Gautam Sen and Marcello Gandini celebrate the launch of the original version of his book in September, 2016.This review focuses on the latest, downsized version of the sold out first edition.
By Pete Vack
Now here is a conundrum. A bestselling, highly praised (winner of The Grand Prix for the Most Beautiful Book in 2017) book has sold out despite a terrifying price tag. Joy abounds, cash registers jingle. A second edition should be printed immediately!
But wait, it seems that a number of people, some probably on a diminishing Social Security, some perhaps students of art and engineering, complained that such a work was only accessible for the very rich. Once out of print the price skyrocketed as well. Well, let them eat cake, said Tesla.
Others had a nicer idea. Instead of simply republishing the original two-volume set, why not a less expensive single volume that does the job without losing the essence? Or so thought author Gautam Sen, and our kind friends at Dalton Watson agreed this was a good idea. And we concur. Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Revisited costs only $165 instead of the original $350 for Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design. But it was also the desire of Gandini himself. “Gandini was quite uncomfortable with the first version – it was simply too much for him. I had promised that if a second edition ever came out, it would be more modest. I also wanted to stay true to his philosophy that real progress means achieving more with less,” Sen told VeloceToday.
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The original 2-volume set comes in at 800 pages and 924 images, while the still formidable latest single volume offers 624 pages and 1280 images. With many of the cars, a number of images and or drawings are left out or reduced in size, reducing the page count. For example, in the first edition, the Marzal is given 18 pages while in the new version only 12 pages; the Espada is reduced from 16 to 8 and the Carabo has 13 pages vs 18 in the original. A 16-page look at Gandini models was deleted. But while the text has been expertly edited, none of the essentials are lost. And although some cars have been omitted, such as the Iso Targa, Fiat Dino and the Alfa 1750, as being only facelifts of designs that were admittedly more Giugiaro than Gandini, Sen has added a few projects that were found in the interim.
Net result? Those purchasing just the new volume will not feel they have been cheated by any means, in fact, Gandini Revisited is perhaps a better book with the excellent editing.
The Marzal has got to be one of our favorite Gandini designs. Or was it the Lancia HF Zero? Or was it the Miura? We forgot the Carabo….
The basic storyline still boggles the mind. It is the speed, brilliance and volume of his work that remains astonishing. Shortly after being hired by Bertone in 1965, a totally unschooled, untrained Marcello Gandini penned the conservative Porsche 911, then the Jaguar FT (for Jaguar dealer Ferruccio Tarchini) 3.6 sedan. The following year came the landmark Lamborghini Miura. It was his third design for Bertone. (Sen emphasizes that despite other theories, the Miura design was Gandini’s.)
Can you imagine; 28 years old, on top of the very sizzling hot world of automotive design? He was only just beginning. From 1967 to 1971, Gandini designed the Lamborghini Marzal, Alfa Montreal, (1967), Espada and Carabo (1968), Jarama, Urraco and Lancia HF Zero (1970) and the Countach in 1971. For most this would be enough for an entire career.
Totally outrageous, pure Gandini. The first Countach LP500 was shown at Geneva in 1971.
It might seem that this astonishing success tends to overshadow his later work for Renault and then freelance design projects undertaken for a variety of clients including Lamborghini, Maserati, Tata, Renault, Iso, and even lightweight helicopters and trucks kept him busy and creative for years. Gandini never lost his imagination and desire to create beautiful, thoughtful and yet practical automobiles. Gautam Sen found many more design concepts to include in the latest book, and notes that for every one found, there are others lost to the ages. Don’t stop reading when Gandini left Bertone in 1979, for there are many beautiful and original designs to ponder and they didn’t stop until 2011, with an eight-seater SUV. Actually, says Sen, there were more projects and designs after 2011 but could not be shown publicly due to non-disclosure agreements.
A proposal for an Indian industrialist for an SUV fell through, but on his own accord Gandini made a study for an eight passenger SUV in 2011.
Marcello Gandini remained an extremely private person, who did not think about the past or even bother to save his old notes and drawings. Both Robert Cumberford and Gautam Sen found Gandini very nice, amiable, but insisted that, if anything, the books were to be about the cars, not the man. It is a great credit to Gautam Sen that he was able to gather so many images, drawings and photos, enough to produce the original two-volume set. Without Gautam Sen’s urging, these books may never have been written. It was only after a few misleading articles in major magazines that Sen was able to convince Gandini’s wife Claudia and daughter Marzia Gandini Provera to proceed with a comprehensive book. “It was they who finally convinced Gandini,” writes Sen.
Writes Sen, “Gandini was quite uncomfortable with the first version – it was simply too much for him. I had promised that if a second edition ever came out, it would be more modest.” Here, back in 2016 at the launch of the original two volume set, Sen and Gandini get ready for the book signing.
Gandini Revisited also includes a very touching Foreword by Gandini’s daughter Marzia, providing some unique insights into the man who sought to protect his talent, keeping it pure and away from both fame and to some degree, fortune. When she asked him why he didn’t create a large design studio, Gandini said, “Because I want to be sure I never have to accept jobs I don’t believe in, just to pay my employees’ salaries.” She was happy Gautam Sen was able to write the two books, “This book will undoubtedly become the most significant reference on his work…done by my father’s close friend and collaborator for the last two decades, Gautam Sen.”
Also new is the complete text of the speech given by Gandini when he received an honorary degree in engineering by the Politecnico di Torino on January 12, 2024, (Lectio Magistralis, Marcello Gandini–Ceremony for the conferral of an honorary degree in mechanical engineering), just a few months before he died. It was the longest speech he ever gave and “the closest one could have to an autobiography from the legend,” wrote Sen. While providing a series of messages to young designers and engineers, Gandini defines what the automobile is, and what the designer’s role should be. It is a remarkable, well-thought out testament.
If you would like to preview the pages click on the flipbuilder link below:
https://online.flipbuilder.com/uhzw/ftxd/
ISBN: 978-1-956309-15-7
Page count: 624
Images and Illustrations: 1,280
Page size: 219 x 304mm
First published: October 2024
$165
In 2016, we published a two-part review which is still relevant despite the downsizing and can be seen here as republished on the month of Gandini’s passing in 2024:
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