Ercole Spada made an impact in the world of car design from the very start. The designer from Lombardy had only just graduated from his engineering degree when Elio Zagato hired him in 1960, and before the year was up he had already penned such automotive greats as the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Alfa Romeo SZ, and OSCA 1600 GTZ concept car.
Spada’s designs weren’t just gorgeous, they showed an industry-leading appreciation for aerodynamics. Spada was quick to incorporate the Kamm tail-inspired ‘coda tronca’ into his updated designs for the Alfa Romeo SZ, as well as the TZ1 and TZ2. Meanwhile, Spada’s list of poster-worthy machines only continued to grow as he penned the Fulvia Sport and Flaminia Super Sport, all within his tenure at Zagato, which came to an end in 1969.
His relationship with Zagato endured, while he added automotive titans like Ford, Ghia, Audi, and eventually BMW — where he became Chief Stylist in 1977 — to his list of clientele. At BMW, Spada gave shape to the E32 7 Series and E34 5 Series, but his designs weren’t always appreciated from the offset. “Most of my designs were disapproved of at first, but then, after some time, they start to see the beauty of it. And years later they are big fans,” Spada once said.
By 1983, Spada took the helm of the Italian design house I.DE.A Institute, where he demonstrated his great versatility, designing both compact and luxury cars for Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Daihatsu. After the end of the 1980s, Spada returned to Zagato in 1992, where he penned the 512 TR-based Ferrari FZ93 among others.
Even late into his life, Spada’s commitment to design never waned, and he founded Spadaconcept with his son, Paulo Spada, where we were fortunate to interview the pair during an unforgettable meeting in 2015. We’ve just touched on a few highlights from an incredible life and career, and it goes without saying that the automotive world has lost a true visionary. Classic Driver extends our condolences to the Spada family.
Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver ©
