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The History of the Hand-Built Tradition

In the 1930's, the advent of high-speed roadways, new concepts of aerodynamics, and technological advancements converged to create a demand for luxury travel by private automobile. The finest mechanical designers of the day turned their attention and creativity to satisfying this market.

Coachbuilders developed special manufacturing techniques to build extraordinary limited-production cars. They combined elegant streamlined design, inventive state-of-the-art engineering, and superb detailed craftsmanship.

Commissioned by a discerning group of wealthy clients, who often participated in the design process, these cars express a boundless faith in the future, even in the face of tough economic times. While hand-built custom coach building continued into the late 1940's, post-war conditions were dramatically different—limited resources and a new emphasis on mass-produced cars for a burgeoning general market put an end to the era of the hand-built car.

Cooper Technica's mission is to help preserve these fine hand-built automobiles—creations of artisan-engineers who were not constrained by the demands of mass production, economics, or sometimes even practicality. Along with superb craft and imagination, their personalities and eccentricities are revealed in their work.

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