Stunt driver takes out Guinness World Record for the world’s tightest parrallel park

14 January, 2015

Sick of giving up those convenient parking spots because you don’t know whether your car will fit? Well, Fiat may just have the answer, and it comes in the form of their 500 model

We’re not going to talk about reversing cameras or that automated parallel parking rubbish, though — globally recognized stunt driver Alastair Moffatt has claimed the Guinness World Record for the world’s tightest parallel park, behind the wheel of a Fiat 500C.

Alastair was able to slide the Fiat between two parked cars, into a gap only 7.5cm longer than the car. This was done with a completely standard car, with only the ESC disabled to allow the car to be controlled with the handbrake, and higher tyre pressures. Alastair also utilized a steering knob to help with the rapid wheel work required.

You might not be willing to engage in such antics, but may at least rest assured that if you find yourself behind the wheel of a 500, you should have no problem squeezing the tiny vehicle into those pesky probably-too-small parking spots.

Check out the video of Alastair Moffat actually parking the Fiat below:

The motor car as an art form

We have certainly come a long way since the exhibition entitled 8 Automobiles, shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the autumn of 1951, the first exhibition concerned with the aesthetics of motor car design.
It was here that the often-used term ‘rolling sculpture’ was coined by curator Philip C Johnson, director of the department of architecture and design, when he said, “An automobile is a familiar 20th century artefact, and is no less worthy of being judged for its visual appeal than a building or a chair. Automobiles are hollow, rolling sculptures, and their design refinements are fascinating. We have selected cars whose details and basic design suggest that automobiles, besides being America’s most useful objects, could be a source of visual experience more enjoyable than they now are.”

More to the point

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.