In the event you’ve frolicked in Munich, you then’ve certainly seen that the Bavarian structure, the café way of life, and even the locals really feel a bit Italian—and that’s no coincidence. You may drive from Munich to Turin in a day. That proximity helps clarify why the golden age of Italian automobile design within the Nineteen Sixties and ’70s is so deeply entwined with BMW’s design historical past.
One of many largest joys of researching the BMW Behind the Scenes e book sequence was uncovering the story of the Bertone Garmisch—a long-forgotten BMW idea automobile spun off from the famed Italian stylist’s proposal for what turned the unique 3 Sequence.
Now, a brand new exhibit known as Belle Macchine on the BMW Museum places you face-to-face with the Garmisch and a shocking collection of one-offs and manufacturing BMWs designed in Italy. When you’ve got even a passing curiosity in Italian automotive design, Belle Macchine is an unmissable addition to the world’s prime automobile exhibitions.
Contained in the Belle Macchine Exhibit on the BMW Museum
BMW Basic has gone all-in right here. They’ve reimagined the spiral walkway contained in the Museum’s iconic “Granola Bowl” with projected visuals and ambient music that—in contrast to Vegas—tastefully units the tone for the featured vehicles. Many previous reveals on this area have been worthy, however admittedly slightly dry. Not this one. It has all of the spectacle of the Bellagio however with extra cultural weight.
The exhibition took years of preparation, with BMW Basic collaborating carefully with BMW Design to pick out and place the vehicles. The payoff is obvious. Take the Italdesign Ace of Hearts, for instance—on mortgage from Volkswagen, who now owns the famed design home. Simply steps away is the Nazca present automobile—a wildly futuristic proposal for a modern-day BMW M1. It sits a brief stroll up the spiral ramp from the Italdesign-built BMW M1 itself, and close by, the M1 Hommage ties the previous and future collectively. That’s the genius of the structure: these vehicles are organized in a manner that lets guests discover their relationships by means of proximity and context.
Naturally, the vehicles are the celebs—however the exhibition’s actual power lies in the way it educates with out overwhelming. It opens by explaining the broader affect of Italian design, from style to product design, so even those that don’t dwell and breathe vehicles can join the dots. Many guests will race up the ramp to get to the {hardware}, however they shouldn’t. Early within the exhibit, a well-crafted introduction presents the seven Italian design studios that formed BMW’s historical past: Bertone, Pininfarina, Michelotti, Touring, Frua, Italdesign, and Zagato. This context makes it simpler to understand who did what—and when.
I’ve seen many exhibitions within the Granola Bowl over the many years, however that is simply essentially the most compelling. The stability of storytelling and aesthetics invitations you to linger over the 20+ vehicles on show, soaking of their presence with no need to slog by means of paragraphs of textual content. As an alternative, you get simply sufficient to grasp—and you then’re free to take pleasure in.
Showstoppers: Nazca, Garmisch, and the Ace of Hearts
Among the many highlights:
- The Italdesign Nazca M12, a priceless proposal for a future BMW M1. Guests strolling the spiral path can cease simply inches away from its wild, wedge-shaped bodywork.
- The BMW 328 Touring Coupé, which gained the Mille Miglia, is positioned reverse a 2006 idea automobile designed by Anders Warming, who as soon as led MINI and Rolls-Royce design and now heads BMW’s superior design workforce.
- The Italdesign Ace of Diamonds, a really ’70s idea based mostly on the BMW 320i, reveals Giugiaro’s effort to courtroom BMW shortly after his success with the VW Golf and Fiat Uno.
- A yellow E12 5 Sequence, initially styled by Marcello Gandini at Bertone and later completed by French design icon Paul Bracq, sits subsequent to a blue first-gen 3 Sequence. Close by is the one-off BMW 3200 CS Convertible, constructed by Bertone and introduced to main BMW shareholder Herbert Quandt.
Italy and Munich could also be separated by the Alps, however in BMW’s design DNA, they’re without end linked. Belle Macchine is a standout exhibit that lastly provides that relationship its second within the highlight. And sure, admittance is free together with your BMW Museum ticket.
Having written about these vehicles within the BMW Behind the Scenes trilogy, I really feel like I’m visiting previous associates—a few of which I by no means anticipated to fulfill once more in individual. Belle Macchine provides guests the possibility to understand them not simply in photographs or on the printed web page, however of their full three-dimensional, sculptural glory. It’s greater than a show—it’s a celebration.
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