 interior design
Cars designed by Towns edit
- 1964 Rover-BRM gas turbine car (with David Bache)
- 1967 Aston Martin DBS
- 1972 Jensen-Healey[citation needed]
- 1972 Minissima
- 1974 Aston Martin Lagonda
- 1974 Guyson E12[6]
- 1976 Microdot
- 1976 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2
- 1978 Hustler
- 1980 Aston Martin Bulldog
- 1985 TXC Tracer[7]
- 1988 Reliant SS2
- 1992 Reliant Scimitar Sabre
- 1989 Railton F28 Fairmile and F29 Claremont
References edit
- ^ https://www.astonmartin.com/models/past-models/dbs
- ^ "Feature: Aston Martin Lagonda". Channel 4. 9 March 2006.
- ^ Vaughan, Adam (12 May 2017). "This Humble Kit Car Has Exotic Roots". Motorism. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Interview with Towns, 'Wheels' series, Thames Television, 1980s. Published on YouTube 14 April 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPSbYw8cro
- ^ "Honest John's Agony column: Home Towns". The Daily Telegraph. 18 June 2005. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013.
- ^ Berridge, Declan (1 January 2016). "The converters : Guyson E12 by William Towns". aronline.co.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ Adams, Keith (1 December 2015). "The converters : Towns TXC Tracer". aronline.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
External links edit
- Biography
- Interview with William Towns on Wheels TV programme