The 1970s were a revolutionary period when it came to supercar design, particularly Italian design. The concept of a supercar itself was still quite new at the time but it was clear there was a lot of creative potential both for manufacturers and designers.
Italy had a long history of designing and making sports cars but it was in the 1970s with the arrival of the supercar where they took designing to the next level. One of the biggest changes that happened with the arrival of the supercar was the switch from traditional to more creative and futuristic designs with a focus on aerodynamics, a low stance, sharp lines and a wedge shape for the body, something seen in most of the designs by Marcello Gandini of Bertone and Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign Giugiaro.
Gandini’s Lancia Stratos Zero concept designed in 1970 immediately gained attention thanks to its futuristic wedge design, which was unlike anything seen before. 3 years after the Stratos Zero wedge concept, the Lancia Stratos (also designed by Gandini) entered production and would make itself known as one of the most legendary rally cars.
Giugiaro on the other hand also designed several wedge concepts during the 1970s, one such concept resulted in the creation of the Lotus Esprit S1 which started production in 1976. Even though the Esprit went through several revisions during its 28 year production run, the influence of the Giugiaro design always stayed.
Another significant Italdesign Giugiaro design from that era was the BMW M1, the first true supercar from the BMW M performance division. Even Ferrari hopped on this design trend with the Berlinetta Boxer designed by another Italian, Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina.
Now the 1970s saw plenty of great sports cars and supercars but if you were to ask me what supercar represents that era of Italian design, I would have to go with the 1974 Lamborghini Countach. Marcello Gandini had designed the Lamborghini Miura earlier so when the time came to design its successor he came up with a couple of concepts before the final product that arrived in 1974. With its wedge shape, sharp lines and unique scissor doors, the Lamborghini Countach instantly caught the attention of the world. The Countach pretty much became the poster car of that era as well as one of the most iconic Lamborghinis ever.
What I find amazing is just how influential the Italian designs of the 1970s were for supercars. Not only did those designs pretty much shape the modern supercar as we know it, but you can still see the influence of those designs on supercars even today.
Had it not been for the work of Italian designers like Gandini or Giugiaro, who knows what supercars would be looking like now or if they would even still be around today? The next time you see an Italian supercar, take a moment to remember the design revolution of the 70s that made it a possibility.
Featured Photo Credit: Classicdriver.com
Share:
Leave a Reply