In memory of Marcello Gandini, a number of spotlights from his well-known and less well-known designs.
Last Wednesday we received the sad news that Marcello Gandini has passed away. We have already devoted a short news article to this, but Gandini of course deserves more than that. We are now going to look at the oeuvre of the Italian grandmaster in more detail, using a number of spots. And reportedly @willeme is also doing research somewhere for an in-depth article about Gandini…
Lamborghini Miura S
Spotter: @dutchstylez
The Lamborghini Miura was still fairly modest compared to Gandini’s later designs, but nevertheless this is a particularly impressive appearance in real life. Even more so because you never see one. There are four copies with Dutch registration, including this very stylish silver-colored copy with gold rims, seen here in Amsterdam.
Lamborghini Espada
Spotter: @lexusfan
Gandini later made waves with his wedge-shaped cars with diagonal lines, but the Espada had a striking number of horizontal lines. This makes this Lamborghini a unique appearance. That straight roofline also had a practical function, because the Espada was a real four-seater. @lexusfan came across this car in Alderley Edge, England (tip if you’re ever in the area: this is a spotter’s paradise).
Iso Rivolta Lele
Spotter: @harmengerritsen
One of Marcello Gandini’s lesser-known creations is the Iso Lele. We mainly know this brand from the Grifo, but the Lele was the 2+2 from Iso. The Lele is not a classic beauty like the Iso Grifo was, but Gandini had managed to make something special out of it. With 125 examples built, this Italian GT is a real rarity.
Alfa Romeo Montréal
Spotter: @justawheelchairguy
This is a very recent spot: this beautiful Alfa was in the parking lot of TEFAF in Maastricht last week. The Montreal is easily recognizable as an early design by Gandini, because from the side this car looks like a baby Miura. But that is absolutely not an insult. And the Montreal certainly has its own look, with the unique louvres above the headlights, which fold down when you turn on the headlights.
Fiat X1/9
Spotter: @ngevers2000
Gandini did not only design rare sports cars: this Fiat X1/9 was a sports car that was produced in large numbers (more than 140,000). However, the design was no less exotic. This was based on the Autobianchi A112 Runabout concept. The X1/9 is now a very rare appearance on the streets. This makes it more of a neck turner than ever.
Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
Spotter: @Maurice16
Walking out of a car museum and then finding a Lancia Stratos in the parking lot: that’s a nice bonus. It happened to @Maurice16 after a visit to Autoworld in Brussels. Thanks to Gandini’s design, the Stratos still looks otherworldly. Spotting a Stratos is also about as special as a UFO sighting, because only 492 examples were built.
Lamborghini Urraco
Spotter: @spotcrewda
The Urraco has been quite overshadowed by the Miura and the Countach, but this Lambo was also a Gandini design. In profile, the Urraco shows many similarities with the Dino 308 GT4. That is no coincidence: that car came onto the market a year later and was designed by… Gandini. The cars were also direct rivals. The Urraco was the less successful of the two: only 791 were built, compared to 3,666 308 and 208 GT4s.
Lamborghini Countach LP400
Spotter: @justawheelchairguy
This doesn’t actually count as a wild spot (it’s a photo shoot), but we still chose this car. This is an LP400, the Countach in its purest form, as Gandini intended it. No extra wide wheel arches, no spoiler, no bumpers, just the wedge shape. As a bonus, there are two other Gandini creations in the background. Three cars from the same brand, drawn by the same designer, yet completely different.
Maserati Khamsin
Spotter: @spotcrewda
Nothing negative about the Quattroporte V, but if you put a Khamsin next to it it suddenly becomes a very boring appearance. The Khamsin was the first design by Gandini – and Bertone – for Maserati. The Khamsin is special not only because of its sharp lines, but also because of unique details such as the asymmetrical grilles on the hood and the plexiglass at the back (which has unfortunately been blackened on this specific example).
Maserati Shamal
Spotter: @spotcrewda
In the mid-1990s, the entire Maserati line-up was designed by Gandini: the Quattroporte IV, the Ghibli and the flagship Shamal. Just like the Quattroporte, this model was based on the Biturbo from the 1980s. This Maserati has several special design elements, such as the diagonally cut rear wheel arch (Gandini’s trademark), the spoiler for the windscreen and the thick B-pillar (which functions as a roll cage). Only 369 of them were built over a period of 6 years, so this is another Gandini creation that you will not easily encounter.
Here they were, 10 spots in honor of Marcello Gandini. Have you also come across a special car (whether it was designed by Gandini or not)? Then we would love to see your photos appear on Car Whiz Spots.
