Italdesign Giugiaro Explained

Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A.
Type:Subsidiary (S.p.A.)
Fate:Controlling interest acquired by Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. (August 09, 2010)
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Dirk Große-Loheide[1] Chairman
Antonio Casu CEO
Industry:Design
Services:Styling, Engineering, Pre-Series, Testing & Validation, Industrial Design
Revenue:€193 million (2015)
Owners:Volkswagen Group Audi
Parent:Lamborghini
Num Employees:917 (2019)
Foundation:Turin, Italy as Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A.
Location City:Moncalieri
Location Country:Italy

44.9706°N 7.7094°W

Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. (pronounced as /it/) is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best known for its automobile design work, Italdesign also offers product design, project management, styling, packaging, engineering, modeling, prototyping and testing services to manufacturers worldwide. As of 2019, Italdesign employs 917 people.

On August 9, 2010, Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi's subsidiary Lamborghini acquired 90.1% of the shares of Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A., including the brand name rights and patents. The remaining shares were sold to Audi on 28 June 2015, with Giorgetto Giugiaro resigning from the firm at the same time.[2]

History

Foundation

Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani founded Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A., the company that would eventually become Italdesign, on February 13, 1968, in Moncalieri, Italy.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen and Italdesign have a history of working together that dates back to the early 1970s.

Former Volkswagen AG Chairman Ferdinand Piëch apprenticed at Italdesign during the summer of 1972, learning about engineering and design. Italdesign is responsible for the design of several notable Volkswagen vehicles including the first generation Volkswagen Golf (1974), Volkswagen Scirocco (1974) and Volkswagen Passat (1973) and the Audi 80 (1974).

In May 2010, Italdesign agreed to transfer 90.1% of its shares to Audi AG subsidiary Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in order to keep Volkswagen's Italian holdings bundled together. The purchase price was not disclosed. The Giugiaro family retained ownership of the remaining shares. Both Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son, Fabrizio Giugiaro, continued to have active roles in the company. In July 2015 it was announced that Giorgetto Giugiaro had left and sold the remaining shares to Audi AG.

Subsidiaries

Following a large-scale cooperation with SEAT - already dating back to the 1980s - Italdesign created a new firm, Diseño Industrial Italdesign Srl, in SEAT's hometown Barcelona, Spain, in 1992 to design and construct models, master models and prototypes for the Spanish manufacturing industry.[3] This subsidiary is known today as Italdesign Giugiaro Barcelona SL.In 2017 the company founded a daughter company dedicated to building collector vehicles. Named ITALDESIGN AUTOMOBILI SPECIALI, the new brand will feature on all vehicles constructed in ultra low series production, aimed at a number of selected collectors. The first car to be produced is the Zerouno with a production of only five units.[4]

Automobili Speciali Cars

Cars produced or planned by the new group.

Model
width=40pxYear width=40pxbuilt/planned
2017 2/5
Italdesign Zerouno Duerta (Spider) 2018 0/1 [5]

Acquisitions

Italdesign acquired SALLIG, a company founded in 1960 that designs and builds acrylic, cast iron and zamak matrices for automotive, aeronautical and household appliance prototypes.

Italdesign acquired ETM (Engineering Technologies Methods), a company founded in 1984 that creates silicone prototypes, allowing the transition from an acrylic prototype to a more refined prototype with characteristics similar to the finished product.

Organization

Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. is headquartered 10 km south of Turin, Italy, in Moncalieri. Best known for its automobile design work, Italdesign also offers project management, styling, packaging, engineering, modeling, prototyping and testing services.

Italdesign has 993 employees and generated over €193 million revenue in 2015.

Under Volkswagen Group ownership, Rupert Stadler is the Chairman of the Board and Jörg Astalosch is CEO.[6]

Automotive design work

Italdesign has been credited for the design of a wide variety of concept and production cars since the firm's founding in 1968.

Model
width=40pxYear
Abarth 1600 GT 1969
2002
1971
1969
1976
1997
2004
1969[7]
2001
Audi-Karmann Asso di Picche 1973[8]
2017
1968
1971
1991
1993
1991
BMW-Karmann Asso di Quadri 1976
BMW-Karmann Cheetah 1971
1999
1993
1998
1999
Bugatti ID90 1990
Chevrolet Corvette Moray 2003
Daewoo Bucrane 1995
Daewoo d'Arts 1997
Daihatsu D-Compact X-Over 2006
2005
Fiat Croma 8V 2005
Fiat Firepoint 1994
Fiat Panda 4x4 Strip 1980
1984
1985
1985
2006
Frazer Nash Namir 2009
Hyundai Pony Coupé 1974
Isuzu Asso di Fiori 1979
1988
1988
1988
1992
2012
1982
1992
1992
2019
1996
2012
2014
2015
2011
2013
2008
2007
2016
1993
1978
1986
1984
2013
1998
2011
1984
2000
2020
2017
1990
1995
1982
1980
1978
1982
Lexus Landau 1994
1984
1972
2000
1974
2003
1974
Maserati Medici II 1976
Mitsubishi Nessie 2005
2018
Oldsmobile Incas 1986
2010
Renault Gabbiano 1983
2008
1990
SEAT Proto T1989
1990
Škoda 760 1973
2008
Suzuki Microutilitaria 1969
2009
Volkswagen Karmann Cheetah 1971
1986
1970
2003
Volkswagen Tex 2011
1998
1997
2020
2020
Model
width=40pxYear
Alfa Romeo 156 Facelift 2002
2005
1971
1976
1974
2005
1978
Besturn B50 2009
Besturn B70 2006
2009
2001
2002
Citroën C3 Pluriel[9] 2003
2003
Daewoo Lanos hatchback 1997
Daewoo Lanos notchback 1996
1997
1998
1998
2022
1981
1987
1985
2005
1985
Fiat Duna Weekend 1986
2005
2003
2000
Fiat Palio Weekend 2000
1980
1993
1993
2006
1983
Ford Capri (interior) 1989
2019
1985
1974
1988
1983
1984
1981
2008
1979
1982
1984
1972
Maserati 3200 GT (exterior) 1998
1971
Maserati Coupé (exterior) 2002
2004
1972
1976
Maserati Spyder (exterior) 2001
1980
2012
2013
1988
1986
1984
1993
1984
1993
1985
1991
1998
Ssangyong Korando[10] 2010
2001
1991
2007
1969
1991
1974
1973
1974
1987
Model
width=40pxYear
Lamborghini Champion 1998
Lamborghini Champion 2001
Lamborghini Formula 1991
Lamborghini Premium 1995
Lamborghini Runner 1995
Lamborghini Victory 1998

Notable designers

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.italdesign-giugiaro_spa.728389212d2a61fed623072290c3cc65.html Chairman 2020 Dirk Große-Loheide since April 1st, 2020 (even as Audi)
  2. News: Ciferri. Luca. Legendary car designer Giugiaro quits company that bears his name. Automotive News. 2 July 2015.
  3. Web site: ITALDESIGN CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY AT PARCO VALENTINO . www.italdesign.it . Italdesign . 11 April 2020 . 4 .
  4. Web site: Italdesign Automobili Speciale. Italdesign. 8 September 2017.
  5. Web site: All the news by Italdesign, in order to be always up to date . Italdesign news. 8 September 2017.
  6. Web site: Italdesign Company. Italdesign. 8 September 2017.
  7. [AMC AMX#AMX/3]
  8. Web site: 1973 Audi Asso di Picche by Italdesign . diseno-art.com .
  9. Web site: Citroën Pluriel, the return of fantasy . 20 August 2003 .
  10. News: Ssangyong relaunches brand with Giugiaro-designed Korando. 13 October 2010. Cardesignnews.
  11. Web site: Carlo Gaino. automotivedesignconference.com. 6 October 2021.