Marcello Gandini – Remembering a Master

I think we can all agree that as far as seminally influential car designers go Marcello Gandini was up there with the best of the best and we can guarantee with a pretty high degree of certainty that most petrolheads of a certain age, many of us here at Car & Classic included, would have grown up with at least one of the Italian master’s works hanging proudly from our bedroom walls. One look at his portfolio should tell you all you need to know about the man’s reverence and legacy when it comes to iconic car design. From some of Lamborghini’s finest, including the Miura and Countach, to rally legends like the Lancia Stratos, and hot hatch royalty in the form of the Renault 5 Turbo his illustrious output was not only prolific but also incredibly influential.

So it is with a heavy heart that we celebrate this true commandant of composition in light of his passing yesterday at the grand old age of 85, but boy what a legacy the man has left us! Born in Turin in 1938 Gandini would begin his career proper at Bertone, joining the Italian Carrozzeria in 1965, replacing Giorgetto Giugiaro who two years prior had rejected Gandini. With such huge shoes to fill most of us would struggle under the pressure but Gandini hit the ground running, immediately making waves and staying with the company for 14 years – ultimately as chief designer – his output there leaving an indelible impression on the grand automotive landscape. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are an industry in mourning.

Lauded for his flashy, innovative designs, Gandini was a quiet and humble man, eschewing any public relations shenanigans and preferring to let his work do the talking. If a picture paints a thousand words then a Gandini design surely has to communicate in six figures, but despite being a pioneering force in the world of automotive design, creating some groundbreaking cars in the process, Gandini was never afraid to switch things up, to try new ideas and move with the times, segueing effortlessly from his famous, angular aesthetic of the ’70s to more rounded designs as tastes changed. You just have to look at the evolution of his penmanship from the Countach through the Cizeta Moroder V16T to the Bugatti EB110 and Lamborghini Diablo prototypes to understand his genius and flexibility.

While he may be best known for his work in the upper echelons of the industry; the supercars, rally legends and more exotic fare, Gandini is also famed for the creation of more everyday cars that are seen as just as iconic. The original E12 BMW 5 Series, for example, came from his beautiful mind, as did the Citroën BX. Of course, other Italian powerhouses wanted a piece of the Gandini magic too and the Ferrari 308 GT4 was the first Maranello masterpiece to be designed by Bertone with Gandini at the helm. Not only that but his designs span many different genres, from architecture and interior spaces to helicopters!

But arguably his most acclaimed design is that of the aforementioned and outlandish Lamborghini Countach, along with its now famous scissor doors, a design attributed to Gandini that was first seen on his Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo concept and one that continues to resonate having been adopted by Lamborghini (as well as other manufacturers) for a number of models since. As alluded to earlier it’s the car we had on our bedroom walls as kids, the car we dreamed of owning, that we still dream of owning all these years later – testament to Gandini’s eye for creating something truly special and endlessly enduring.

A young Marcello Gandini (right) discussing designs with Nuccio Bertone

So thank you Marcello for the pure joy that you have given us. Rest in peace.