DV8

bellemachina.com

The DV8 is my attempt to change the world. This fabric-covered automobile was first conceived in 1998 with my brother, James Vinson. He and I lacked the resources, but maintained the vision. After many years of considering the possibility, the global need for this solution became apparent. The premise of this solution was simple… Reduce the energy needs during the production of the automobile and exponentially reduce the carbon impact of car.

Here are the advances this solution proposes.

- reduces the weight for any future power plant application

- no paint means less toxic content and waste products

- tooling complexity is reduced substantially

- locally sourced materials reduce transport impacts

- lower replacement costs

This prototype was constructed on the tube frame chassis of a rail buggy. The triangulated space frame provides a safe roll cage and the rigid points for the mechanical elements of the car. This type of construction echoes the same principles of simplicity and efficiency without the typical restrictions of manufacture. This frame type is quite rigid, but allows a great amount of freedom in its shape. By keeping the initial concept simple and flexible, anyone can produce it

The original shape of the car comes from a series of curved steel bars welded to the original frame. A nylon cloth was then stretched tight across the bars to produce a tent structure. Straps hold the car’s “skin” taught to the frame and buckles allow a quick change of color, texture, or fashion. The shape and the skin may be altered in future versions.

I performed all of the design and labor required for this prototype. The actual execution of the final design seen here took one month and 4 days. It was first driven on the street on September 4, 2010. It required me to learn how to sew, make advanced patterns, and compound bend metal bars. I performed the welding at my friend, Chris Dayton’s place. The rest of this car grew out of Craigslist, my apartment floor and a 10x15 rented storage facility. All work performed in the rented space took place without the benefits of power or water, making this prototype’s construction “green”. The steel bars were made with a manual tubing roller and the skin was sewn on a standard machine.

all included works are created by Dan Vinson


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		The DV8 is my attempt to change the world. This fabric-covered automobile was first conceived in 1998 with my brother, James Vinson. He and I lacked the resources, but maintained the vision. After many years of considering the possibility, the global need for this solution became apparent. The premise of this solution was simple… Reduce the energy needs during the production of the automobile and exponentially reduce the carbon impact of car. Here are the advances this solution proposes. - reduces the weight for any future power plant application - no paint means less toxic content and waste products - tooling complexity is reduced substantially - locally sourced materials reduce transport impacts - lower replacement costs This prototype was constructed on the tube frame chassis of a rail buggy. The triangulated space frame provides a safe roll cage and the rigid points for the mechanical elements of the car. This type of construction echoes the same principles of simplicity and efficiency without the typical restrictions of manufacture. This frame type is quite rigid, but allows a great amount of freedom in its shape. By keeping the initial concept simple and flexible, anyone can produce it						The original shape of the car comes from a series of curved steel bars welded to the original frame. A nylon cloth was then stretched tight across the bars to produce a tent structure. Straps hold the car’s “skin” taught to the frame and buckles allow a quick change of color, texture, or fashion. The shape and the skin may be altered in future versions. I performed all of the design and labor required for this prototype. The actual execution of the final design seen here took one month and 4 days. It was first driven on the street on September 4, 2010. It required me to learn how to sew, make advanced patterns, and compound bend metal bars. I performed the welding at my friend, Chris Dayton’s place. The rest of this car grew out of Craigslist, my apartment floor and a 10x15 rented storage facility. All work performed in the rented space took place without the benefits of power or water, making this prototype’s construction “green”. The steel bars were made with a manual tubing roller and the skin was sewn on a standard machine.



		all included works are created by Dan Vinson Visitor Count