Italdesign In Movimento is a retro-futuristic concept tribute | GRR
Italdesign has revealed the Asso di Picche In Movimento concept, a design study and a sort of present to itself celebrating 50 years since it revealed one of its most inspirational concepts. Based on an Audi 80 chassis and inspired in design by the Alfa Romeo Caimano and Maserati Boomerang, the original 1973 Asso di Picche (Italian for Ace of spades), in turn inspires this 2023 retro-futuristic concept.
The In Movimento bit on the end translates to In Motion, so this new car is the Ace Of Spades In Motion. A weird name, but we’ve seen weirder and far less evocative.
“It is a model that is not at all well-known among the general public”, said Joaquin Garcia, Head of Design at Italdesign, of the original concept.
“Nonetheless, from a design standpoint, it is one of the most innovative and important ever created. It is a trim, aerodynamic, ‘propulsive’ and penetrating vehicle. A light body, with simple and clean design, interesting proportions, a horizontal flow expressed via straight and parallel lines, a very prominent C-pillar that was to become iconic over time, and a front bumper that, for the first time, instead of being treated as a purely functional accessory, was made part of the line of the body.”
It’s the forms and ethos of this original car that Italdesign wanted to reimagine and reinterpret for the modern electric and ultimately, more heavily-legislated age. Though it may be digital-only for now, it’s been very conscious of safety regulations and other constraints of modern car design.
“The car of the 1970s features a relationship between body and glass surfaces that favors the latter,” Garcia continues.
“Today, the rationale of car design choices is also shaped by the concepts of safety and electrification. The dimensions and structure of our anniversary vehicle’s monocoque are larger, to ensure they are more effective in handling a collision. This makes the shape more tapered and sculptural. The battery pack, being attached to the chassis platform, meant that the vehicle body had to increase in height in order to provide a suitable housing.
"The wheel arches, emphasized in the front but appearing attenuated in the rear, wrap around the upper sections of the wheels, which have been enlarged specifically to compensate for the broader vehicle body.”
In spite of all that, this has all the hallmarks of a signature Giugiaro design, with a single dominant line joining up the silhouette from front to rear. There’s plenty of exposed alloy, below a large black area tumbling down from the rear into the car’s nose, which houses a black panel with lights and a screen. What was once a cooling duct on the original concept is now the lid for the charge port and front boot.
On the inside? Well, it’s as you’d imagine: futuristic, yet minimalist with a hint of retro. Yes, there’s a giant screen, but it's rolled around a width-spanning bar that’s connected to the outer edge of the dash by two leather straps. It can be rolled so the screen is out of sight if need be. The In Movimento also features what you might call smellovision, only that’s not very elegant. A scent synthesiser works with the car’s audio system for an ‘immersive experience’. Okay.
All in all though, besides the classic concept car fluff, this is a lovely looking thing. Yes to designers using the freedoms that skateboard platforms afford them. Your thoughts, as ever, are welcome in the comments.