Javi Martin
Lamborghini Miura; Lancia Stratos, Citroën BX, Alfa Romeo Montreal, Cizeta Moroder V16T… myths with wheels that, in case you haven't noticed, have a common link: their designer, Marcello Gandini. Born on August 26, 1938, this Italian became one of the most renowned Italian car designers, to whom we have to say goodbye. Marcello Gandini died on March 13, 2024 at the age of 85. and here is our small tribute to a career full of success.
Italian automobile design has always been postulated as the reference in an ultra-competitive industry, which measures almost every cent invested and its possible return. The passion they bring to their designs is unrivaled, although sometimes everything gets a little out of hand. Gandini never lost control and He was not only passionate and innovative, he was also pragmatic; She knew what he had to do, and she knew how to do it, even if she imposed her personality and his personal tastes along the way.
Marcelo Gandini was part of one of the most influential trio of designers between the 60s and the 80s., along with the no less versatile Giorgetto Giugiaro and the original and daring Leonardo Fioravanti. Three people born in the same year, and forever linked to the automobile for their sensational work.
GADINI'S BEST WORKS APPEARED DURING HIS STAGE AT BERTONE
Gandini will always be remembered for having been the one who marked, without a doubt, the current image of Lamborghini. During his years at Bertone, possibly the most fruitful, created two of the most spectacular and influential automobiles of their time: the Lamborghini Miura and the Lamborghini Countach. The first is considered the father of today's supercars, the second forever marked the image and personality of all the cars that the Italian brand has launched to date.
But he not only developed work for the Sant'Agatha company, while he was at Bertone, his portfolio became one of the most respected in the world. For example, created a school with the Alfa Romeo Carabo, one of the best representatives of the design trend known as "Wedge Design", gave shape to the Renault Supercinco, the second generation of the famous French utility vehicle - whose official name was not "Supercinco", it was simply Renault 5 -, the Lancia Stratos and the Citroën BX, one of the best sellers of the French firm.
When Gandini joined Bertone, it was at the request of Nuccio Bertone himself, who sought to fill the gap left by Giugiaro when he left for Ghia in 1965. He left the Bertone studio in 1980, but not before drawing the Fiat the BMW Series 1 E9, although it later had touch-ups carried out by Pal Bracq. His worst work, if we can consider it that way, was the Ferrari 308 GT4.
GANDINI DEATHS AT AGE 85
Established on his own, Marcello Gandini worked on the development of the Bugatti EB110, one of the most spectacular "supercars" of the 90s, which was accompanied by its participation in the design of the Lamborghini Diablo. Curiously, Gandini's proposal for the Diablo was rejected by those responsible for Chrysler, owners of the Italian firm at that time. Still, no one can doubt Gandini's influence on the model, and it can easily be compared to the Cizeta V16T, a car whose design was initially based on Marcello's proposal for the Diablo.
During his solo years he worked on several occasions with Mr. Alejandro De Tomaso, a union from which comes, for example, the Maserati Shamal, or also the Maserati Chubasco, a prototype of which 450 units were intended to be manufactured and which was canceled when Fiat took over half of Maserati's shares. The last works of his career led him to design, in 2000, a prototype that would give rise to the De Tomaso Pantera 2000, which also did not reach production.
Undisputed master of design, Gandini left us on March 13, 2024, although his mark will remain forever. The funeral will be held on Friday the 15th in the afternoon, but the funeral chapel will be installed in his studio in Almese, in Turin, on March 14 from 15 to 19 p.m., and on March 15 in the morning, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
