Geneva 1995 Highlight: Rinspeed Roadster SC-R

Rinspeed Design of Zumikon, Switzerland, arrived at Geneva in 1995 as a newly declared Swiss marque and presented the Roadster in two forms, SC-R and R. Switzerland had not introduced a domestic make for years, yet Rinspeed, long known for tailoring sports and luxury cars, stepped onto the stand with a small-series open car that nodded to the sixties and spoke the visual language of the nineties. The project had been based around the Panoz AIV Roadster, then reworked to suit Rinspeed’s brief.

The body used aircraft-quality aluminum and sat on a tubular stainless-steel chassis. Four compact projector headlights perched on small wings and free-standing front fenders framed a clean, unfussy nose. The stance read purposeful. The intent read practical. Although conceived as a leisure car, it had been described for everyday use, any weather, roof down if the mood demanded it.

Underneath, unequal-length double wishbones handled the front, a live axle located at four points managed the rear, and Koni supplied the dampers. The mechanical set came from the Ford Mustang: engine, transmission, brakes, and rear axle. The V8 displaced almost five liters and paired with a five-speed manual. In R form it kept the stock Ford tune at 218 hp. In SC-R form it wore a supercharger set to 0.3 bar and produced 305 hp with more than 570 Nm at 3,400 rpm. Simple recipe. Clear result.

The wheels and tires filled the arches as if measured with a ruler: Pirelli P Zero 225/40-18 at the front, 295/35-18 at the rear, mounted on three-piece chromed aluminum BBS rims sized 8½×18 inches front and 10×18 inches rear. The cabin followed the same tidy brief. Exclusive leather, proper bucket seats, a discreet stereo with a Pioneer CD changer, and a Momo steering wheel handled the essentials. A Nokia C232 provided period-correct mobile communication. De’Shama produced matching luggage in hand-sewn plastic and leather, and Burg Design supplied the exterior and interior labels and decors.

The sum read like this: a Swiss-badged, small-series roadster built around the Panoz AIV’s core, dressed in crisp aluminum, powered by a Mustang V8, and presented at Geneva in 1995 in naturally aspirated R and supercharged SC-R form. No frills beyond what had been needed. No fuss beyond what the era demanded.