Car Designer of the Century - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Car Designer of the Century was an international award given to the most influential car designer of the 20th century. The election process was overseen by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation.

The winner, Giorgetto Giugiaro

Giorgetto Giugiaro

Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...

, was announced at an awards gala on December 18, 1999 in Las Vegas.

The selection process

The process for deciding the Car Designer of the Century started with the list of candidates below.

The candidates
Name	Notable works
Eric Gantt	Ford Taurus Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American... , Ford Sierra Ford Sierra The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
Nuccio Bertone Nuccio Bertone Giuseppe Bertone, called "Nuccio", was a famed automobile designer and constructor...
Flaminio Bertoni Flaminio Bertoni Flaminio Bertoni was an automobile designer, responsible for some of the most radical reconceptualisations of automobiles ever. He worked in the years preceding World War II until his death in 1964...	Citroën Traction Avant Citroën Traction Avant The Citroën Traction Avant is an automobile which was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1934 to 1957. About 760,000 units were produced.-Impact on the world:... , Citroën DS Citroën DS The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative... , Citroën 2CV Citroën 2CV The Citroën 2CV \|tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer... , Citroën Ami Citroën Ami The Citroën Ami is a supermini produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1961 to 1978. The Ami and stablemate Citroën Dyane were replaced by the Citroën Visa and Citroën Axel . The Ami was for some years the best-selling car model in France...
Gordon Buehrig Gordon Buehrig Gordon Miller Buehrig was a noted automobile designer. Born in Mason City, Illinois, he had early design experience with Packard, General Motors and Stutz. In 1929, he was responsible for designing the bodies of the Stutz Black Hawks entered at Le Mans...	Cord 810 Cord Automobile Cord was the brand name of a United States automobile, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937....
Jean Bugatti Jean Bugatti Jean Bugatti was an French/Italian automotive designer and test engineer.Born Gianoberto Maria Carlo Bugatti in Cologne, Germany, he was the eldest son of Ettore Bugatti. Soon after his birth the family moved to the village of Dorlisheim near Molsheim in Alsace where his father built the new...	Bugatti Atlantic
Wayne Cherry Wayne Cherry Wayne K Cherry is a noted American car designer is responsible for the conversion of Opel-style lines into the British Vauxhall or American counterparts for General Motors...
Harley Earl Harley Earl Harley J. Earl was first Vice President of Design at General Motors. He was an industrial designer and a pioneer of modern transportation design. A coachbuilder by trade, Earl pioneered the use of freeform sketching and hand sculpted clay models as design techniques...	Cadillac LaSalle LaSalle The LaSalle was an automobile product of General Motors Corporation and sold as a companion marque of Cadillac from 1927 to 1940. The two were linked by similarly themed names, both being named for French explorers — Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac and René-Robert...
Virgil Exner Virgil Exner Virgil Max "Ex" Exner, Sr. was an automobile designer for numerous American companies, notably Chrysler and Studebaker. He is known for his "Forward Look" design on the 1955-1963 Chrysler products and his fondness of fins on cars for both aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons.-Early life:Born in Ann...	Chrysler 300 Chrysler 300 letter series The Chrysler 300 "letter series" were high-performance luxury cars built in very limited numbers by the Chrysler Corporation in the U.S. from 1955-1965...
Leonardo Fioravanti Leonardo Fioravanti Leonardo Fioravanti is an Italian automobile designer and CEO of Fioravanti Srl.He studied mechanical engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, specializing in aerodynamics and car body design...	Ferrari Daytona Ferrari Daytona The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a Gran Turismo automobile produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968 and replaced the 275 GTB/4... , Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer A Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer is one of a series of cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. They used a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, replacing the FR layout Daytona, and were succeeded in the Ferrari stable by the Testarossa. It was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.Production of the...
Pietro Frua Pietro Frua Pietro Frua was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...	Maserati Maserati Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
Tom Gale Tom Gale Tom Gale was an Automobile Designer from USA best known for the works with Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth marques. He was best associated with Chrylser LH series cars which introduced the Cab forward designs into large sedans and the sports cars, the Dodge Stealth and the Dodge Viper...	Dodge Viper Dodge Viper The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January... , Dodge Stealth
Marcello Gandini Marcello Gandini Marcello Gandini is an Italian car designer, widely known for his work with the automotive design house Gruppo Bertone, notably his design of the Lamborghini Countach. Together with Giorgetto Giugiaro and Leonardo Fioravanti, Gandini forms a noted triumvirate of Italian car designers, all born in...	Lamborghini Miura Lamborghini Miura The Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars... , Lamborghini Countach Lamborghini Countach The Lamborghini Countach is a mid-engined supercar that was produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars... , Fiat X1/9 Fiat X1/9 The Fiat X1/9 is a two-seater mid-engined sports car designed by Bertone and manufactured by Fiat from 1972-1982 and subsequently by Bertone from 1982-1989.... , Lancia Stratos Lancia Stratos The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity... , Citroën BX Citroën BX The Citroën BX is a large family car that was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1982 to 1994. In total, 2,315,739 BXs were built during its 12-year history. The hatchback was discontinued in 1993 with the arrival of the Xantia, but the estate continued for another year.-History:The...
Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...	Maserati Ghibli Maserati Ghibli The Maserati Ghibli is a Gran Turismo car produced by Italian manufacturer Maserati in two generations: first from 1966–73, and again as the Maserati Ghibli II from 1992–97.- Ghibli I :... , Audi 80 Audi 80 The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant... , Alfa Romeo Alfasud Alfa Romeo Alfasud The Alfa Romeo Alfasud is a compact car made by Alfa Romeo of Italy from 1971 to 1989. It was considered one of Alfa Romeo's most successful models, sold 893,719 examples from 1972 to 1983 plus 121,434 Sprint versions from 1976 to 1989. A common nickname for the car is ’Sud... , Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The... , Volkswagen Scirocco Volkswagen Scirocco The Scirocco is a 3-door Coupe manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.-Etymology:... , Fiat Uno Fiat Uno The Fiat Uno is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. The Uno was launched in 1983 and built in its homeland until 1995, with production still taking place in other countries.-First series :... , Lotus Esprit, Lancia Delta Lancia Delta The Lancia Delta is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Lancia with the first generation being produced between 1979 and 1994, the second generation running from 1993 until 1999, and the third generation Delta entering production in 2008. It was first shown inFrankfurt Motor Show in 1979... , DeLorean DMC-12, Lexus GS Lexus GS The Lexus GS is a series of mid-size luxury sports sedans / executive cars sold by Lexus since 1993. Designed to fill the gap between the ES and LS, and to provide Lexus with a performance sedan to compete in the mid-luxury class, three generations of the GS have been produced to date...
Patrick le Quément Patrick le Quément Patrick G. M. Le Quément is a retired French car designer, formerly chief designer of Renault.Born in France but brought up in the United Kingdom, Le Quément holds a BA Hons...	Renault Twingo Renault Twingo The Renault Twingo is a city car built by French automaker Renault, first presented at the Paris Motor Show in September 1992 and sold in continental European markets beginning in 1993... , Renault Scénic Renault Scénic The Renault Scénic is a compact MPV produced by French automaker Renault, the first to be labelled as such in Europe. It is based on the chassis of the Mégane small family car. It became 1997 European Car of the Year on its launch in late 1996... , Renault Initiale Concept
Raymond Loewy Raymond Loewy Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...	Hupmobile Hupmobile The Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1940 by the Hupp Motor Company, which was located at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Its first car, the Model 20, was introduced to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in February 1909... , Studebaker Avanti Studebaker Avanti See also Avanti cars The Studebaker Avanti was a sports coupé built by the Studebaker Corporation at the direction of its president Sherwood Egbert between June 1962 and December 1963...
Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Triumph and BMW marques...	Triumph Herald Triumph Herald The Triumph Herald was a small two-door car introduced in 1959 by the Standard-Triumph Company of Coventry. Body design was by the Italian stylist Michelotti and the car was offered in saloon, convertible, coupé, van, and estate models.... , Triumph Spitfire Triumph Spitfire The Triumph Spitfire is a small English two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti... , Triumph TR4 Triumph TR4 The Triumph TR4 was a sports car built in the United Kingdom by the Standard Triumph Motor Company and introduced in 1961. Code named "Zest" during development, the car was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the previous TR sports cars, but with a modern Michelotti styled body. 40,253 cars... , BMW 700 BMW 700 The BMW 700 was a small rear-engined car produced by BMW in various models from August 1959 to November 1965. It was the first BMW automobile with a monocoque structure. The 700 was a sales success at a time when BMW was close to financial ruin... , Renault Alpine A110 Alpine A110 The Alpine A110, also known as the "Berlinette", was a sports car produced by the French manufacturer Alpine from 1961 to 1977. The A110 was powered by various Renault engines.... , DAF 55 DAF 55 The DAF 55 is a small family car produced by the Dutch company DAF from December 1967 to September 1972. At that time it was replaced with the DAF 66....
Bill Mitchell	Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after... , Chevrolet Corvair Chevrolet Corvair -First generation :The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 selling for under $2,000...
Robert Opron Robert Opron Robert Opron is a French automotive designer, trained as an architect, and noted for designs from the 1960s through the 1980s for Simca, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ligier, Renault and Citroën – which he joined in 1962 and where he became Responsable de Style, head of the design department.Opron was a...	Citroën SM Citroën SM The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S. in 1972.-History:In 1961,... , Citroën GS Citroën GS The Citroën GS and Citroën GSA are small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The GS was voted European Car of the Year for 1971, and was probably the most technologically advanced car in its class when launched, with class leading comfort, safety and aerodynamics.-Market... , Citroën CX Citroën CX The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Citroën sold nearly 1.2 million CXs during its 16 years of production. The CX was voted European Car of the Year in 1975.... , Renault Fuego Renault Fuego The Renault Fuego is a four-seater, three-door hatchback produced by French automaker Renault from 1980 to 1992, replacing the Renault 15 and 17 coupés of the 1970s.- Development :...
Battista Pininfarina Battista Farina Battista "Pinin" Farina was an Italian automobile designer, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company, a name associated with many of the best-known postwar sports cars....
Mario Revelli di Beaumont	Simc. 1000 Simca Simca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat. It was directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by the Italian Henri Théodore Pigozzi...
Bruno Sacco Bruno Sacco Bruno Sacco is an Italian automobile designer who served as the head of styling at German car giant Daimler-Benz between 1975 and 1999...	Mercedes Benz S-Class (W126 series)
Sixten Sason Sixten Sason Sixten Sason was a Swedish industrial designer.Sason started working for Saab, designing aircraft throughout World War II. Following the war, he was asked to contribute to Project 92, the result of which would be the first Saab automobile, the Saab 92 which began production in 1949...	Saab 93 Saab 93 The Saab 93, pronounced ninety-three, is an automobile manufactured by Saab. It was announced on August 18, 1955, and was first presented on December 1, 1955. It was styled by Sixten Sason and had a longitudinally-mounted three-cylinder 748 cc Saab two-stroke engine giving 33 hp . The... , Saab 99 Saab 99 - Development :On April 2, 1965, Gudmund's day in Sweden, after several years of planning, the Saab board started Project Gudmund. This was a project to develop a new and larger car to take the manufacturer beyond the market for the smaller Saab 96...
Ercole Spada Ercole Spada Ercole Spada is an Italian automobile designer. His most notable designs were made in the 1960s, for the Zagato design studio house, where Spada was chief stylist...	Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato was introduced in October 1960 at the London Motor Show. It was effectively a DB4 GT, lightened and improved by the Zagato factory in Italy, by Ercole Spada. Initially the factory had plans to produce 25 cars, but demand wasn't as strong as expected and production... , Alfa Romeo TZ, Osca GT, Lancia Fulvia Sport Lancia Fulvia The Lancia Fulvia is an Italian car introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 by Lancia. It was produced by that company through 1976. Fulvias are notable for their role in automobile racing history, including winning the International Rally Championship in 1972...
Jack Telnack Jack Telnack Jack Telnack was the former global Vice President of Design of the Ford Motor Company from 1980 to 1997. After his training at the Art Center College of Design, Telnack began working as a designer for Ford in 1958, and became the head stylist of the Lincoln-Mercury Division in 1965...	Ford Mustang Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
Jan Wilsgaard Jan Wilsgaard Jan Wilsgaard was the Chief Designer at Volvo Cars from 1950–1990, having studied at Gothenburg School of Applied Arts before joining Volvo when co-founder Assar Gabrielsson still headed the company. Wilsgaard was followed at Volvo by the noted designer Peter Horbury.Wilsgaard's father was a...	Volvo Amazon Volvo Amazon The Volvo Amazon was a mid-size car manufactured by Volvo Cars from 1956 to 1970, and introduced in the USA, as the 122S at the New York International Auto Show in April 1959.... (P1200/120), Volvo 144, Volvo 240, Volvo 850 Volvo 850 The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car produced by Volvo Cars from 1992 to 1997 and designed by Jan Wilsgaard. Available in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate body styles, the Volvo 850 was notable as the first front-wheel drive vehicle from this Swedish manufacturer to be exported to North...

The next step was for a jury of 132 professional automotive journalists, from 33 different countries, under the presidency of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, to reduce the list to 5, which they did, and the result was announced in November 1999. Finally the 5 were ranked by the jury and the overall winner was selected.

The selection process

See also