Photography by David Gooley
L’Arte dell’Automobile
February 4, 2003
The berlinetta had a far-reaching international impact, and would successfully influence everything from the Corvette to the Jaguar E-Type to the Datsun 240Z (itself a masterful design by BMW 507 penman Albrecht Goertz). Chevrolet even appropriated the name “Berlinetta” for a Camaro trim level. And though berlinettas were preeminent, they were not the only body styles offered. There were notchback coupes and spyders from each of the carrozzerias, and also four-door sedans such as the first Maserati Quattroporte by Frua and the Lagonda Rapide from Touring. The Quattroporte was easily the prettier of the two, with more delicate lines and a less busy front end design. A second Quattroporte styled by Bertone arrived in 1974, and a third by Giugiaro in 1976.
Italian design, particularly in the ’50s, managed to avoid the pitfalls into which its American counterpart fell headlong. While fins surged ever higher at Chrysler and General Motors, and exuberant ornamentation became the norm, this design had, with a few exceptions (BATs among them), only a negligible impact in Italy. There is the hint here or there of a fin and even of a dogleg window, but most cars escaped lurid color combinations and the overly generous application of chrome. On balance, few designs could be considered in dubious taste. The industry escaped unscathed into the early 1960s, when the berlinetta’s form started to evolve, gaining more defined angles as the Italian design aesthetic marched toward the wedge. This movement is very apparent in upstart marques like Iso and Bizzarini. Bertone supplied each with low-slung coachwork, and while in profile both still qualify as berlinettas, the sensuous curves are being gradually flattened. Vignale’s Jensen Interceptor picks up on the squared-off theme, primarily in its nose, as does Ghia’s DeTomaso Mangusta and Maserati Ghibli. The Ferrari Daytona from Pininfarina modulates angles carefully, but there is no question regarding its sharply angled nose and tail.
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