Alfa Romeo Berline à arrière profilé dans l'ordre chronologique

The "Linea Diamante" (Diamond Line) was created by the influential Italian architect and industrial designer, Giò Ponti (1891-1979), the creator of the iconic 32-storey Pirelli Tower in Milan – acknowledged as one of the world’s most ‘elegant’ skyscrapers – and the famous Superleggera chair. Design was first revealed as a 1:10 scale model in 1953, but only became a physical reality 65 years later, in 2018.

A key reason why it took 65 years to for Ponti’s "Linea Diamante" pass from a forward-thinking paper-only prototype to a full scale vehicle – was that his 1953 vision was simply too advanced and radical for its time. The car’s dimensions allowed a generously-proportioned interior and a spacious, pioneering ‘hatchback’ boot.

Ponti’s original drawings and 1:10 scale models show that he’d planned his "Linea Diamante" to be built on an Alfa Romeo 1900 Berlina chassis. He sought a production partnership with Milan-based Carrozzeria Touring, which was rebuffed, so then turned to Fiat for production of a subcompact model, which was also refused.

65 years on, this fascinating car was finally brought to life for the inaugural 2018 Grand Basel, with a full-sized model created by a team of experts, led by FCA Heritage director and father of the current Fiat 500, Roberto Giolito. He collaborated with Pirelli and Editoriale Domus, reflecting their historic connections with Giò Ponti‘s farsighted concept. Pirelli even provided period early 1950s tyres to the correct Alfa Romeo 1900 specification as a fitting tribute to this remarkably advanced car.