1988 Italdesign Aztec

You may know their work through icons like the DMC DeLorean from Back to the Future, the BMW M1, or the Volkswagen Golf MK1...In 1988, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, Gioretto Giurano brought a twin-cockpit masterpiece to life through hand laid panels and brilliant engineering: the Italdesign Aztec. Beneath its futuristic body lies a turbocharged Audi Quattro engine mated to a four-wheel-drive system derived from the Lancia Delta HF Integrale. Originally planned for a limited production run of 50 examples exclusively for the Japanese market, only 18 were reportedly completed, making this gullwing speedster one of the rarest anniversary cars ever built.

This is chassis 001... the very first Italdesign Aztec ever made. While it remains obscure to many, this car represents the absolute peak of 1980s Group B engineering and a visionary look at the future of automotive design. Step inside and you will find five-point harnesses, a five-speed manual gearbox, a dedicated rally computer for the passenger, intercom headsets for communication between the driver and navigator, and some of the plushest upholstery imaginable. To top it all off, the roof panels can be unscrewed entirely to transform the car into a true open-top barchetta. First appearing in the 1988 during the Turin Motor Show; the Aztec was unveiled along side two additional variants known as the Aspid (Coupe) and Asgard (Van). The Aztec then became popularized by being featured in 'Frankenstein Unbound,' a 1990 Sci-Fi horror film by Roger Corman. A year later, the Aztec was then showcased as the pace car for the 1991 Formula 1 Montecarlo Grand Prix weekend; during this race, Aryton Senna won 1st place, followed by Nigel Mansell in 2nd place. Since then, these anomalies have seemingly vanished from the streets, instead finding their way into private collections & museums. This particular example has remained under P1Exotics' care on behalf of our client, where it has been meticulously garage-kept and maintained while continuing to build a presence in the modern era. In February 2023, it was showcased at the Miami Concours d'Elegance, followed by an appearance at The Palm Event at Mar-a-Lago in March 2023, where it received both the 'Vault Award' and 'Best Limited Production Car.' More recently, from May 2025 through May 2026, this very Aztec greeted visitors entering the Petersen Automotive Museum as the first vehicle on display in its 'Totally Awesome' exhibition, celebrating some of the most distinctive and influential automobiles of the 1980s and 1990s.

While legendary houses alike Pininfarina penned incredible icons, Italdesign's actual production reach vastly outnumbers them making it all the more baffling how a creation this outlandish, beautiful, and radical remains so obscure. As an anniversary showcase from one of Italy's most prolific design powerhouses, the Aztec deserves far more household recognition than it gets...