ROME – Bufalino is a single-seater camper built on the basis of the famous Piaggio Ape 50 (the “little bee”), the result of the creative flair of the German industrial designer Cornelius Comanns. A model that has never seen the light of day but in these times of pandemic, and the consequent surge in sales of the camper & caravan sector, has come back to the fore with relative “rumors” on a possible realization.
The project of the “single-portion” motorhome, which originated from the thesis in Industrial Design by the young Comanns, is decidedly original and well articulated between the various steps carried out with software such as Rhino, Bryce and a pass of Photoshop to optimize the final result. The preparation work was meticulous also because the starting point of the iconic Ape 50 “boxed”, although extremely versatile and with efficient motorization (which was why it was chosen by the designer), did not leave large spaces available for the realization of a camper.
Observing the final result, it is surprising to see how each element has been studied in detail to offer functionality and simplicity. Except for the bathroom that has not been contemplated (after all, the Bufalino is made for life “en plein air” …), nothing is missing, there is a comfortable bed that materializes thanks to the folding of the seat back swiveling, connecting with the rear floor, the office space with a laptop shelf.
And then again here is the kitchenette with a stove, a sink, a small water tank, a mini fridge, a chest of drawers for utensils, a bedside table and a coat rack. The rear part, with a sill, can be opened via three doors: a large one with upward opening, which can also be used as a canopy when you want to eat outdoors or as a drying rack for laundry, and two with side opening .
Nothing has been left to chance and the elegant wooden inserts on the body have been combined with panels with a refined design with a Scottish motif, the same finish that we also find in the interior trim and on the ceiling lamp (raised to offer more space). The driving position has been embellished with a nice chrome handlebar that matches the speedometer in the center of the dashboard. In short, the Bufalino is just waiting to be made, perhaps in a small series by some customizer who has already had experience in transforming the historic Ape. After all, just take a look on the net to see how imagination does not lack the transformations of the handyman of the Pontedera house.
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