12 JANUARY 2024

On 12 January 2024, the Polytechnic of Turin awarded the Honorary Degree in Mechanical Engineering to Marcello Gandini.

Turin 12 January 2024:
greetings from the Rector of the Polytechnic Guido Saracco.

The Proponents, the people necessary to promote the "Cause" at the Polytechnic and consequently activate the bureaucratic process towards the Ministry of University and Research, were Claudio Beccari, Flavio Manzoni, Giuseppe Menga, Mariella Mengozzi, Paolo Paloschi, Mike Robinson, Gautam Sen and Alfredo Stola.
The proclamation ceremony which began at 4.00 pm in the Aula Magna Giovanni Agnelli packed to its maximum capacity of five hundred people, as per protocol began with the "Greeting" of the Magnificent Rector Guido Saracco, the "Laudatio" of Professor Massimo Rossetto of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the "Motivation" by Giorgio Guglieri Director of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Among the audience Marcello and Claudia Gandini.

The Laudatio of Professor Massimo Rossetto.The Motivation by the Director Giorgio Guglieri.

Professor Rossetto, Rector Saracco and Director Guglieri.

The actual proclamation was preceded by Marcello Gandini's "Lectio Magistralis", certainly the most touching moment for the attentive audience; a truly extraordinary "Manifesto" of indications dedicated to young students and soon-to-be graduates.
As always, with his humility but with iron firmness aware of his role, he gave them practical guidance to achieve their future highest professional goals and beyond.

Marcello Gandini at the Lectio Magistralis.

The public.
The public.

At the end of the ceremony which culminated with the delivery of the parchment according to the medieval rite, Professor Alberto Scuro and Doctor Maria Paola Stola, respectively President of ASI, and ASI member of the Manufacturers and Design Commission, presented a plaque from the Italian Historical Auto Moto Club in memory of the event to Engineer Marcello Gandini.
All Proponents are grateful to Claudia and Marzia Gandini for having had the honor and privilege of this exclusive role from them.

Delivery of the parchment. Engineer Gandini, Rector Saracco and Director Guglieri.

Alberto Scuro and Maria Paloa Stola respectively President and Design Commission and ASI Manufacturers present an ASI Plaque to Engineer Marcello Gandini.

The Proponents present at the Polytechnic on 12 January 2024: Giuseppe Menga, Gautam Sen, Alfredo Stola, Marcello Gandini, the Rector Guido Saracco, Claudio Beccari and Paolo Paloschi. Alfredo Stola, the Engineer Marcello Gandini and the Rector Guido Saracco.

Marcello Gandini was completely unaware of this initiative, in fact the idea was born by the Gandini ladies in March 2023, with a first exploratory meeting in Villarbasse together with the engineer Claudio Beccari and Alfredo Stola.
Marcello Gandini, will be informed only after the Minister of the University of the Italian Republic Anna Maria Bernini authorized the Polytechnic to proceed.

In the large courtyard of the Polytechnic, a beautiful exhibition organized by Doctor Claudio Ivaldi, President of the Maserati Club Italia and member of the ASI technical commission, to admire the selection of fifteen cars from nine different brands designed by the Maestro.

Present at the exhibition 15 Cars: Ferrari 308 Rainbow - Ferrari Dino GT4 - Lamborghini Urraco - Lancia Strato's - Maserati Shamal - Maserati Quattroporte IV - Lamborghini Miura S - Lamborghini Countach LP400 - Lamborghini Diablo S.V. - Alfa Romeo Montreal - Maserati Khamsin - Lamborghini Espada - Autobianchi Runabout - Fiat X1/9 - Innocenti Mini

The Stola S81 Concept Car appeared in the center of the screen during Professor Rossetto's "Laudatio", although strongly desired it was not present at the exhibition. In fact, on the same day it was exhibited in Milan in the Montenapoleone district at Larusmiani in conjunction with the ADI exhibition "History of car design and restoration of vintage cars" with cars from the Lopresto Collection.
Alfredo Stola, one of the seven proponents, is pleased to publish in this story the S81, built by Stola S.p.A. and designed by Gandini in the year 2000, for what was the last Turin Motor Show at the Lingotto.

Milan January-February 2024: the Stola S81 (Lopresto collection) at Larusmiani in the Montenapoleone district.

Larusmiani welcomes the Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo Bertone
to its exhibition showcase.

Larusmiani has long been accustomed to welcoming the greatest masterpieces of Italian car design into its showcase, such as a few months earlier the revolutionary Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo Concept designed by the Maestro in 1968 for Bertone, and presented at the Paris Motor Show the same year at the Italian coachbuilder's stand.
This prototype is to be considered one of the very first examples of cuneiform architecture which will be the concept for future Lambirghini Countach, Urraco and ultimately the Diablo.

Piotr Degler and his Dino Ferrari 208 GT4.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Piotr Degler for the exclusive photo shoot at the Polytechnic, a great admirer of Marcello Gandini whom he already photographed and interviewed for his award-winning book "Made in Italy".
The fact that he owns a classic Ferrari Dino GT4 208 is certainly no coincidence.