David Bache

Towards the end of World War II David joined the Austin Motor Company as an engineering apprentice.

The revised shape, completed in just six weeks lived on, little changed, until Land Rover Defender production ceased in early 2017.

The shape of cars was changing dramatically during the 1950s as soft rounded curves gave way to straight lines and sharp corners.

Improvements in construction enabled engineers to dispense with a separate chassis, allowing passengers to sit lower in the vehicle.

Other influences were the Italian coach-builder Ghia's designs for Chrysler, and work of Pininfarina, who had been commissioned to produce a coupé and convertible on the Rover P4 chassis prior to Bache's arrival.

Bache created the shape for the P5, then expected to be a smaller, higher volume model of a similar size to the current Ford Zephyr.

[3] Bache had a hand in the styling of the Range Rover that was launched in 1970, although the basic lines had already been defined by Spen King and Gordon Bashford.

[3] David Bache smoothed the prototype's functional lines and must share in the credit for the car's award-winning design.

[4][5] After being forced to resign from his post by newly installed BL chief Harold Musgrove in 1982 following disagreements over the yet-to-be-launched Austin Maestro, and his replacement by Roy Axe, he set up his own design company,[5] David Bache Associates which worked outside the motor industry as much as inside it.