Giugiaro’s Masterpiece
The Panda’s story began in August 1976, when then-Fiat CEO Carlo De Benedetti tasked Giugiaro to design a new “French style” small car. Little did he know that the result would be nothing less than an industrial design masterpiece.
Giorgetto Giugiaro is, without a doubt, the most influential car designer in history, with a back catalog that includes hundreds of production cars and many revered classics like the Lotus Esprit and the De Lorean DMC-12.
Yet, the great man considers the humble Fiat Panda from 1980 his favorite project of all.
The Panda’s story began in August 1976, when then-Fiat CEO Carlo De Benedetti tasked Giugiaro to design a new “French style” small car.
The idea was to offer the rugged versatility typical of vehicles like the Renault 4 while keeping the production costs and bodyweight down to Fiat 126 levels.
It was no mean feat, given the substantially larger interior volume of the “Type 141,” as the Panda was called during development.
The need to reduce weight and cost drove the entire project, from the inside to the outside. The body structure became an aesthetic element…
