On January 23, 1980, Giovanni Michelotti, who was behind many iconic models such as the Ferrari 166 and the BMW 700, passed away. Michelotti is credited with creating about 1,200 designs.
Michelotti was born in 1921 in Turin, Italy. He was born into a family with expertise in cars: his father was a machine shop manager at a local Itala engine factory. He left school at age 15 to start an apprenticeship at Stabilimenti Farina in Cambiano, near his hometown.
During his apprenticeship, Michelotti developed his skills in car design, and by 1938, he designed the bodywork for the Lancia Astura. Although his design did not result in production, he continued to create sketches. Eventually, Farina used his designs for a rebodied 1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 for production. Shortly after, designs built on the Talbot T-26 were used.
After these successes, Michelotti started his own studio, Studio Technico e Carrozzeria G. Michelotti, in Torino two years later. He continued to work as a freelancer for Italian coachbuilders such as Carrozzeria Allemano and Vignale. He then earned his first commission for his designs on a body modeled on the Ferrari 166. He continued to work on Ferraris, and through the next decade, he created designs for Maserati, Lancia, and Alfia. He designed many iconic models, most notably the Ferrari 340 Mexico Coupe, the Maserati 3500GT, and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce.
In 1956, he became the in-house designer for British carmaker Standard Triumph. He was responsible for designs including the standard Vanguard, the Herald, Spitfire, GT6, TR4, and TR4A 2000, 1300. In addition, he designed BMW models, including the BMW 700 and the “New Class” BMW 1600-2. His work even grew beyond Europe as Japanese coachbuilders reached out to him to design the Hino Contessa and Daihatsu Sport.
Michelotti would go on to be known as the “Father of Freelance Car Design”. Michelotti continued to design but rejected offers to join coachbuilders, preferring the independence of a freelance designer. He died at 59 years old in 1980. 13 years later, his design firm, Carrozzeria Michelotti, closed. Michelotti’s legacy continued to be remembered, and he was inducted into the European Automotive Hall of Fame in 2009.
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