Maserati Medici

The Medici I was built in the spring of 1974, and it shared many design elements with Giugiaro's previous Asso Di Picche concept.[4] One influential feature of the Medici I was the trapezoidal C-pillar, which became wider as it ran down the side of the car.[3] Giugiaro later used this design in many different cars, including the Lancia Delta I and the 1980 Audi Coupé.[3] While the Medici's C-pillar was made of solid sheet metal, other vehicles such as the Audi 80 B2 and the Yugo Florida had an additional trapezoidal window in the C-pillar.

The front end of the Medici I was very similar to Giugiaro's 1974 Maserati Coupé 2+2 (also known as Tipo 124), which was the potential successor to the Indy. Alike the Medici, the Coupé 2+2's front fascia ended in a point and had pop-up headlights.[5]

Inside, the Medici I was designed to have six seats. Behind the two front seats were two benches installed opposite each other; the passengers in the middle row sat opposite to the direction of travel. The space in the rear cabin was crowded, leading to changes for the Medici II.[3]

The Medici I was first publicly displayed in April 1974 at the Turin Auto Show.[2]

In 1976, Giugiaro presented Medici II. Unlike the Medici I, it was a four-seater. The interior was fully redesigned, and the benches were replaced by two chairs. The rear also included a bar, refrigerator, desk, and file holder, as well as a television and a radiophone which were futuristic for the time.[6] The main difference in the styling of the Medici II was in the front fascia. Instead of the semi-pointed front of the Medici I, the Medici II carried a higher front end, allowing for four high-set square headlights and a square, chrome-framed grille.[3]

The Medici II is considered the stylistic predecessor of the Maserati Quattroporte III, which was produced starting in 1979.[3] The DeLorean is also stylistically similar to the Medici II; numerous features of the Medici II were adopted. The same applies to the four-door Lancia Delta I. The high front end was also found in many other vehicles that Giugiaro developed in the late 1970s, including the Audi Coupe. Ford took elements of the front design for the second version of the Mercury Capri.[3]

The Medici II was exhibited at the 1976 Paris Motor Show[1] and sold in 1977 to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Persia, who had a fondness for Maserati models.[7] The car now resides in the Louwman Collection.[8]