Sometimes even one successful project is enough for a designer to become famous. The examples are Albrecht von Goertz, who drew the BMW 507, or Malcolm Sayer, the creator of the legendary Jaguar E-type. Other maestros have several bright cars behind them, and especially talented ones can boast of a dozen or even several dozen successful creations. And there is Giovanni Michelotti.
During his career, the Italian designer has created over 1200 cars and prototypes! It is understandable why Michelotti is sometimes called the automobile Picasso. He is known for his incredible productivity.
But Michelotti is known not only for the quantity but also for the quality of his work. It is even strange that the name of perhaps the most productive automotive designer of the 20th century is not known to many gearheads. His portfolio includes classics from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, BMW, Maserati, Aston Martin, Ford, Lancia, and Jaguar. The genius Italian designer even took the time to build buses and trucks!
Already In Adolescence, Giovanni Michelotti Decided On His Profession
Michelotti always knew exactly who he wanted to become. The thing is that he is a native of Turin. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was considered to be the Detroit of Europe. Almost all of the city's business in one way or another served the needs of the automotive industry. Giovanni's father worked at the plant of the very famous car company Itala at the time. Therefore, the profession of choice for Michelotti was obvious to him.
Without waiting for his 16th birthday, in 1936, Michelotti dropped out of school and got a job as an intern in the body shop of Giuseppe Farina. Michelotti had very good teachers from the very beginning. His talent, hard work, and perseverance attracted the attention of the famous Italian designer and racer Mario Revelli di Beaumont, who then started teaching Michelotti.
After First Success, Giovanni Michelotti Started Working For Himself
After the war, it was on the basis of Michelotti's works that the updated Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS and custom bodies for the Talbot Lago T26 went into series production. It was soon after that the novice designer suddenly understood one simple thing: it is better to work for yourself than for a big boss.
In 1949, Micheletto opened his own design studio. In fact, he worked at home, offering everyone the services of a "freelance" designer. He was not taking a lot of money for his services but was doing everything in the best quality and on time. Therefore, he got a lot of clients soon.
Most Of His Projects Hide Under The Names Of Popular Brands
But why is Michelotti's last name so rarely seen? The thing is that his work was hiding behind the promoted brands: Pininfarina, Vignale, Touring, Ghia, and so on. Dozens and even hundreds of his early works are mostly custom-made special versions based on expensive Italian, French and English cars. By some accounts, Michelotti has designed 192 Ferrari models throughout his career.
Micheletto's fame was growing. In the mid-1950s, he created the A106 sports coupe for the small company Alpine. After some time, BMW turned to him. The Germans urgently needed an inexpensive and high-quality project of a sports two-door car. This is how the BMW 700 was born, the car that many call the savior of the company.
The Famous People Who Drove Giovanni Michelotti's Designs
Many celebrities have driven cars with custom bodies from Michelotti. The list includes Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (beachside DAF 32 Kini) and celebrity actor Steve McQueen (Ferrari 365 GTB Daytona NART Spider).
By the late 1950s, Michelotti's studio could already be considered a full-fledged body shop. And Giovanni's approach to work did not change. Every single client was receiving excellent quality work at a reasonable price and in the shortest possible time. When meeting with a client, Michelotti would carefully listen to the wishes of his customers, marking something in his notebook and, then invited guests to relax in a nearby cafe. After just a few cups of espresso, he was ready to show customers the first sketches.
There was no job for Michelotti that he didn’t take on. At the same time, he skillfully avoided cliches, approaching each project as the one and only. He even created the famous Triumph Herald.
Shortly before his death (Giovanni died in Turin on January 23, 1980) in one of his interviews, answering the question of whether he had a chance to create something other than cars, Michelotti spoke about the coffee maker, the design of which he developed after the war, which shows that he was talented in everything.