Within the car industry, motors have been designed, only to never be seen by the public. An example is the Linea Diamante, also known as the Diamond Line, created by Italian industrial designer Gio Ponti. But after 65 years the car will finally be revealed at the Grand Basel show in Switzerland.
The Diamond Line was first conceptualised in 1953 as an alternative to the massive cars with small windows and dark interiors. The design started as a teardrop shape and then changed to a sharp diamond-line shape. He envisioned a car that had an architectural design and a large glass area to let natural light into the cabin. There would also be a large boot that wouldn’t sacrifice interior space.
Originally, the Diamond Line would be fitted atop an Alfa Romeo 1900 sedan, but Ponti turned towards Fiat to help bring his creation to life. Yet the design was rejected by Fiat and the industry because it was thought to be too extreme. Therefore, the Diamond Line never moved beyond a 1:10 scale model.
20 years later, Ponti’s work found its way into production cars. He went on to develop numerous architectural icons, like the Pirelli Tower in Milan. The Grand Basel show is the first of its kind, with Ponti Project being unveiled exactly as it was envisioned. Roberto Giolito, Head of FCA Heritage, is leading the project. Giolito oversaw the full-size design mockup from Ponti’s original drawings.
Grand Basel is dedicated to displaying cars that are seen from an artistic and architectural standpoint. The Diamond Line is sure to stand out among the other vehicles, which includes past, present and concept cars.
The event takes place on September 6th. For more information about the cars and other exhibitions be sure to look at the Grand Basel website.
Image credit: https://www.motorauthority.com
