Book Review: Marcello Gandini – Maestro of Design

What do the Renault SuperCinq, Renault Magnum truck and Citroën BX share with the Lamborghini Countach? They were all designed by the modest Marcello Gandini. Yet despite being a design superstar, Gandini never acted like one.

Author Gautam Sen managed to speak to the famously publicity-shy maestro for his two-volume book Marcello Gandini - Maestro of Design. Gautam briefly writes on how he tried contacting Gandini for years, finally managed to do so, and only was able to get agreement for publishing this book through Gandini’s daughter – quite an undertaking indeed.

Marcello Gandini’s philosophy is the key to his success, setting him apart from mere stylists. Gandini’s designs have a purity and purpose, often bold and powerful, but much like the designer himself, they often stayed under the radar. The futuristic, monolithic La Piccola, developed by Gandini on a personal basis, is a great example mentioned in the book – albeit briefly. However, the book features sometimes poor-quality illustrations; design sketches are also lacking and the writing style is often dry.

Nonetheless, this big, heavy two-volume publication is a large archive charting Gandini’s designs – and is clearly a notable labour and achievement.

Marcello Gandini - Maestro of Design: Gautam Sen

Dalton Watson Fine Books, 2 volumes, 800 pages