Paolo Martin | |
|---|---|
 Martin in 2000 | |
| Born | (1943-05-07)7 May 1943 (age 82) |
| Occupation | Automotive, boat and motorcycle designer |
| Known for | Fiat 130 Coupe,Rolls-Royce Camargue and theFerrari Modulo |
Paolo Martin (born 1943) is anItaliancar designer widely known for his career withStudio Tecnico Michelotti,Carrozzeria Bertone,Pininfarina andDe Tomaso/Ghia where he styled theFerrari Dino Berlinetta Competizione,[1]Ferrari Modulo concept,Fiat 130 Coupé and theRolls-Royce Camargue.
Born inTurin,Italy in 1943, Martin began working in 1960 forGiovanni Michelotti'sStudio Tecnico Michelotti.[2] In 1967, he started to work for Carrozzeria Bertone,[2] and one year later, in 1968 he became Chief of the Styling Department at Carrozzeria Pininfarina.[2] He subsequently worked forDe Tomaso (1972–76), where he was Style Center Director forGhia.
Martin's work has included motorcycle and boat design, as well as automotive projects forStutz,Bugatti,Ferrari,Peugeot,Alfa Romeo as well asTriumph. Since 1976 he has headed aTurin-based independent design consultancy, with clients including Fiat, Nissan, BMW, Subaru,Piaggio,Moto Guzzi, Gilera, Ferretti Kraft, Cigarette, Magnum Marine andDassault Aviation.[2] He participated in the Auto 2011 Design Conference, inZagreb, Croatia.[3]
Martin's work has received varied reception. In 2005, theDaily Telegraph called theFiat 130 Coupé a "majestic blend of severity and grace, boldness and subtlety, sharp angles joined by soft curves, a true catwalk beauty, a masterclass that was widely copied in the Seventies but never equaled."[4]
After its debut at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, theFerrari Modulo went on to be shown (repainted white, from its original black) at the 1970Turin Motor Show and at Osaka'sExpo '70, before winning 22 international design awards.[5] A 2007 retrospective said theModulo was "a milestone in the automobile design history with a deep influence on the 1970′s car styling."[2] In 2008,Car Design News called the Modulo "iconic".[6] The Modulo placed third inJalopnik's 2008 competition for the top ten best "Wedge Car Designs Of The 60s, 70s and 80s."[5]
By contrast, theRolls Royce Camargue ranked in 2010 as one of the "10 Worst Cars" as chosen by readers ofThe Globe and Mail;[7] ranked 38 in the 2005 bookCrap Cars by Richard Porter (the author saying the car "looked utterly terrible)"[8] and ranked 92 in a 2008 poll of the 100 ugliest cars of all time by readers ofThe Daily Telegraph.[9]Autoblog said the Camargue had been ranked "conspicuously low on the list," adding the Camargue "really was horrid, no matter how well it sold."[10] Responding to theTelegraph list, noted automotive journalistJames May said the Camargue "is not ugly, either. It has presence, like that pug-faced but well-dressed bloke down the pub."[11]
Martin's design work that has seen series production includes:
His concept design work has included:
