The perfect blend of performance and blade-edged elegance
Georgette Giugiaro. The name alone evokes Italian beauty, energy, and excitement. Named “Designer of the Century” in 1999, Giugiaro would earn that honor having designed dozens of award-winning cars for nearly every major manufacturer. In 1959, the 20-year-old Giugiaro impressed Nuccio Bertone so much that even while he served his mandatory military service, Bertone supplied him the tools and rented a hotel room for Giugiaro to draw cars and mail his concepts back home to be built. After eight years working for Bertone, Giugiaro departed under an emotionally charged edict from Bertone. Nuccio was determined to hire budding talent Marcello Gandini. Giugiaro would have nothing of it. Giugiaro sought out prime Bertone competitor Ghia for a one-year contract. Although a short period of time, his creativity could not be contained and Giugiaro unleashed a stunning stream of four important cars (two of which would become the Mangusta and Ghibli) laying the groundwork for some of the most innovative body designs of the 1960s. These four cars critically set Ghia apart from the prevailing designs of other coachbuilders. It must be noted that Giugiaro achieved this design at what had to be one of the most personally and professionally challenging times of his young life—a tribute to his consummate professionalism and dedication to car design.
