The 11 best Gandini Concepts

1. 1967 Lamborghini Marzal

Reinforcing the connection between Bertone and Lamborghini, Gandini’s second sporting project for the wealthy tractor turned super car maker was the dramatic Marzal. A front-engined four-seat GT coupe with fully glazed gullwing doors (using half of a Miura V12 engine, cut down to a 2-litre six-cylinder unit), the Marzal anticipated the Gandini-designed production Lamborghini Espada. The airy concept featured a hexagonal motif both on its exterior/rear screen and its metallic silver upholstered interior. The Marzal was used by the Princess of Monaco to open the 1967 Monte Carlo circuit with the car becoming a contemporary favourite with die-cast toy model car makers, as did a number of the other wild Bertone/Gandini prototypes.   

2. 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo

An instant schoolboy bedroom wall poster car, the extreme wedged Carabo concept took the world by storm when it debuted at the 1968 Paris Salon. Based on the V8 mechanicals of the Alfa Romeo 33/2 Stradale, the mid-engined Carabo’s irreverent wedge line had large elytron-opening doors (like the beetle insect that inspired the prototype’s name) to facilitate access to this very low (99 cm high) car, with the headlamps protected by opening slats, with matching slats also covering the engine.

3. 1969 Autobianchi Runabout

Gandini took inspiration from the successful Italian speed boat racing industry for his youthful and fun mid-engined Runabout, as evidenced by the low wrap-around windscreen, for example. Using an engine derived from the just-launched front-wheel-drive Fiat 128, but using the Fiat Group’s Autobianchi brand name, the Runabout was characterised by its extreme wedge profile with a large roll bar, in which the headlights were mounted. This 1969 prototype went on to influence Gandini’s Lancia Stratos rally weapon, plus his 128-derived mid-engined Fiat X1/9, of which Bertone built for 17 years with over 180,000 examples produced.

4. 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero

One of Gandini’s most remarkable creations, the Stratos Zero was an ultra-futuristic wedged GT with tight interior access via the top-mounted opening windscreen and limited visibility once inside. The dramatic Stratos Zero used a mid-mounted Lancia Fulvia HF 1.6-litre V4 motor, accessible through a wedge profile side-hinged flap/bonnet. Once completed, Nuccio Bertone famously drove the Stratos Zero concept under the barrier at Lancia’s headquarters to show the car off to the Company’s management, much to their surprise and delight. They were so impressed by this one-off concept that they award Bertone with the contract to design and build the subsequent Dino V6-powered Stratos rally car.

5. 1972 Citroen GS Camargue

Keen to attract Citroen as a new client, in 1972 Bertone revealed its modern Gandini-styled Camargue, an attractive Citroen-esque coupe based on the advanced and strong-selling GS saloon. Front-engined with a glassy hatchback rear end, the Camargue helped to secure Citroen as an important and valued client, the concept ultimately leading to Gandini designing the Citroen BX (his last work for Bertone) with the later XM’s individual style also attributed to the Turin carrozzeria.

6. 1974 Lamborghini Bravo

The Bravo was the first Gandini prototype to feature his distinctive (and ultimately signature) kick-up wedged rear wheel arch shape. The Bravo continued Bertone’s close link with Lamborghini and was created as the replacement for the Sant’Agata brand’s entry Urraco model, which never happened due to weak finances. It used the Urraco P300’s over-square V8 running gear and had an unusual rear side-glazing treatment, this also became an oft-repeated Gandini design foible.

7. 1975 Alfa Romeo 33 Navajo

1975 was an uncommonly busy one for Bertone and Gandini, with two concepts presented during the year. The first of these was shown at the ’75 Geneva Salon, where Bertone returned to the Alfa 33 as the basis for yet another wedged mid-engined concept; the 33 Navajo. Less dramatic than Gandini’s previous acclaimed 33-based Carabo, the Navajo was no less wedged, with a dart-like profile that culminated in a huge rear spoiler (as per the Autobianchi Runabout) with a heavy broad waistline and unusual side-hinged recessed headlamps.

8. 1975 Ferrari 308 Rainbow

At the 1975 Paris Motor Show Bertone was back with another surprise mid-engined Gandini wedge. This time the 308 Rainbow concept’s base was a shortened Dino 308 GT4 (as designed by Bertone/Gandini) with a retractable hardtop targa top that could be flipped backwards to open the car up. The Rainbow had extreme angular lines with the ‘signature’ rear wedged wheel arch being a notable styling feature.

9. 1976 Jaguar XJ-S Ascot

For a change Gandini chose a front-engine for his 1976 concept, employing the magnificent V12 of a Jaguar XJ-S as his base. Using a shortened XJ-S platform, the Ascot was quite formal by Gandini standards, yet its design remained as sharp-edged as ever for this one-off 2+2 coupe.

10. 1978 Lancia Sibilo

Arguably the least successful of Gandini’s 1970s mid-engined wedge concepts, the 1978 Lancia Stratos HF-based Sibilo was quite rotund compared to his usual shape style. Possibly not helped by its dull solid brown colour, the Sibilo’s glazing was visually merged with the mid-ship coupe’s rounded form, to give the impression of a seamless one-piece body structure. The most remarkable feature of the Sibilo was its solid steering wheel with a band running around the wheel’s edge to control the vehicle.

11. 1978 Volvo Tundra

Gandini’s last concept car for Bertone, the Tundra used the uninspiring Volvo 340 as its mechanical base. By this time, Bertone had forged close links with Volvo, building long-wheelbase TE limousine versions of its range-topping 264 model, plus the laughably bad low-roof 262C Coupe. The Tundra was a technically outdated rear-drive four-seater coupe, its design signalling the look of the production Citroen BX (and Bertone prototype Reliant/Anodal FW hatchback) that was introduced four years later, even down to the unusual ‘dropped’ rear side glazing treatment.

After Gandini’s departure from Bertone to establish his own design consultancy, he was sadly never to present another one-off concept car again in public.