Unveiled at the Rock En Seine music festival, Renault and Gibson collaborate to create a one-off special based on the Renault Wind Gordini. Some otakus are familiar because this is the brand of the guitar Yui Hirasawa used on K-ON (take note, the Gibson Les Paul).
Wind ‘Gordini by Gibson’ features a blue livery with two white stripes, yet the colours and materials it employs also explore one or two other ideas.
The Wind Gordini by Gibson’s interior is a little more original. Six real guitar strings are hand-stitched into each leather seat back and the radio knobs are replaced with Gibson guitar knobs. The Gibson logo is proudly featured on the leather-upholstered dashboard and on the seat backs, just above the Gordini logo. There are other minor changes like chrome air vents, chrome door handles and white seat belts.
Press Release
Renault Gordini and Gibson in tune with a special show car and guitar at the Rock En Seine Festival
To mark its second year at the Rock En Seine music festival, near Paris, France, Gordini has teamed up with Gibson to produce a one-off show car and an equally unique 'Gordini by Gibson' electric guitar. Gates open at 2:30pm on August 26, 2011.
- The leather seats of the Renault Wind-based 'Gordini by Gibson' show car incorporate real guitar strings, in addition to a host of other rocking details.
- Gibson's iconic SG model from 1961 has been treated to a stunning makeover featuring the familiar Gordini blue with white stripes.
Gordini and Gibson: a shared passion for innovation
There will be plenty to please the ears and eyes of Parisian festival goers this weekend thanks to a display comprising the one-off Wind 'Gordini by Gibson' show car plus five striking Gibson SG '61 guitars in Gordini colours. The early 1960s saw Gordini and Gibson both revolutionise their respective worlds with the introduction of a sporting version of the Renault 8 for the former and the release of the SG electric guitar in the case of Gibson. The two brands have long been reputed for the accent they place on innovation and their open-minded approach to the future is founded on the same sense of freedom. The fact that Gibson and Gordini have joined forces for this project could but inspire Renault's designers...
"We had tremendous fun designing the Wind-based 'Gordini by Gibson' show car and carrying Gordini's visual identity over to the Gibson SG '61 guitar," says Julia Macfarlane, colours and materials designer at Renault. "I hope that we succeed in conveying the passion that fired us throughout the project and that visitors to the Rock en Seine festival will like the result."
Guitar strings for the Wind 'Gordini by Gibson' show car's leather seats
Wind 'Gordini by Gibson' is a two-part harmony based on the two brands' respective styling cues. Unsurprisingly, Wind 'Gordini by Gibson' features a blue livery with two white stripes, yet the colours and materials it employs also explore one or two other ideas. In addition to the two hallmark white stripes which extend over the bonnet and blue roof, hints of gloss black feature across the bodywork, while Gibson logos are visible on the doors. An original attraction of the show car's blue and white leather upholstery is the incorporation of genuine guitar strings which have been hand-sewn into the leather seats. Meanwhile, embroidered Gibson logos feature on the seat backs and blue leather-trimmed dashboard, while the seat belt straps are white and chrome has been used for the air vents and door handles. Last but not least, the guitar potentiometer knob used for the audio system's volume control adds a 'fun' touch to the intrinsically switched-on and off-beat Wind 'Gordini by Gibson' show car.
Gordini treatment for the SG '61 electric guitar
The guitar selected by Gibson to fly Gordini's colours is a reissue of the original 1961 SG, a radical electric guitar in its day which went on to make its own contribution to the Gibson legend. The striking graphics formed by the Gordini blue and two white stripes lend themselves perfectly to a variety of schemes, as illustrated by the special Gordini SG '61's blue solid body and two white stripes, plus a Gordini logo on the headstock which tops its ebony neck. As they play this magnificent object, those festival goers who take part in the Gordini guitar solo competition will get a chance to sample the model's timeless looks, playability and technical strengths. Contestants also stand a chance to win one these fine guitars as a function of the number of votes they receive on the web for their playing.
