Ercole Spada created legendary designs (obituary)
08/04/2025
Even at the end of March 2025, at the last lunch meeting in Turin, there was no sign that this would really be the last time we would meet. With a good-humored Ercole Spada, it was entertaining to spend time in a Turin restaurant and talk about this and that.
(Lunch on March 21, 2025 in Turin: Ercole Spada with his son Paolo, Thomas Sutter and Claudia Steinegger)
(Car) design was of course his topic and here the old master said succinctly: "With some new cars in the showroom, you'd think they'd already had an accident...!".
It's been a few years since we first met - our paths crossed again and again, be it at a meeting of the "Zagato Car Club" or at the "Spettacolo Sportivo" in Zandvoort, where he gladly accepted the opportunity to ride in an Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato for an entire weekend.
He was delighted when the chronicler was able to arrange an Aston Martin DB4 Zagato for him years ago so that he could scan the bodywork. The DB4 Zagato was, of course, his very first design, which he drew for Zagato as a very young 22-year-old designer in 1960. And with a debut like that, you could ask yourself what else was to come...?
A lot came, Spada shaped the entire sixties at Zagato. After Ghia (Ford) and a brief guest appearance at Audi, which he described in flashback as a mutual misunderstanding, a glorious time at BMW followed. Spada was responsible for the design of the E32 series seven-seater (1986-1994) and the iconic E34 series five-seater (1988-1996). His excellent knowledge of German also stemmed from this time at Audi and BMW.
In 1983, he returned to Italy and took over the position of chief designer at I.D.E.A, the design center of the Fiat Group. There he created designs for the Fiat Tipo and Tempra, the Lancia Delta and Lancia Dedra as well as the Alfa Romeo 155. As a "pensioner", he supported his son Paolo until the end, and together they founded the "Spadaconcept" design studio in Turin.
Ercole Spada was a grand seigneur, a man of clear words and clear deeds. The chronicler will never forget his words when he was asked which Zagato model was the least popular. The answer "Lancia Flavia Zagato" was promptly followed by Spada's reply: "Tu sei un architetto - and you are the only architect I know who doesn't like this car!".
Ercole Spada, born in Busto Arsizio on July 26, 1937, passed away in Turin on August 3, 2025, at the age of 88. We will not forget him.
