Melbourne-based, Detroit-raised Metros shares his passion for hot rods, motorcycles, and art with us in Fuel’s video below:
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By ignoring all the passion that makes motorcycles great, Joey Ruiter has created Moto Undone—a powerful expression of simplicity. Built upon a bespoke chassis and powered by a 1000w electric hub motor with a 90-mile range, the bike is nothing if not unique.
I’ll let Ruiter explain the concept:
“At jruiter I.D. we want to re-set the definition of a motorbike by stripping away historical attributes that make them so great. It’s hard to image a motorcycle without fancy paint, overpowered motors, exposed mechanical genius, and sweet exhaust tones. There motorbike references are small and when someone is riding they are all you see. The bike almost disappears. The rider just floats along the streets silently.
Powered by a 1000w 48v electric hub motor, moto undone has a range of 90 miles or about 3 hours. All gauges and riding information, like speed and gps, is displayed through smart phones by downloadable apps.”
Every so often an artist comes along and radically changes perception. Our perception of color, our approach to technique and form, even our view and acceptance of a once booming metropolis and the company from which it was birthed.
Born in New York City during the sixties, Camilo Pardo was destined to create. His mother, a painter, frequently took him into the heart of Manhattan to visit the Modern Museum of Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art, both of which deeply immersed young Pardo in the fundamentals of art and design.
During his formative years, Pardo’s mother moved him to suburban Detroit. A move that would foster his immense love for cars. His room, like most boys, was covered by posters of sports and racing cars while die-cast model cars littered every other conceivable surface—his favorite being a Johnny Lightning Porsche slot car swathed in the infamous Gulf Racing blue and orange. It was an affection which would play out in a big way later in his life.
Living near Detroit, growing up with art, and playing with Motown classics like the Barracuda, Roadrunner, and Challenger, it’s no real surprise that Pardo developed an affinity for automotive design. Graduating from Detroit’s Center for Creative Studies (now College for Creative Studies, my alma mater) in 1985 with a degree in Industrial Design, he was snatched up quick by the Dearborn-based Ford Motor Company.
Shortly after being hired, Pardo moved into the famed Bankle Building on Woodward Avenue, and set up his personal studio in which he painted, sketched, and designed while eventually working his way up to Chief Designer of Ford’s Living Legends Studio.
In 2001, Pardo was given the green light of a lifetime—to begin work on a modern revival of the storied Ford GT40. Revealed in 2002 as a concept, the Ford GT was later approved for limited production (4,308 units over five years) and helped serve as Ford’s brand ambassador during some very troubled times.
The work you see interspersed with the above words is Pardo’s personal work. You’ll see some GT, some Mustang, some Formula One, and all stylistic attitude. But one thing holds true throughout: Pardo is a true artistic visionary. Some have even suggested him as the Andy Warhol of automotive art and design. Having seen his work up close and been to more than a few of his Designer’s Night parties, I can attest to some of the monumental conclusions being drawn. Only time will tell.
All works © Camilo Pardo
Theme sketch stage.
Theme sketch development stage.
Interior theme sketch development stage.
Theme refinement stage.
Final design chosen.
Clay model sculpting begins, Di-Noc film applied.
Ergonomics finalized in clay form.
Bespoke aluminum, carbon fiber, and fiberglass prototype hand built.
Final Ford Evos Concept prototype.
