Do you know the designer Marcello Gandini? If you are in your 40s and older, you probably have heard about supercars such as Lamborghini Countach and Miura, even if you’ve never heard of his name. As a matter of fact, these are the works of Gandini.

When I was a child, there was a so-called supercar boom in Japan. As supercars were often used as themes for toys and manga, they naturally became familiar to me though I was rarely given a chance to see real examples of them. Among many types of supercars, Lamborghini Countach stood out with its spectacular look and feel. As a kid, I was struck by its unique design characteristics such as a wedge-shaped silhouette, sharp-edged body, large-size rear wing, retractable headlights, and scissor doors. It occupied a special place in my mind as a symbol of supercars. In fact, the models created by Gandini came to be regarded masterpieces of modeling design, transcending the genre of car design to exert influence on designs for robot anime that became all the rage in later years. For these reasons, he should rightly be called a hero in my childhood.

In recent years, the definition of design has become complicated, and the look and feel has been given smaller roles. Nevertheless, I hope design will continue to be a profession that provides inspiration in children’s minds as Gandini did in the past.

Shoichi Takezaki

Product Design Dept.

Master Designer