Giovanni Michelotti facts for kids

Michelotti (right) with Enrico Nardi and the 1960 Plymouth Silver Ray.

The 1957 Marinella, a car based on the Fiat 600 Multipla.

An Aston Martin DB2/4 designed by Bertone.

Giovanni Michelotti (born October 6, 1921 – died January 23, 1980) was a super talented Italian car designer. He created some of the most beautiful sports cars of his time. He worked for famous brands like Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati, and Triumph. He also designed trucks for Leyland Motors and buses like the Leyland National.

Giovanni was born in Turin, Italy. He started his career working for many different car body builders. These companies would create the outer shell of a car. Some famous ones he worked with were Stabilimenti Farina, Vignale, and Bertone. In 1959, he opened his very own design studio. He also helped car makers who built their cars using parts from Fiat or other companies.

Near the end of his life, someone asked him if he had ever designed anything besides cars. Michelotti said almost all his work was on cars. But he did mention designing a coffee machine right after World War II.

Amazing Designs for Alfa Romeo
Cool Cars for Lancia
Ferrari Masterpieces
Maserati Designs
Working with Triumph
Designs for British Leyland
BMW Collaborations
DAF and Volvo Projects
Michelotti's Own Creations
Scammell Truck Cabs
Other Cool Car Designs
Images for kids
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Amazing Designs for Alfa Romeo

Giovanni Michelotti designed many cool cars for Alfa Romeo. He created sleek coupés and convertibles. These included models like the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS. He also designed different versions of the Alfa Romeo 1900. These cars had unique names like La Fleche and Lugano. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Michelotti Goccia was another special design from 1961.

A 1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Cabriolet.
A 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Ghia-Aigle Cabriolet.

Cool Cars for Lancia

Michelotti also left his mark on Lancia cars. He designed several versions of the Lancia Astura and Lancia Aprilia. For the Lancia Aurelia, he created many different coupés and convertibles. One special design was the Aurelia-based Nardi Blue Ray 1. This car was made for Enrico Nardi.

He also designed the Lancia Appia Cabriolet. The Lancia Flavia Vignale Cabriolet was his last design for Vignale. Later, he created the Lancia Mizar concept car in 1974. This car was very futuristic with four gull-wing doors!

A Lancia Aurelia B52.
The Aurelia-based Nardi Blue Ray 1.
A Lancia Appia Cabriolet.
A Lancia Flavia Vignale Cabriolet.
The Lancia Mizar concept car.

Ferrari Masterpieces

Giovanni Michelotti designed many beautiful cars for Ferrari. He created different styles like coupés, spiders, and barchettas. Some of his Ferrari designs include the Ferrari 166 MM and Ferrari 166 Inter. He also worked on the Ferrari 212 Export and Ferrari 212 Inter.

He designed several versions of the Ferrari 250 series. These included the Ferrari 250 S and Ferrari 250 MM. He also worked on the powerful Ferrari 340 America and Ferrari 340 Mexico. Later, he designed the unique Ferrari 330 GT Michelotti Coupé. He even created special versions of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 for racing.

A Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupé.
A Ferrari 225 S Vignale Berlinetta from 1952.
A Ferrari 340 MM Vignale Spyder.
A Ferrari 375 America Vignale Coupé.
The Ferrari 330 GT designed by Michelotti.
The 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider Competizione.

Maserati Designs

Michelotti also designed several stunning cars for Maserati. He worked on the Maserati A6G 2000 Vignale Coupé. He also designed the Maserati A6G/54 2000 Allemano Coupé.

He helped create the Maserati 3500 GT Spyder. This car became very popular. Another important design was the Maserati 5000 GT Coupé. He also worked on the Maserati Sebring in 1962. This car went from a prototype to a production model.

A 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Allemano Coupé.
A 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder prototype.
A Maserati 5000 GT Allemano Coupé.
A Maserati Sebring series II.

Working with Triumph

From the late 1950s, Michelotti became the main designer for the British company Standard Triumph. He started by updating the Standard Vanguard. Then, he designed many famous Triumph models.

Some of his most well-known Triumph designs include:

Triumph Herald
Triumph Spitfire
Triumph GT6
Triumph TR4
Triumph 2000
Triumph Vitesse
Triumph Stag
Triumph Dolomite

He also created some amazing prototype cars that were never made for sale. One example is the Triumph Fury. Most Triumphs after 1960 were his work. Only a few, like the TR6 and TR7, were designed by others.

A Triumph TR4.
The Triumph Fury prototype.
A Triumph GT6 from 1973.
A Triumph Spitfire 4 Mark 2.
The Triumph TR5 Ginevra prototype.
The original concept for the Triumph Dolomite.

Designs for British Leyland

After Triumph joined British Leyland, Michelotti continued his work. He updated the BMC 1100 car. This updated design became the Austin Victoria in Spain and the Austin Apache in South Africa. He also designed the Leyland National bus. And he created the Leyland P76, which was made in Australia.

BMW Collaborations

A BMW 02-series car from 1966.

Giovanni Michelotti's work with BMW began with the BMW 700 in 1959. He then designed the very successful BMW New Class series. The most famous car from this series is the BMW 2002. His sporty sedan designs became a key part of BMW's look. Other designers like Ercole Spada continued to refine this style into the 1980s.

DAF and Volvo Projects

A DAF 46, which looked very similar to the DAF 44.

Michelotti also worked with the Dutch company DAF. In 1963, he redesigned the Daffodil 31 into the Daffodil 32 and DAF 33. He also helped create the Shellette beach car, which used DAF parts.

The DAF 44 (1966) was a completely new design by him. He also helped design its follow-up models like the 46, 55, and 66. These cars eventually became the Volvo 66 in 1975. In 1968, Michelotti built a special concept car called the Siluro. This car looked like a torpedo and is now in the DAF museum.

Michelotti's Own Creations

A 1969 Michelotti Shellette.

Michelotti also showed off a few cars under his own name. The Shellette was a fun beach car. It had wicker seats and a dashboard, just like the famous Ghia Jolly cars. The Shellette was designed with yacht designer Philip Schell. It first used DAF parts, but later switched to Fiat 850 parts.

Unlike the Ghia Jolly, the Shellette was more powerful. It had a heater and other comforts. It could even cruise at 60 miles per hour! Only about 80 were ever built. Around ten of them still exist today. Famous owners included the Dutch Royal Family and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Around 1980, the "Every" appeared. This was a light, buggy-style car based on the Fiat 127. Michelotti also made a fancy version of the Daihatsu Taft. In 1985, the Michelotti PAC was shown. This was a one-of-a-kind city car prototype.

Scammell Truck Cabs

In the 1960s, Michelotti designed a special cab for some Scammell trucks. These trucks were part of Leyland Motors. The cab was made from a strong material called glass-reinforced plastic. This cab was used for the Routeman, Handyman, and Trunker truck models. The Townsman truck also had a cab designed by Michelotti.

Other Cool Car Designs

The Fiat 8V Demon Rouge.

A Ford-Cisitalia 808 roadster.

The Jaguar XK-D from 1963.

The Reliant Scimitar SS1.

Giovanni Michelotti designed cars for many other companies too! Here are just a few examples:

Abarth 205A Berlinetta
Arnolt MG for Bertone
Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Drophead Coupé
Alpine A106 (1955) and Alpine A110
Bugatti Type 252
Fiat 8V Coupé and Demon Rouge for Vignale
Ford Anglia Anglia Torino 105E
Ford-Cisitalia 808 roadster
Jaguar XK140 Coupé Ghia
Hino Contessa Sprint 900 (1962) and 1300 (1965)
Prince Skyline Sport (1960)
Reliant Scimitar SS1 (1984) – this was his very last design to be made, four years after he passed away.
Plymouth Silver Ray, made in 1960 for Enrico Nardi.