Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. (), or simply known as Italdesign, is an Italian design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best known for its automobile design work, Italdesign also offers product design, project management, styling, packaging, engineering, modeling, prototyping and testing services to manufacturers worldwide. As of 2019, Italdesign employs 917 people.
On August 9, 2010, Lamborghini (part of the Volkswagen Group via its subsidiary Audi) acquired 90.1% of the shares of Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A., including the brand name rights and patents. The remaining shares were sold to Lamborghini on 28 June 2015, when Giorgetto Giugiaro resigned from the firm.
In 2025, Lamborghini sold its partial stake to the American tech company UST.
History Foundation
Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani founded Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. (SIRP), the company that would eventually become Italdesign, on February 13, 1968, in Moncalieri, Italy.
Volkswagen Volkswagen and Italdesign have a history of working together that dates back to the early 1970s.
Former Volkswagen Group Chairman Ferdinand Piëch apprenticed at Italdesign during the summer of 1972, learning about engineering and design. Italdesign is responsible for the design of several notable Volkswagen vehicles including the first generation Volkswagen Golf (1974), Volkswagen Scirocco (1974) and Volkswagen Passat (1973) and the Audi 80 (1974).
In May 2010, Italdesign agreed to transfer 90.1% of its shares to Audi's subsidiary Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in order to keep Volkswagen's Italian holdings bundled together. The purchase price was not disclosed. The Giugiaro family retained ownership of the remaining shares. Both Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son, Fabrizio Giugiaro, continued to have active roles in the company. In July 2015 it was announced that Giorgetto Giugiaro had left and sold the remaining shares to Lamborghini.
Subsidiaries Following a large-scale cooperation with SEAT - already dating back to the 1980s - Italdesign created a new firm, Diseño Industrial Italdesign Srl, in SEAT's hometown Barcelona, Spain, in 1992 to design and construct models, master models and prototypes for the Spanish manufacturing industry. This subsidiary became Italdesign Giugiaro Barcelona SL.
In 2017, the company founded a daughter company dedicated to building collector vehicles. Named Italdesign Automobili Speciali, the new brand is featured on all vehicles constructed in ultra low series production, aimed at a number of selected collectors. The first car produced was the Zerouno with a production of only five units.
Automobili Speciali Cars
Cars produced or planned by the new group.
+AUTOMOBILI SPECIALI cars Model Year built/planned Italdesign Zerouno 2017 5/5 Italdesign Zerouno Duerta (Spider) 2018 ?/5
Acquisitions Italdesign acquired SALLIG, a company founded in 1960 that designs and builds acrylic, cast iron and zamak matrices for automotive, aeronautical and household appliance prototypes.
Italdesign acquired ETM (Engineering Technologies Methods), a company founded in 1984 that creates silicone prototypes, allowing the transition from an acrylic prototype to a more refined prototype with characteristics similar to the finished product.
Organization Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. is headquartered 10 km south of Turin, Italy, in Moncalieri. Best known for its automobile design work, Italdesign also offers project management, styling, packaging, engineering, modeling, prototyping and testing services.
Italdesign has 993 employees and generated over €193 million revenue in 2015.
Under Volkswagen Group ownership, Dirk Grosse-Loheide is the current Chairman and Antonio Casu is the CEO.
Previous CEOs Giorgetto Giugiaro (1968–2010) Jörg Astalosch (2015–2021)
Automotive design work Italdesign has been credited for the design of a wide variety of concept and production cars since the firm's founding in 1968.
Concept cars
+Concept cars Model Year Abarth 1600 GT 1969 Alfa Romeo Brera 2002 Alfa Romeo Caimano 1971 Alfa Romeo Iguana 1969 Alfa Romeo New York Taxi 1976 Alfa Romeo Scighera 1997 Alfa Romeo Visconti 2004 AMC AMX/3 1969 Aston Martin Twenty Twenty 2001 Audi-Karmann Asso di Picche 1973 Audi Q2 2017 Bizzarrini Manta 1968 BMW M1 1971 BMW Nazca C2 1991 BMW Nazca C2 Spider 1993 BMW Nazca M12 1991 BMW-Karmann Asso di Quadri 1976 Bugatti 18/3 Chiron 1999 Bugatti EB112 1993 Bugatti EB118 1998 Bugatti EB218 1999 Bugatti ID90 1990 Chevrolet Corvette Moray 2003 Daewoo Bucrane 1995 Daewoo d'Arts 1997 Daihatsu D-Compact X-Over 2006 DeLorean Alpha5 2022 Ferrari GG50 2005 Fiat Croma 8V 2005 Fiat Firepoint 1994 Fiat Panda 4x4 Strip 1980 Ford Maya 1984 Ford Maya II ES 1985 Ford Maya II EM 1985 Ford Mustang by Giugiaro 2006 Frazer Nash Namir 2009 Hyundai Pony Coupé 1974 Isuzu Asso di Fiori 1979 Italdesign Asgard 1988 Italdesign Aspid 1988 Italdesign Biga 1992 Italdesign Brivido 2012 Italdesign Capsula 1982 Italdesign Cinquecento 1992 Italdesign Columbus 1992 Italdesign Davinci 2019 Italdesign Formula 1996 Italdesign Clipper 2014 Italdesign Gea 2015 Italdesign Go 2011 Italdesign Parcour 2013 Italdesign Quaranta 2008 Italdesign Quintessenza 2025 Italdesign Vad.Ho 2007 Italdesign GTZERO 2016 Italdesign Lucciola 1993 Italdesign M8 1978 Italdesign Machimoto 1986 Italdesign Marlin 1984 Italdesign Parcour 2013 Italdesign Structura 1998 Italdesign Tex 2011 Italdesign Together 1984 Italdesign Touareg 2000 Italdesign Zerouno 2017 Jaguar Kensington 1990 Lamborghini Calà 1995 Lamborghini Marco Polo 1982 Lancia Medusa 1980 Lancia Megagamma 1978 Lancia Orca 1982 Lexus Landau 1994 Lotus Etna 1984 Maserati Boomerang 1972 Maserati Buran 2000 Maserati Coupé 2+2 1974 Maserati Kubang 2003 Maserati Medici 1974 Maserati Medici II 1976 Mitsubishi Nessie 2005 Nissan GT-R50 2018 Oldsmobile Incas 1986 Proton Emas 2010 Renault Gabbiano 1983 Saipa Tiba 2008 SEAT Proto C 1990 SEAT Proto T 1989 SEAT Proto TL 1990 Škoda 760 1973 SsangYong C200 2008 Suzuki Microutilitaria 1969 Toyota Alessandro Volta 2009 Volkswagen Karmann Cheetah 1971 Volkswagen Orbit 1986 Volkswagen Porsche Tapiro 1970 Volkswagen Tarek 2003 Volkswagen Tex 2011 Volkswagen W12 Roadster 1998 Volkswagen W12 Syncro 1997 Voyah i-Free 2020 Voyah i-Land 2020
Production cars
+Production cars Model Year Alfa Romeo 156 facelift 2003 Alfa Romeo 159 2005 Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1971 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT 1974 Alfa Romeo Brera 2005 Audi 80 1978 Besturn B50 2009 Besturn B70 2006 Brilliance BS2 2009 Brilliance BS6 2001 Citroën C3 Pluriel 2003 Daewoo Kalos/Chevrolet Aveo 2002 Daewoo Lacetti 2003 Daewoo Lanos hatchback 1997 Daewoo Lanos notchback 1996 Daewoo Leganza 1997 Daewoo Matiz 1998 Daihatsu Move 1998 DMC DeLorean 1981 Eagle Premier 1987 Fiat Croma 1985 Fiat Croma 2005 Fiat Duna/Prêmio 1985 Fiat Duna Weekend 1986 Fiat Grande Punto 2005 Fiat Idea 2003 Fiat Palio/Siena 2000 Fiat Palio Weekend 2000 Fiat Panda 1980 Fiat Punto 1993 Fiat Punto Cabrio 1993 Fiat Sedici/Suzuki SX4 2006 Fiat Uno 1983 Ford Capri (interior) 1989 Hongqi HS5 2019 Hyundai Excel 1985 Hyundai Pony 1974 Hyundai Sonata 1988 Hyundai Stellar 1983 Isuzu Gemini/Spectrum 1984 Isuzu Piazza/Impulse 1981 Italdesign Aztec 1988 Iveco Massif/Campagnola 2008 Lancia Delta 1979 Lancia Prisma 1982 Lancia Thema 1984 Lotus Esprit 1972 Maserati 3200 GT (exterior) 1998 Maserati Bora 1971 Maserati Coupé (exterior) 2002 Maserati MC12 2004 Maserati Merak 1972 Maserati Quattroporte 1976 Maserati Spyder (exterior) 2001 Proton Prevé 2012 Proton Suprima S 2013 Renault 19 1988 Renault 21 1986 Saab 9000 1984 SEAT Córdoba 1993 SEAT Ibiza 1984 SEAT Ibiza 1993 SEAT Málaga 1985 SEAT Toledo 1991 SEAT Toledo 1998 Ssangyong Korando 2010 SsangYong Rexton 2001 Subaru Alcyone SVX 1991 Suzuki SX4 2007 Suzuki Carry 1969 Toyota Aristo/Lexus GS 1991 Volkswagen Golf 1974 Volkswagen Passat 1973 Volkswagen Scirocco 1974 Zastava Florida 1987
+ Industrial vehicles Model Year Lamborghini Champion 1998 Lamborghini Champion 2001 Lamborghini Formula 1991 Lamborghini Premium 1995 Lamborghini Runner 1995 Lamborghini Victory 1998
Notable designers Giorgetto Giugiaro (1968–2015) Fabrizio Giugiaro Carlo Gaino (1980–1987) Filippo Perini (2015–) Dario Lauriola
References
Sources
External links
Coachbuild.com Encyclopedia: Italdesign Giugiaro