Benvenuti amici!
Pretending to be an intellectual, while geeking out over the history of FIATs, I often cite the fact there is no city car/runabout that does not owe a great deal of debt to the Italian automaker. Early in the game, don Giovanni Agnelli locked focus on offering 4-wheelers every Italian could afford to own & maintain. This singular goal is 'ground zero' for daily driver history and don Gianni Agnelli made sure he did his part to make that dream a reality.
One thing my obsessive brain has often considered is the coincidence that three of the very top FIAT designers have surnames beginning with the letter G. In fact, the lion's share of the most definitive moments in the history of of the coach builder can be linked to three Gs.
Giacosa
The father of the city car/runabout, don Dante Giacosa worked at FIAT S.p.A. (as designer, engineer & Director of Engineering 1950-1970) for the entirety of his illustrious career. In fact, the Cisitalia D46 and its successor ~ the two-seater completed by another designer of his choosing ~ aside, all his sketches bore the FIAT or Autobianchi bonnet badges. His impact on the automotive industry cannot be quantified. He never grew complacent and his insatiable drive is witnessed by his portfolio.
500 'Topolino' ~ 1936
508C 'Millecento' ~ 1937
Cisitalia D46 ~ 1946
1400 ~ 1950
1100 'Millecento' ~ 1953
600 ~ 1955
600 Multipla ~ 1956
500 'Cinquino' ~ 1957
500 Giardiniera ~ 1960
128 ~ 1969 (with Aurielio Lampredi)
Giugiaro
One of the most influential designers of all-time, don Giorgetto Giugiaro has designed for various automakers, including; American Motors, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Bugatti, Ford, GM, Lotus, Porsche, Renault, Saab, SEAT, Simca, VW and Zastava. Some of his most notable Italian works are; De Tomaso Mangusta, Delorean DMC-12, Alfa Romeo (2600 Sprint, Alfetta GT/GTV, Alfasud, Sprint, Brera), Ferrari (250 GT SWB Bertone), Lancia (Delta, Prisma, Thema), Maserati (Ghibli, Bora, Merak, Quattroporte, 3200 GT, 4200) along with a slew of beloved FIATs. In more ways than one, Giugiaro picked up where Giacosa left FIAT runabouts.
850 ~ 1964
Dino Coupe ~ 1967
Panda ~ 1980
Uno ~ 1983
Croma ~ 1985
Cinquecento ~ 1991/1992
Punto/Seicento ~ 1993
Palio/Sienna ~ 2001
Croma ~ 2005
Grande Punto ~ 2005
Sedici ~ 2005
Giolito
A true artist-philosopher and worthy successor to every great FIAT designer to come before him, don Roberto Giolito is moving the runabout lexicon forward. Beginning his career, at FIAT, with some facelifting of past models, his work since has been focused on creating the global face of FIAT & ABARTH brand automobiles. Don Giolito is a student of what does & does not work in the real world. Like a "renegade Taoist monk", he strips things to their essence, then, dresses them again... according to his understanding of & affection for those things. He keeps one foot firmly planted in the past while stepping boldly into the future. His portfolio (a work in progress) will be informing car culture for decades and, maybe, centuries to come.
Multipla ~ 1998
Trepiùno ~ (Basis for modern FIAT 500) ~ 2001
Panda ~ 2003
500 ~ 2007
Panda ~ 2011
Ottimo ~ 2012 (Hatchback version of Dart/Viaggio)
500L ~ 2012
500X ~ 2014 (Scheduled)
These great men have blessed the industry with affordable, stylish & F-U-N coaches. They, the men as well as their inventions, are champions of the everyman/everywoman… proving ones checkbook does not necessarily dictate the flair with which one zips around town.
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
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