Based off of a 1971 Ford Torino, Romanian artist Ioan Florea designed a liquid metal 3D printed vehicle that was auctioned off for $5,500.

Of all the areas that have been impacted by 3D printing, few have benefited from the technology as much as the automotive industry. While additive manufacturing has been used to produce functional cars on multiple occasions, Romanian artist Ioan Florea has proved that a 3D printed vehicle can simply serve as a grandiose piece of artwork.

The design of this non-functional vehicle was based off the 1971 Ford Torino. It was created with an industrial-sized 3D printer and an experimental technique to achieve an impressive metallic finish. Florea attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Romania before relocating to the United States to pursue freedom of expression through his art.

Liquid Metal Ford Torino: Pure Experimental 3D Printing

Originally created in 2013, the metallic 3D printed car was produced with an industrial binder jet 3D printed by the German manufacturer Voxeljet. This makes it one of the first automobiles to be made with additive manufacturing. The Liquid Metal Ford Torino has a sporadic and organically breathtaking pattern that was algorithmically generated using parametric design.

But the real eye-catcher is the outlandish metallic finish. It was implemented with an experimental liquid metal transfer technique developed by the artist himself. The body of the car is encapsulated in a liquid metal that contains the highest coefficient of reflectivity, offering an astonishing visual effect. According to Florea, he uses the untamed 3D printed shapes “to reflect light and give the car balance between the organic and geometric shapes.”

Going Once, Going Twice, Sold!

Although the Liquid Metal Ford Torino is extremely unconventional and non-functional, this rambunctious art piece managed to sell for $5,500 at the 2017 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction event in Arizona. This makes it the first-ever 3D printed car to “cross the auction block”. Prior to being sold, the 3D printed car was showcased at the New York International Auto Show 2014, Inside 3D Printing Show Rapid Show in Detroit, and IMTS Chicago 2014.

The 3D printed Ford Torino is designed to showcase the transformation between the second industrial revolution and the ongoing third industrial revolution. The stunning artistic automobile essentially depicts the global transition from assembly lines to automated technologies like 3D printing and advanced robotics. Nowadays, Florea is developing an 8 x 4 x 4 ft. industrial FDM 3D printer that is capable of printing with biodegradable polymers at extremely high speeds.