Marcello Gandini: An exhibition of genius

Lamborghini Miura. Lamborghini Countach. Lancia Stratos. Maserati Khamsin. Alfa Romeo Montreal. Five of the world’s most startling and revolutionary car designs, all of them from the pen of Marcello Gandini – and just a small sample of his styling genius.

From 24 January to 26 May 2109, the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile of Turin is holding an exhibition to celebrate this designer, without doubt one of the most significant of the 20th Century. Nor are Gandini’s innovative ideas limited to cars; his work includes motorcycles, helicopters and even factory production methods.

The exhibition looks first at the history of Gandini through documents, objects and films, concepts and illustrations. Secondly, there’s a display of famous show cars and other weirdly wonderful vehicles, such as Stratos Zero (from the 1970 Turin Motor Show), the Lamborghini Marzal prototypes, Alfa Romeos Montreal and Carabo, and the Maserati Khamsin.

The National Automobile Museum, also known as MAUTO, first opened in 1932 but underwent a ‘futuristic refurb’ in 2011 by architect Cino Zucchi. Positioned on the left bank of the River Po that runs through Turin, the museum extends over three floors, housing more than 200 models from Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States that illustrate the history of the motor car “from its origins right up to the contemporary evolution of creative thought”. See www.museoauto.it

Image from The National Automobile Museum