Latest news with #GiorgettoGiugiaro
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lamborghini Miura: The Supercar That Started It All
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector The Lamborghini Miura, widely regarded as the world's first true supercar, changed the trajectory of high-performance automotive design when it debuted in 1966. With only 764 units built between 1966 and 1973, the Miura was a groundbreaking machine that combined bold engineering, head-turning design and raw power. The car redefined the modern performance vehicle and set the stage for future Lamborghini models such as the Murciélago and Aventador. But the Miura was more than a beautiful, fast car. Its development story — and the legacy it launched — helped shape Lamborghini's identity. Here are five lesser-known facts about the iconic Miura. Mid-engine origins The Miura was Lamborghini's first mid-engine road car, a configuration now standard for most supercars. Ferruccio Lamborghini initially opposed the idea, considering it impractical for street use. But a team of engineers, working after hours without his approval, secretly developed the prototype known as the P400. They fit a transversely mounted 3.9-liter V-12 engine into the chassis — an unprecedented move in road cars at the time. When the prototype was rushed to the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, a minor problem surfaced: the engine cover wouldn't stay shut. The solution? Weights were added to keep it closed for the reveal. A chassis captures attention Before its full debut, Lamborghini showcased the Miura's bare chassis at the 1965 Turin Auto Show. The public mistook it for a race car, which generated buzz and cemented its performance image before the bodywork was even unveiled. While Giorgetto Giugiaro contributed to the concept's early design, it was Marcello Gandini of Bertone who styled the final Miura — a masterpiece of flowing curves, hidden headlights and low-slung proportions that made the car appear fast even when parked. A cultural icon Though not Lamborghini's first car — that honor belongs to the 350 GT — the Miura was the first to gain worldwide acclaim. By the early 1970s, it had become a pop culture symbol. Jazz legend Miles Davis and rocker Rod Stewart were known owners. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen reportedly used a recording of his Miura's engine as the intro to the song 'Panama.' And in the 1969 film The Italian Job, the Miura's appearance in the opening scene helped solidify its place in cinema and automotive history. A name with muscle The Miura name is derived from one of Spain's most aggressive breeds of fighting bulls — a fitting title for a car that defined strength, speed and defiance. The name also influenced Lamborghini's now-famous raging bull logo and its naming tradition. From the Diablo to the Aventador, many Lamborghini models have drawn names from the world of bullfighting, a practice that began with the Miura. A legacy still charging Before the Miura, Lamborghini model names were numeric and technical. Afterward, the brand embraced symbolism, passion and power. The Miura sparked this transformation and set the tone for the company's bold identity. More than half a century after its debut, the Miura remains one of the most admired sports cars ever made. Its influence continues to resonate — in design studios, on racetracks and among collectors around the world. The Miura wasn't just a car. It was a revolution. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Volkswagen considers sale or partnership for Italdesign unit
Volkswagen is contemplating to divest its design and engineering unit, Italdesign, as part of its strategy to revamp European operations, reported Reuters, citing union representatives. The German automaker is exploring options, including a sale or partnership for the Turin-based unit, according to union representatives from Italian Federation of Metalworkers (Fiom) and FIM Cisl after a meeting with Italdesign management. The move comes as Volkswagen faces increased competition and a challenging European car market. Audi, which fully owns Italdesign, is reviewing its strategic alignment, including its holdings. Audi's spokesperson was quoted by the news agency as saying, the company 'continuously reviews its strategic alignment, including its holdings." Italdesign employs approximately 1,350 people, with 1,100 based in Turin, and reported a turnover of $374m last year. Union representatives revealed that Volkswagen has received preliminary interest from four or five parties but is currently not considering offers from competitors or financial groups. Rocco Cutrì, head of FIM Cisl union in Turin, mentioned that Audi is conducting preliminary due diligence at Italdesign to prepare for the plan. Founded in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro, Italdesign has created models for brands like Volkswagen, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Audi. Volkswagen acquired Italdesign in 2010 and assumed full ownership in 2015. Volkswagen recently announced significant changes to its German operations, including job cuts and capacity reductions. The company ended Volkswagen-branded car production in Dresden and Osnabrueck and is exploring alternative uses for these plants. Audi also closed its Brussels plant after failing to find a buyer. Also, Volkswagen Group reported a mixed start to the fiscal year, with operating profit in Q1 FY2025 down 37% at €2.9bn, despite a 3% increase in sales revenue to €78bn and a 1% rise in unit sales to 2.1m vehicles. "Volkswagen considers sale or partnership for Italdesign unit" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Advertiser
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from: Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi Content originally sourced from:
West Australian
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf , and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2 , the limited edition Nissan GT-R50 , and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi
Perth Now
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Audi cost cutting could see it sell Italdesign
Automotive design firm Italdesign may be sold by owner Audi as the Volkswagen Group seeks to tighten its financial belt. Union sources in Italy have told Corriere della Sera Audi has taken the first steps to offloading the famed automotive design firm, with Italdesign undergoing due diligence and valuation. Although no potential buyers have been named, a meeting has been scheduled with Italdesign employees for May 12 at the company's headquarters at Moncalieri, a suburb on the southern fringe of Turin. The company currently employs around 1000 people in studios across the world, including Italy, Spain, Germany, China and the United States. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera Icon DMC DeLorean Credit: CarExpert Audi's move to offload Italdesign is part of a wider push within the Volkswagen Group to cut costs and free up cash due to softening sales across Europe and increasing competition from Chinese automakers. As part of its cost-cutting efforts, in February Audi closed its factory in Brussels, where it had been making the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback. It will also reduce its workforce in Germany by 7500 people by the end of 2029. Once one of the most profitable parts of the Volkswagen Group, Audi's operating margin fell to just 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year; automakers typically see 6 to 8 per cent as a good figure. Camera Icon Daewoo Matiz Credit: CarExpert Italdesign was founded in 1968 by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and engineer Aldo Mantovani. The company's extensive credit roll includes a clutch of iconic supercars, including the DMC DeLoren, Lotus Esprit, and the BMW M1 supercar. One could argue Italdesign's work at the more affordable end of the spectrum has been even more influential, with the original Volkswagen Golf, and Fiat Panda, Punto and Uno are all penned by the company. Other credits include the first-generation Daewoo Matiz, Hyundai Excel, Lancia Delta, Audi 80, and Lexus GS. Camera Icon Lotus Esprit Credit: CarExpert Volkswagen purchased 90 per cent of Italdesign in 2010, with the remaining 10 per cent kept by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his family. In order to keep its Italian holdings together, Italdesign was placed with Lamborghini under Audi's ownership. The Giugiaro and his son sold their remaining stake to Volkswagen in 2015, and left the firm to setup their own design consultancy. Under Volkswagen ownership Italdesign continued to work with other automakers, although the volume of commissioned products has slowed significantly. Cars developed since 2010 include the Audi Q2, the limited edition Nissan GT-R50, and the Voyah Free for Chinese automaker Dongfeng. MORE: Everything Audi
