This is very sad news for a Monday morning. Giorgetto Giugiaro, the designer credited with cars as beautiful as the De Tomaso Mangusta, Lotus Esprit and Maserati Ghibli, has left his company Italdesign Giugiaro. Worse still, entire control will now be in Audi's hands. Oh dear. There's probably a joke in there about familiar designs.
It wasn't just the supercars remember...
So how has a company like Giugiaro's found its way entirely into Audi's hands? Five years ago a 90.1 per cent share was sold to Ingolstadt, leaving 9.9 per cent remaining for him and his son Fabrizio. Now, at 76, Giugiaro has relinquished his remaining share; both he and Fabrizio have resigned from the board, with Giugiaro also ditching his position as honorary chairman. He's gone.
Giugiaro without Giugiaro when he's still alive and well. Hmm. Conspiracists will love it. Italdesign issued a statement saying that Giugiaro's departure "won't influence" the company's progress or affect its "growth path". Interestingly one of Giugiaro's perhaps less well remembered designs is the original Audi 80. Pity the new A4 has just been announced, they could have saved themselves a job...
There's little more than that to add now but this can hardly be the end of the story. More info as it's available but, for now, enjoy some of Giugiaro's best work in pictures.