Car design icon, Marcello Gandini, passed away today at the age of 85, in Turin, Italy, according to reports from his home country. The cause of his “sudden” death has not yet been publicized.
Born in 1938, the son of an orchestra conductor, Gandini joined Bertone in 1965, after the departure of its design chief, Giorgietto Giugiaro. Gandini spent 14 productive years with the company, was responsible for the creation of the Stile Bertone division, and created some of history’s most legendary vehicles.
From the start of his career, the designer’s talent was clear. One of his earliest designs, the Lamborghini Miura, is a credited with having invented the supercar segment, and is widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful vehicles of all time.
Read: Marcello Gandini Talks About His Most Famous Creation: The Lamborghini Countach
However, the legendary designer didn’t stop there. Gandini penned many of the most famous Italian sports cars of the century, including the Lamborghini Countach, the DeTomaso Pantera, and the Ferrari 308/GT4—the first and last Ferrari designed by Bertone to make it into production. Later, he designed the Lamborghini Diablo, the Maserati BiTurbo, and others.
Gandini was also behind some of the most impressive concept cars of his era, including the Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo, the Lancia Stratos Zero, and more. But he did not limit himself exclusively to the upper echelons of the automotive industry.
The designer was responsible for some of the best-remembered mass market vehicles of his day. The original BMW 5-Series, the first-generation VW Polo, the Renault 5 Turbo, Citroen BX and others were designed by Gandini. When he wasn’t working on cars, he also designed buildings and helicopters.
His influence continues to be felt to this day, and he worked into his final year. RAI News reports that in his 85th year of life, Gandini was planning to design the training platform for Doha automotive museum, in Qatar.
