Marcello Gandini handed away yesterday on the age of 85. He’s finest often known as the chief stylist at Italian design store Bertone in the course of the ’60s and ’70s the place he created the Lamborghini Miura and Countach. I not too long ago delved into Gandini’s work whereas writing the three books in BMW Behind The Scenes three-book set. I discovered the tales round his BMW work was typically misunderstood. After I appeared into BMW’s design archives, we discovered many unseen Gandini hidden gems, a few of which made my head spin. For instance, Gandini submitted concepts for BMW sports activities automotive to Munich. After they had been rejected, they grew to become the Maserati Khamsin and the Bertone/Fiat X1/9 sports activities automotive.

Gandini’s BMW Designs

Bertone, and due to this fact Gandini’s, relationship with BMW started when he submitted a design for the ’68 BMW 2500 massive sedan, forerunner to the mid-’70s first-gen 7 Collection. Bertone’s design competed towards one other from the Michelotti studio and the profitable third design from BMW’s in-house stylists. Though Bertone was runner-up, BMW’s physique engineering boss Wilhelm Hofmeister was impressed by Bertone and, in June ’68, the 2 signed a retainer for ongoing design consultancy. When Nuccio Bertone noticed BMW’s inner design for the E12 first-gen 5 Collection he urged that he would ask his designer Gandini to supply an alternate. Bertone’s preliminary E12 design was then accomplished by BMW’s new chief designer, Paul Bracq who joined in 1970.

The Garmisch Present Automobile

Undeterred, Bertone submitted a number of Gandini designs. As we dug deeper into BMW Design’s archives we found varied E21 3 Collection submissions by Gandini, considered one of which grew to become the long-lost Garmisch present automotive that BMW recreated in 2009 and the opposite a design that appears like a BMW-style Ferrari 308 GT4. What’s equally unbelievable was the invention that Gandini was proposing large hexagonal grilles for the E12, the 2002 facelift and the E21 3 Collection. In fact, none of that occurred, however it’s superb to assume that one of many design legends was proposing vertical BMW grilles again within the Seventies.

I used to be intrigued by extra hidden gems from different Italian design outlets for BMW. One standout was Pininfarina’s rejected 6 Collection E23 proposal in the course of the ’80s that was repurposed because the Alfa Romeo 164 as a BMW. Well-known Ferraris, Fiats, Maseratis and Alfas might have all been BMWs – it’s a improbable story that I used to be delighted to inform.

We’ll evaluate Steve Saxty’s new three-book set, BMW Behind The Scenes quickly. You’ll be able to see extra element now on his web site.