The main thing is hinged doors
01/09/2021
The coupé looks quite smart and not really old at all, although the basic design was first presented almost exactly 37 years ago. At the Geneva Motor Show, the ItalDesign draft from the hand of Giorgetto Giugiaro was then presented in real size.
If you take a closer look, you will be able to guess the brand of the vehicle. The wheels were also found on production vehicles from Renault, and the rear lights are reminiscent of the Super Cinq. In fact, the coupé was based on the Renault 11, which was also new at the time and was also on show in Geneva.
However, the ItalDesign Mouette(description in AR 10/1983) looked much more modern and with its gullwing doors (hence the name, which means 'seagull' in French) it would certainly have caused a stir as a production car.
Incidentally, the concept car was then presented as the "Gabbiano", which was the Italian translation of 'seagull'. The wheels and details had been changed. And Automobil Revue wrote in its show report at the time:
""Gabbiano" is the name of the thing with its generous, flush-fitting glazing and its two butterfly doors. With an overall length of 3.9 m, the rather compact coupé practically ends behind the rear wheels. This makes the front overhang, which balances the lines, all the more generous. Inside, there is an electronic instrument panel (what else?) and four comfortable seats; the rear backrests can be folded forward individually to expand the otherwise rather small luggage compartment. The "Gabbiano" is to prove its good aerodynamics in the wind tunnel immediately after the show."
Not much more was heard about the Gabbiano/Mouette after that, but for ItalDesign it marked the beginning of a close collaboration with Régie Renault, which ultimately led to the Renault 21 production model, albeit without gullwing doors.
