Marcello Gandini, the legendary car designer famed for designing the most fascinating vehicles the world has ever seen, including the iconic Lamborghini Miura and Countach, passed away at the age of 85 in Turin, Italy. Some of his other notable creations include the original BMW 5 Series, Renault 5 Turbo, and Citroen BX.
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Gandini, the son of an orchestra director, joined Bertone in 1965, following the departure of Giorgietto Giugiaro, the company’s design chief. Gandini worked for the company for 14 years, was in charge of establishing the Stile Bertone branch, and as mentioned above, designed some of the most iconic automobiles in history.
The designer’s talent was evident from the very beginning of his career. One of his early designs, the Lamborghini Miura, is regarded as one of the most exquisite cars ever made and is credited with establishing the supercar segment. Gandini went on to design many of the most famous Italian sports cars of the century, including the Lamborghini Countach, the DeTomaso Pantera, and the Ferrari 308/GT4—the first and last Ferrari designed by Bertone to make it into production. Later, he designed the Lamborghini Diablo, the Maserati BiTurbo, and others.
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Gandini was also responsible for some of the most stunning concept automobiles of his era, like the Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo, Lancia Stratos Zero, and others. However, he did not confine himself to the top tiers of the automotive sector as he was also responsible for some of the best-remembered mass-market vehicles of his day such as the first-generation VW Polo, BMW 5-series, the Renault 5 Turbo, Citroen BX, and many more.
Marcello Gandini and his famous creations
When he wasn’t working on cars, he also designed buildings and helicopters. His influence continues to be felt to this day, and he worked into his final year. As per reports, in his 85th year of life, Gandini was planning to design the training platform for the Doha Automotive Museum, in Qatar.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
