When one thinks of Marcello Gandini, who died on March 13 at the age of 85, the first thing that comes to mind is certainly the Lamborghini Miura, a masterpiece on wheels commissioned for Bertone, where the designer worked until 1980, before he became self-employed.
Gandini created other iconic models for Lamborghini, whose style still influences the brand today. However, there are many other manufacturers associated with the Turin designer whose immortal models are still popular today. So here are the 10 most famous cars designed by Marcello Gandini.
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura was presented “naked” at the Turin Motor Show in 1965, where it stood out for its avant-garde technical solutions (designed by Stanzani and Dallara), and was in search of the right dress.
Marcello Gandini created it with a mix of curved, muscular lines, a long hood, oval, semi-rectangular headlights and a shielded tailgate. The success was immediate and has endured over the decades, its appeal never waning.
Alfa Romeo Carabo
After the success of the Miura, Gandini began working with Alfa Romeo with a challenge: take the mechanics of one of the most beautiful cars in the world – the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale – and give it a completely different style. This is how the Alfa Romeo Carabo was born, a concept that broke with everything that had come before (in Arese and elsewhere) and was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1968.
It was never mass-produced – it now stands in the Alfa Romeo Museum – and served as inspiration for the Turin designer’s later models, including the spectacular, vertically opening scissor doors adopted by the Lamborghini Countach and Diablo.
Lancia Stratos Zero
The wedge-shaped lines are one of the typical characteristics of Gandini and found their greatest expression in the Lancia Stratos Zero, a concept presented in 1970 and forerunner of the production model Stratos, an icon of rallying.
A provocation on wheels, with angular lines, no doors, but with a folding windshield and glass surfaces reduced to a minimum.
Lamborghini Countach
We go again to Sant’Agata Bolognese. Six years after the Miura, Lamborghini created the Countach in 1971 and again it was Marcello Gandini who determined the styling. You can find the edges of the Stratos Zero, softened in some ways so as not to create an overly exaggerated car. The result is an absolute masterpiece.
“The Countach reinvented the performance car and became an icon in terms of design language that continues to inspire contemporary Lamborghinis even after decades,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, some time ago.
Renault 5 (1984)
Despite all the sports cars, Marcello Gandini also created much more popular models such as the Renault Supercinq, the second generation of the R5 introduced in 1984.
The Renault Supercinq retained the proportions and general design of the previous generation, but featured softer and more modern lines. So much so that it inspired the new Renault 5, which debuted at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show.
Innocent Mini
Another small car, this time with British DNA. But Gandini’s signature is immediately recognizable, especially the angular lines, so different from those of the original Mini.
The 1974 Innocenti Nuova Mini, also known as the “Mini Bertone”, had the dual task of flanking Issigonis’ classic British Mini and bringing to Italy production of a small car that could compete with the Autobianchi A112. Head of Bertone design was Gandini, who designed this successful small car, of which over 300,000 were produced by 1993.
Citroen BX
Gandini’s best-selling car in history. And it’s a nice result for a sedan from a volume manufacturer that was characterized by a style that was so different from the competition. Even though the Citroën BX from 1982 initially caused quite a bit of dissatisfaction among the specialist press and the public.
The hatchback body, some angular details reminiscent of the designer’s other creations and a particularly low drag coefficient (0.34) for the time were its distinguishing features.
Alfa Romeo Montreal
Among the production vehicles designed by Marcello Gandini (albeit limited) cannot be missing the Alfa Romeo Montreal, a spectacular coupe with a 2.6 liter V8 and rear wheel drive.
There are quite a few borrowings from the Miura, starting with the prototype presented at the 1967 Expo ’67 in Montreal. However, the production version was not presented until 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show and by 1977 more than 3,900 examples had been produced. To this day, the “Verde Montreal” paint finish is available in the color catalog of current new Alfa cars.
BMW Garmisch
The case of the concept that disappeared and was reborn: That, in short, is the story of the BMW Garmisch, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970, whose traces have been lost and which the Bavarian manufacturer had completely rebuilt in 2019.
The styling again comes from Bertone or Gandini, which can also be seen in the characteristic rear window with honeycomb panel. The basis is the BMW 2002 tii, but the Italian designer created something new and original that brought the coupe prototype closer to the shape of the first generation BMW 5 Series.
Fiat X1/9
The 1972 Fiat
It was also the only Fiat Spider with a mid-engine and the implementation into a production model of what Gandini had already proposed in 1969 with the concept of the Bertone Runabout Autobianchi A112. From 1982 the X1/9 was even offered under the name Bertone.