What becomes of an auto company whose designer - and brand's namesake - decides to leave the company? That's the awkward position Vandenbrink Design BV has found itself in after the Dutch coachbuilder's designer, Michiel van den Brink, left the company to return to his roots as an independent designer.

If you're not all too familiar with the brand, we really can't blame you since the company is pretty much known for producing custom vehicles tailored after exclusive supercars. In fact, one of van den Brink's biggest achievements was designing the Vandenbrink 599 GTO, a car that was built as a tribute of sorts to the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO and was bestowed with a number of design awards, including the Good Design Award 2008 by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

Now that van den Brink has all but left the company in the hands of his partner Robert Koumans, it remains to be seen as to what direction the new company, which will now be called "Atelier Michiel van den Brink", will take after its lead designer leaves for greener - or so we think - pastures.

.