2005 Ferrari GG50 Concept

Giorgetto Giugiaro Builds His Own Retirement Present

After putting in fifty years of service to an employer, normally, one might get a gold watch; most have retired (the rest, who have not, surely deserve to). The question, one I suspect that is rarely raised, is what do you do if youre a world-famous designer at a coachworks firm? You go out and make your own special version of a Ferrari for yourself, and thats exactly what Giorgetto Giugiaro has done.

Giugiaro, of ItalDesign fame, has worked, over the past fifty years to create some of the most attractive designs in the auto industry. While ItalDesign has created some beautiful supercars such as the BMW M1, Maserati Merak and Lotus Esprit, the specialty of Giugiaro lies in the everyday, having designed cars such as the Volkswagen Rabbit (Golf Mk.I),

Giugiaro and his ItalDesign team decided to create and supply a special vehicle in honor of his career. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

plus various Alfa Romeos, Fiats and even Daewoos. After penning many such vehicles, Giugiaro and his ItalDesign team decided to create and supply a special vehicle in honor of his career. What better a title than GG50, which stands for none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro 50.

While the coachwork industry has essentially been whittled down to large design houses that create concept vehicles or production-ready designs for mass producers, the GG50 harks back to the days when anyone with enough influence, celebrity status or wealth could commission a vehicle.

Keeping the mechanical structure of the 612 the same, the ItalDesign team went to work on the cars exterior. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

Interestingly, despite the cars title status as a Ferrari, the projects outcome had little influence from Ferrari, other than Fiat Group Chairman Luca di Montezemolos suggestion of utilizing the V12-powered 612 Scaglietti as a canvas for the final artwork.

Keeping the mechanical structure of the 612 the same, the ItalDesign team went to work on the cars exterior. Giugiaros design included reshaping the front and rear of the car by trimming approximately 0.8 inches off the nose, and a massive 3.2 inches off the tail, integrating the rear glass and trunk together to form a fastback. Compared to the 192.9 inch long 612, the GG50 measures in at 189.4 inches. Having removed healthy portions

In analyzing the GG50 from the side, its very clear that extensive work was done to distinguish it from any other Ferrari. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

of the overhangs from front and rear, the GG50s midsection was completely reworked to maintain the cars balanced proportions. The new nose features the 612s large, grinning grille, but the resemblance stops there: ultra-slim xenon headlamps replace the regular vertical-mount ones, while a flowing nose bulge and rippling fenders help carry the eye towards the rear of the vehicle. Twin air vents on the lower valance provide ventilation to the front brakes.

In analyzing the GG50 from the side, its very clear that extensive work was done to distinguish it from any other Ferrari. Gone are the scalloped indents on the fenders and doors of the 612, replaced not with smaller exhaust vents like the 575M, but rather with a sweeping vent that hugs the profile. Squeezed between the fast roofline and the stubby tail and muscular haunches of the rear fenders,

Despite incorporating a drastically shortened tail end, the GG50 actually has a larger cargo bay than the Scaglietti. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

are windows that have been reduced in size.

At the rear, Giugiaros decision to incorporate a liftgate creates an interesting looking tail, thats rounded and curvy. Underneath an aerodynamic lip spoiler molded into the stubby trunklid are two sets of asymmetrical LED tail lamps that sit to either side of the Ferrari prancing horse badge. On the topic of modified glass, the GG50 features a panoramic roof that flows from the windshield rearward. Like the Ferrari 575 Superamerica, the glass panel is electrochromic, allowing the driver to select various settings of tint, from clear to sun-blocking opaque.

Despite incorporating a drastically shortened tail end, the GG50 actually has a larger cargo bay than the Scaglietti. At the request of none other than Giugiaro, the fuel tank was repositioned from a vertical mount behind the rear seat passengers to below the floor line. Not only does this allow for an additional cubic foot of storage space (GG50: 9.5 cu-ft; 612: 8.5 cu-ft) and a 4.6-foot long

ItalDesign reworked the 612 interior around the new cars redesigned exterior, and to its owners desire. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

trunk floor, but it also allows the car to feature split-folding rear seats - a first in any Ferrari, if memory serves correct. With the rear seats folded flat, a total of 500 liters of space is available.

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