Panda

The Fiat Panda project was first established in 1976 with the aim of meeting specific requirements in terms of space and manufacturing costs. Here, "style" played only a marginal role, and the project required wide-ranging input from the designer.

Carlo De Benedetti, Fiat CEO at the time, asked Giugiaro to design a 'French-style' vehicle like the Citroen 2 CV or Renault 4, in which the focus would be on creating passenger and luggage space, a vehicle with a somewhat Spartan look, rational, with the same weight and the same manufacturing costs as the small Fiat 126. The Panda was the result of a joint venture between Giugiaro and his technical partner Aldo Mantovani. Giorgetto designed the lines and defined the spaces, and Aldo worked hard to find the technical solutions which worked with the brief.

The outcome of this research process was the establishment of the basic elements that would characterize the new economy car: flat windows, exposed hinge door opening, the special way of securing the side panels to the roof using longitudinal moldings to provide a continuous cover for the welding and eliminate the need for a drainage channel, the grill created by drawing and printing a sheet metal panel integrated optically with the body of the vehicle, the simplified seat structure, the interior pillars angled and painted in the exterior body color, not upholstered, the versatility and adaptability of the second row bench with removable roll-up backrest to free up extensive space for an economy car, the simple door panels, and the fabric pouch dashboard with open storage area.

The Panda's design was evident in the vehicle's ergonomic shape, in the consistency between the dimensions, weight, and cost, in its response to new production technologies, and rather than in its lines, in the "style" which was the consequence and not the starting point of the research. With advances in technology, Giugiaro and Mantovani managed to offer more space, to cater to a category of buyers who for financial reasons are often required to compromise on overall comfort. The traditional concept of an economy car has been turned on its head: instead of maximum service within minimum space, it could now offer maximum interior space for a reasonable cost.

For the Panda, which went into production starting in 1980, the ADI awarded Giugiaro the Compasso d'Oro in 1981, an award that Giorgetto himself acknowledges should be shared equally with Mantovani: only the combination of their skills and efforts could achieve that result.