Lapo Elkann Presents Spiaggina by Garage Italia

RIDING LA DOLCE VITA: Lapo Elkann continues to expand his Garage Italia project.

Founded as a creative hub focused on the customization of already existing vehicles, including cars and motor bikes, as well as boats, Garage Italia is now beginning to design exclusive cars.

The first fruit of this new direction was presented Wednesday night at Garage Italia’s Milan headquarters, which were inaugurated in November 2017.

Garage Italia has teamed with Italian design and engineering company Pininfarina and Fiat to unveil the new Spiaggina by Garage Italia, an exclusive car celebrating the 60th anniversary of Fiat’s Spiaggina series, a range of small models without a roof which were conceived to be used in the chicest ocean resorts.

Developed in a fresh color palette of light blue and white pearl and embellished with graphic details in Garage Italia’s distinctive blue tone, the Spiaggina by Garage Italia car, instead of two traditional front seats, features a leather bench and is defined by a sailing-inspired lowered windshield.

“It’s an extremely emotional moment for me and I think that the Spiaggina by Garage Italia is an example of the beauty, quality and uniqueness defining the Italian lifestyle and savoir faire,” said Elkann, Garage Italia’s president and creative director and a member of the Agnelli family that helped found Fiat. “But I want to highlight that this is not a mere exercise in style, but our goal is to really produce it and bring it on yachts and in the streets of the international seaside destinations.”

In addition, during the evening event, Fiat head of EMEA & Abarth brand Luca Napolitano presented a new special edition of the Italian auto company’s global bestselling 500 car style. In keeping with Spiaggina’s anniversary, Fiat unveiled the Fiat 500 Spiaggina ’58, a convertible version of the 500 model featuring a color combination of light blue and white, as well as vintage-like rims. The style will be available in only 1,958 units.

Since the relaunch of the Fiat 500 in 2007, Fiat developed several limited editions of the iconic car in collaboration with various brands, including Gucci and Diesel.

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