Legendary Car Designer Ercole Spada Passes Away at 88
Remembering the creative genius whose designs shaped both luxury icons and everyday classics
Ercole Spada, one of the most influential car designers in Italy, has passed away at the age of 88. Spada is known for his timeless creations. His work has, undoubtedly, created a legacy in both the luxury and everyday automobile world.
In the early 1960s, as a young designer, Ercole Spada was working at the famous car design company Zagato. He has been assigned a task to redesign the Aston Martin DB4 GT. The result was the Aston Martin DB4 Zagato. His redesigned vehicle looked sleeker, lighter, and even more elegant than the original. Today, this Aston Martin falls into the list of the most beautiful cars ever made.
The portfolio of Spada actually extended far beyond this masterpiece. He designed the Lancia Fulvia Zagato, which was produced in thousands. He also designed the rare Alfa Romeo TZ, which is an even more stylish and lightweight sports car than the Ferrari 250 GTO.
In 1970, Ercole Spada moved to BMW as chief stylist. In this automobile company, he built the elegant E32 7-Series and the classic E34 5-Series. People still admire both for their clean lines and symmetrical design.
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His creativity didn’t end there. He also designed for Volvo, Ford, Nissan, and Mazda. The Mazda MX-3 is one of the greatest examples of his creativity. This vehicle, with its small V6 engine, showed his ability to integrate style, accessibility, and driving fun.
Ercole Spada has proved that great design lives at both ends of the market, from multi-million-dollar collectibles displayed at Pebble Beach to budget-friendly classics parked at local car meets. His vision, creativity, and versatility have inspired generations of car designers, and still students of the automotive industry take his works as an inspiration.
