Italdesign: More than five decades at the forefront

Italdesign has operated as a service company for the automotive industry since 1968. From the beginning, the company specialized in design, engineering, prototyping, and ultra-limited series production, serving both traditional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and newcomers to the mobility sector at a global scale. Italdesign is part of the Audi family alongside Lamborghini, Ducati, and Bentley. Headquartered in Moncalieri (Turin, Italy), the company currently employs 1,352 people in Italy, Germany, Spain, and China. In January 2024, a new subsidiary was established within the Detroit metropolitan area in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to better serve local clients.

As a service provider for design, technical development, prototyping, and ultra-limited series production, Italdesign supports automotive manufacturers worldwide. The Italian firm is an important player in mobility, capable of influencing market changes with new and innovative designs, as well as advanced technologies. Recently, Italdesign has evolved into a systems developer for automotive electronics, including infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and high-voltage battery systems. This enables the company to offer comprehensive support for software-defined vehicles (SDV).

“Push beyond, explore endlessly, innovate sustainably, be ideneers”

For Milan Design Week 2024, Italdesign presented the Asso di Picche in Movimento see-through model, originally created in digital form. The concept narrates the evolution of a form in motion: that of a car, and that of Italdesign itself, constantly transforming.

At Auto China 2024 in Beijing, Italdesign unveiled Quintessenza, showcasing the company’s innovative capacity, technological potential, and the end-to-end solutions has offered since 1968. The architectural concept car breaks new ground in the automotive industry: it combines the dynamic power of an Italian-style GT with the versatility of a pickup, offering an original design, functionality, and sustainability, with a focus on the use of green materials and finishes. Quintessenza is evidence of Italdesign’s new design philosophy, based on a modern interpretation of the concepts and principles that have always inspired the company. In the best Italdesign tradition, Quintessenza combines design and engineering as well as the finest Italian craftsmanship. Thus, beauty, functionality, and technology are interpreted with a human-centric approach and brought to life through the modern and boundless lens of the company’s vision.

Comprehensive automotive engineering and production services

Italdesign’s engineering department, with its competencies in electrics and electronics, as well as in vehicle integration, constantly grew in 2024. The number of Audi turn-key projects, including "captain model projects" that place especially high requirements on the company, also increased markedly. This growth is set to boost interest in Italdesign’s services from other brands of the Volkswagen Group, help optimize development times and costs, and can also open new opportunities for collaboration with external companies.

The Preseries Center has also been involved in producing turn-key projects, thus enabling Italdesign to cover the entire project scope, including close-to-series production. Investment, particularly in the acquisition of new skills, has also been focused on the internal project “Gesamtfahrzeug Hardware in the Loop” (GHIL), to assure Italdesign expands its competence and strategical know-how to undertake the development of entire vehicles.

Ongoing commitment to ESG excellence

In 2024, Italdesign was certified as a “Top Employer Italy” for the nineth consecutive year and achieved a gender equality certification. Building on these accomplishments, the company continues to strengthen its commitment to ESG, with the establishment of a new ESG governance structure and the appointment of an ESG officer. Seven key ESG targets were identified in 2024, laying the groundwork for Italdesign’s sustainability strategy. Throughout 2025, the seven priority topics will be deployed through dedicated action plans, driving progress toward the ESG targets.

Innovation is central in building a sustainable future, which is why Italdesign integrates it into all aspects of its work. This includes circular and inclusive design concepts, the use of sustainable materials, and cutting-edge technologies. The company also promotes multidisciplinary collaboration, trains employees in sustainable practices, and monitors the environmental impact of the entire development process. Italdesign’s first corporate sustainability report will be published in 2025. Rooted in social responsibility, the company successfully implemented several initiatives with a positive impact in 2024, reflecting its commitment to addressing social issues, particularly within local communities.

A catalyst of automotive innovation

Turin and Piedmont are key hubs in the automotive sector, concentrating expertise and adding value to the entire industry. Italdesign is a major player in this ecosystem. In 2024, the company led the "Vehicle Valley Piemonte Association” project, aiming to promote cultural, training, and research activities in the region and the mobility sector. This project fosters synergies and the mutual strengthening of enterprises with supportive and comprehensive offers. Following Italdesign’s introduction of the idea, Pininfarina, Unione Industriale Torino, the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (A.P.I.), the Turin Chamber of Commerce, the Italian Association of the Automotive Industry (ANFIA), and the Piedmont region have all joined this initiative.