Back to the Future: 1988 Italdesign Aztec
An Enduring Symbol from the Decade of Decadence
The year was 1988, and Italdesign, under the stewardship of the inimitable Giorgetto Giugiaro, created what can only be described as an automotive fantasy - the Italdesign Aztec. This vehicle isn’t merely a car but an expression of visionary design and mechanical fortitude. A testament to the two decades of Italdesign's relentless pursuit of vehicular perfection.
Giugiaro, a maestro whose orchestration of lines and forms had already graced the automotive world with such icons as the Volkswagen Golf and the Audi 80, embarked on this endeavor with the gusto of a Renaissance artist. The Aztec was not just a car; it was an automotive magnum opus, envisaged alongside two other concept cars, the Asgard MPV and Aspid coupe, each a symphony of style and innovation.
The car itself, a barchetta that seemed to have teleported from a science fiction feature film, featured a dual-cockpit design, driver and passenger ensconced in their own protective bubble, necessitating an electronic intercom for discourse between occupants. The vehicle's exoskeleton was a tapestry woven from the finest materials of the era - aluminum, carbon fiber, and Kevlar, underpinned by a steel chassis of unyielding strength.
Beneath this sculpted work of art lay the heart of a warrior - a 250 bhp turbocharged engine from the Audi Quattro, along with the all-wheel-drive system from the Lancia Delta Integrale. This mechanical melding was akin to a mythical chimera, combining the essence of two rally-bred titans into a singular road-going unicorn.
Originally, the Aztec was not destined for the production line. But, in a twist of fate, Mario Myakawa, a Japanese industrialist of considerable acumen, was so beguiled by Giugiaro's creation that he acquired the rights and set about crafting a limited production series. Despite a price that would make even Jeremy Clarkson’s eyes water, approximately 18 to 20 of these automotive rarities were forged, each a symbol of the decade of decadence.
The Aztec was more than a vehicle; it was a rolling homage to Italdesign's relentless quest for innovation. Its aesthetics, reminiscent of the cinematic masterpiece "Blade Runner," featured a cockpit analogous to the entryway of a spacecraft and a fuselage festooned with coded buttons for a multitude of functions. It was an embodiment of the ethos that Giugiaro championed throughout his career, eventually earning him the accolade of "Car Designer of the Century" in 1999.
In the present day, the Aztec remains a sought-after relic, a testament to an era where the boundaries between automotive design and avant-garde artistry were not just blurred but utterly disregarded. Each surviving example, such as the chassis number ZA9T1P03A00D50020 with its striking silver and red livery, stands as a monument to Giugiaro's genius, a reminder of the time when cars were not just modes of transport but canvases for the imagination.
1988 Italdesign Aztec Barchetta ZA9T1P03A00D50020 recently crossed the block at the Abu Dhabi Auction at Yas Marina Circuit for USD $143,750 — and absolute bargain in this gearhead’s opinion.
