Giorgetto Giugiaro

By the way, this is from westcoastrockos.com. And just from some special editions, I want to say here, and then I'll get to why I'm reading all this.

The Mark I utilize Giugiaro's original minimalist geometric design language.

Therefore, special editions focus strictly on unique interior fabrics.

They also featured distinctive pinstripes and premium dealer options.

And in 2004, the GTV was quietly discontinued.

Its replacement was the Brera, and that was handed to Giorgetto Giugiaro, the man who had drawn the very first Julia Coupe back in the 1960s.

Closing a loop almost nobody in the showroom would ever notice.

In 10 years of production, Alfa built only around 42,000 GTVs, which might sound okay, but if you set that alongside the car it descended from, the Alfa sold more of just one version of the original 60s car, the 1750 GTV alone, a single variant of a single generation, than it managed of every 916 coupe combined, which means that the front-wheel drive heretic is, by the raw count, the rarest GTV there has ever been.

I mean, I went deep on this when I was doing research.

There's a real early Giugiaro prototype for it that they claim is like the kind of grandfather of the NS-X.

It's real weird looking.

There you go.

So they did a series of concept cars, drawings, and studies.

Giugiaro designed a few of them between 1998 and 1999.

And they decided to put the car into production in 2001.

And the first roadworthy prototype was completed in 2003.

And, and as a matter of fact, when I, when I joined Italy like 10, 11 years ago, I had a very clear idea of what Italian design is, but I knew I had to, you know, keep that to myself for the moment and just learn and I had-- and, and adjust it.

And one of the things I did, of many, many things I did, but one of the things I did, I met with the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro.

I don't think he needs introduction.

Um, and I asked him, "Giorgetto, what is Italian design for you?" And he laughs out loud, and he said, after some deliberation, he always did the best he could in the moment.

You can't just do it for, for giggles.

You have to do it with a meaning, but it's an amazing opportunity every time you design a car.

Giorgetto Giugiaro, Marcello Gandini.

Groundbreaking spaceships, right?

This is JP, and my guest today is Fabrizio Giugiaro from Italy.

He and his father, Giugiaro, founded GFG Style, the Italian brand that stands for the most successful designs, not only in automotive history, but also in industrial design.

And there's a lot to talk about.

Welcome, Fabrizio.

Ciao, everybody.

Buongiorno.

I just said you and your father founded GFG Style, but that was only in 2015 and your designs were already world famous.

So where did your legacy start?

But, yeah.

But the original built in '76, designed by Giugiaro, um, uh, did indeed have a, uh, Citroen NSU, uh, Wankel engine.

Um, at that time, DeLorean was very much sticking to his guns of it being, as you said, a, a revolutionary, new kind of car.

Um, it wasn't even at this stage badged DMC.

The wide track and the low mass sitting in the floor gave the Multipla a flat, neutral cornering at a time when a tall MPV leaned over like a fairy.

Above the mechanical deck, Giugiaro split the body in two, low smooth base, tall glass box on top.

The glass box came from a helicopter.

Giugiaro borrowed the canopy geometry from the Augusta A109, near vertical side and rear window, no tumble home at all, because glass that leans inward steals shoulder room from the outboard seats and cooks the cabin in direct sunlight.

Vertical glass puts the width exactly where the shoulders are.

Between the short nose and the tall greenhouse, he refused to blend.

And I'll probably get shot down in flames for the comparison and for my pronunciation.

But it reminds me of what's his name? Giorgetto Giugiaro.

It

just reminds me of some of the work that he did for Seiko, of course.