Design as art and lifeblood - in Turin 35 years ago
From April 18 to May 18 , 1978, the "Cultura e Progetto" exhibition was held at the "Palazzo della Promotrice delle belle arti" in Turin to celebrate the "Carrozzeria Italiana". For the first time ever, this important branch of industry, which was already threatened with extinction in 1978, gave an account of its work.
The list of greats of Italian coachbuilding who were present and eager to provide information at the exhibition's press conference reads like a "Who's Who": Giovanni Michelotti, Feiice Cornacchia, Nuccio Bertone, Dante Giacosa (exhibition president), Carlo Bianchi Anderloni, Giorgio Giugiaro. Sergio Pininfarina.
Some of the most beautiful designs ever were on display, including the Cisitalia 202 from 1947 ...
... , the Lamborghini Miura from 1966 ...
... ... , the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer from 1972 (as a wire skeleton, see picture above), but also modern and bulky designs such as the Bertone Cababo from 1966 ...
... or the Ferrari Modulo by Pininfarina.
Also on display were the Isotta Fraschini 8A with bodywork by Sala, the Lancia Flaminia limousine, the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Touring, but also the Alfa Romeo cab project by Giugiaro, along with many other exhibits. The catalog alone was well worth a visit to Turin.
The interdisciplinary working methods of Italian designers, some of whom conceived entire cars single-handedly, as Luigi Fabio Rapi had shown with the Isotta Fraschini Monterosa, were particularly emphasized.
A comprehensive report on the exhibition, which ended 35 years ago, was published in issue 22/1978 of Automobil Revue. The pictures shown here can of course also be found in larger resolution in the Zwischengas picture archive .
