Topic: Solved - NEH 5478: Renaut-Alpine A480 1978 proposal by Marcello Gandini

[Carnut]

What's this, by whom, from when - for 1 point?:

Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!

[bsa]

This has Bertone fingerprints all over it...

[Carnut]

Quite so..

[bsa]

looks like late 70s, Bertone which means likely Renault. The front looks like recently discussed A480, but it's not it...

[Carnut]

Follow that thinking!
You've nearly answered it apart from one detail, so it's locked for you (don't think it was an A480 proposal).
Who was responsible for the design?

[bsa]

Well, This concept clearly reminds me of Citroen BX, so I'm gonna go with a guess of Marcello Gandini as a man responsive for that design.

[Carnut]

Yes, that's it.
It was a 1978 Gandini design for Alpine-Renault, but not for the A480 AFAIK.
Well done.

[Djetset]

Yes, that's it.
It was a 1978 Gandini design for Alpine-Renault, but not for the A480 AFAIK.
Well done.

Sorry to stir-up the whole Alpine A480 story again, but this Bertone/Gandini design concept is indeed yet another A480 proposal, one of at least a dozen different submissions from a number of vehicle designers for the A480/Alpine NGA (Nouvelle Génération Alpine / New Generation Alpine) programme. Here's yet another Bertone/Gandini A480 proposal as well with some subtle differences (although it looks more Ital Design to me!), but the French publication I took this from insists it's Bertone's work.

[Carnut]

Thanks Djetset.  You probably have access to information we ordinary mortals don't!
Whilst the picture of the Gandini car you have posted is fairly well-known, the puzzle picture doesn't seem to appear in many places at all and isn't described as an A480 anywhere.  It's not even in Gautam Sen's Gandini book!
I'll take your word for it and amend the title.
'

[oko94]

the puzzle picture doesn't seem to appear in many places at all and isn't described as an A480 anywhere.

French website Lignes Auto, run by journalist Christophe Bonnaud who is specialized in car design, describes it as an A480 proposal. I think it's a rather reliable source.

[Carnut]

Actually that's the site I got the picture from, and you're right, it does say it's an A480 proposal.  I haven't seen it featured on any other website; I'd like to see a front view if you know where to find one.

[oko94]

Christophe Bonnaud should publish a new book entitled "Concept-cars et prototypes d’études Renault" in mid-2020, hopefully it will contain more pictures of this proposal.