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A unique design, visionary function and remarkably low fuel consumption
are all features of the aero-dynamic bulk tankers prototype developed,
together with star designer Luigi Colani, by the Spitzer bulk tanker factory
in Elztal-Dallau. The sponsors of this forward-looking project also include
Corus Aluminium Rolled Products in Koblenz. 
Even as the Spitzer-Colani bulk tanker was on its way from the factory in
Elztal-Dallau to the IAA 2002 commercial vehicle trade fair there were a
few drivers who could hardly believe their eyes when they met it on the
motorway. The same went for many passersby en route, and of course
or the trade fair visitors in Hanover, where the vehicle was being presented
to the public on the occasion of the trade fair and the 50th anniversary of
the founding of Spitzer Silo-Fahrzeugwerke GmbH. The reactions were hardly surprising, considering the futuristic design and unique aerodynamic form of the innovative prototype are eye-catching even from a distance.
Tank constructed entirely of aluminium Like all the containers for powdered or gran-ulated bulk goods used for
Spitzer vehicles, the tank on the Spitzer-Colani bulk tanker is made
entirely of aluminium, allowing the total weight to be significantly reduced.
The fairing that offers such low wind-resistance consists of a variety of
materials, amongst which poly-ester, carbon-fibre and aluminium play
the most important roles. The support of spon-sors, including Corus
Aluminium Rolled Products, was vital to the project.
The Koblenz factory provided aluminium plate for a number of individual
parts. Luigi Colani
Luigi Colani, (born in Berlin on 2 August 1928 as Lutz Colani), is a German industrial designer whose father came from Madulain near St. Moritz in Switzerland and mother from Poland. The prime characteristic of his designs are the rounded, organic forms, which he terms "biodynamic" and claims are ergonomically superior to traditional designs. His "kitchen satellite" from 1969 is the most prominent example of this school of thought. Many of his designs for small appliances are being mass-produced and marketed, but his larger designs have not been built, "a whole host of futuristic concepts that will have us living in pods and driving cars so flat that leg amputation is the only option. |
