Marcello Gandini passed away on March 13, 2024 (age 85 years) in Rivoli, Italy.
In November of 2016, VeloceToday published a review of Gautam Sen’s new book, Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design, an 800 page two volume opus. Our review was also in two parts as we featured a closer look at many of Gandini’s designs. As a tribute to the late, great designer, we are republishing these reviews as our archival features this week. Note that Sen’s book is out of stock from publisher Dalton Watson but a newer, less expensive version, Marcello Gandini Maestro of Design Revisited, will be available soon.
By Pete Vack
Right up front, let us tell you that this 800-page, two-volume set entitled Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design is one of the best books on automotive designers we’ve ever read. We did a quick Internet search and found many new (and old) books on Italian designers, (see list at end of this article) but none that approached the coverage of Gandini. It is devastatingly interesting, beautifully illustrated, nails down the history of every design and/or car touched by Marcello Gandini. The author, Gautam Sen, weaves the designer’s comments (from an introvert who is almost incapable of commenting on himself or his work) into a fascinating story backed by interesting and relevant histories.