In 1973, Giorgetto Giugiaro and the working group from the Italdesign Design Center presented the Asso di Picche, Italian for “Ace of Spades,” at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It was a styling study for a 2+2 coupé, built at the request of the historic Karmann coachbuilder on an Audi 80 chassis and mechanics.
Fifty years later, Joaquin Garcia and his team at the Italdesign Design Center have worked to celebrate Asso di Picche’s 50th anniversary and to project it into the future and have created the anniversary model Asso di Picche in Movimento.
Asso di Picche in Movimento is a 2+2 electric coupé, 3 doors, without a center pillar, built on a next-generation platform, 4715 mm long, 1300 mm high and 2032 mm wide.
The 1:1 see-through model premiered at the Milano Design Week 2024 is crafted from a fusion of epoxy resin and sleek plexiglass- It is meticulously coated in water-based metallic grey paint with satin finishing and hints of blue. The lighting clusters, in-house-designed, milled and built at the Italdesign Lighting Department, announce the vehicle’s design identity via an interpretation of the company’s logo and are perfectly working. Forged with precision 10”x22” rims featuring wheel hubs designed by the creative team of Italdesign complement the car’s aesthetics, as well as the Ultrac Pro tires 295/30 ZR22, created by Italdesign for Vredestein.
When approaching the realm of the model’s interiors, a sense of modernity, elegance, sophistication is conveyed and a general enhancement of the car’s livability is suggested. The use of materials such as non-animal derived leather and sustainable microfibre are envisaged for the car’s interior saddlery. From a functional perspective, its simple forms can contribute to a natural and user-friendly experience for passengers. Technology is seamlessly integrated, becoming almost invisible until necessary. Interfaces are intuitive and unobtrusive, designed to fulfill needs with minimal effort or distraction.
The dashboard stands out for its minimalist and iconic character: a cylinder that extends forward, housing and presenting essential information in a sleek and intuitive manner. The steering wheel is simple and clean: rectangular, with rounded corners, and built low to offer more functional space and increase visibility.
Besides celebrating Italdesign’s heritage, Asso di Picche in Movimento also suggests the modern-day interpretation of the company’s design philosophy, that today updates and enlarges to tackle many of the contemporary topics being debated in the automotive sector.
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- Automotive