Legendary designer of world's first supercar Marcello Gandini has sadly passed away
- Marcello Gandini, the Italian automotive designer who penned some of the world’s most iconic cars, has sadly died
- From the Renault 5 Turbo to several supercars, Gandini was behind a variety of legendary cars
- More importantly, he designed what is commonly referred to as the ‘first’ supercar
Published on Mar 15, 2024 at 8:42 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Mar 18, 2024 at 1:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Italian car designer Marcello Gandini died on March 13, 2024, aged 85.
Gandini penned some of the most iconic sports car in the world, including the world’s first supercar.
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Marcello Gandini began his career at Bertone, replacing fellow designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, the man who gave us the Fiat Panda and the Lotus Esprit, as chief designer.
Gandini was one of the most accomplished and influential car designers of all time, and through the years, he sketched some of the most legendary cars you can think of.
Among others, he’s the guy that gave us the Lamborghini Diablo, Lamborghini Urraco, Lancia Stratos and Renault 5 Turbo.
Gandini also designed an early prototype of the Bugatti EB 110, the mythological Bugatti on which the modern Centodieci (that Ronaldo owns) is based, and the Ferrari 308 GT4.
More importantly, Gandini designed the two most important Lamborghini models ever made.
He penned the Countach, named for a Piedmontese expression that roughly translates to ‘wow’, which is also the car that provided the inspiration for the modern Countach LPI-800 4, and the Miura.
The Lamborghini Miura regularly features in the top 10 list of most beautiful cars ever made, often making the top five, if not the top three.
More importantly, some people, both car fans and industry experts, see the Lamborghini Miura as the first ever ‘supercar’ as we know them today.
The Miura was the first car with a rear mid-engined, two-seat layout, which is what today we consider the textbook definition of what a supercar is, or should be.
Without the Lamborghini Miura, and therefore without Marcello Gandini, we wouldn’t have the supercars we love today.
Or not the way we know them, anyway.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
