Cars

When it comes to breathing new life into the art of coachbuilding, few names carry the gravitas of Zagato. At the 2025 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and its surrounding celebrations along Lake Como during this year's Como Car Week, the Milanese atelier revealed not one, but three new creations — each marking a distinct chapter in its 106-year journey.

There are few cars that manage to look just as much at home scaling an Alpine pass in the Engadin as they do parked in front of a Milanese espresso bar. The original Fiat Panda 4x4, inspired by utilitarian helicopter designs and penned by the maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro in the early 1980s, was one of them. With its boxy, unpretentious silhouette and ingenious packaging, it wasn’t just a car – it was a companion for architects in the Swiss alps, aristocrats in corduroy, and students on Roman side streets.