Italian design houses shaped Japanese automotive history

For seven decades, a significant collaboration between Italian design houses and Japanese automakers has influenced the global automotive industry. This partnership began with designers like Giovanni Michelotti, who created the Nissan Prince Skyline Sports Coupé in 1960, and Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed the 1965 Mazda Luce.

Major Italian firms including Bertone, Ghia, Pininfarina, Vignale, and Zagato worked with Japanese brands such as Mazda, Daihatsu, Hino, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi. This fusion of affordable Japanese engineering with Italian 'Alta Moda' styling helped Japanese models gain international recognition and once caused concern within the European automotive industry.

Key to this intercultural exchange was Hideyuki Miyakawa, a manager who facilitated connections between Tokyo and Turin for over 30 years, helping the Turin Motor Show serve as a vital European platform for Japanese automotive innovation.