Italian car design legend Giorgetto Giugiaro has stepped down from the design and engineering firm he founded in 1968. Giugiaro, 76, recently sold his remaining 9.9-percent stake in Italdesign Giugiaro->ke3778 to the Volkswagen->ke94 Group’s Audi.->ke14 Giugiaro sold the other 90.1 percent of stake to Audi via Lamborghini->ke44 in 2010. The deal makes Italdesign Giugiaro a fully integrated subsidiary of the Volkswagen AG.

A statement from Italdesign Giugiaro says Giugiaro resigned from his position of honorary chairman “...to dedicate more time to his passions and personal interests.” The shares were co-owned with his son Fabrizio, 50, who is also leaving the company.

“The Company’s growth is and will be constant,” the statement continued. “Some 50 new hires are planned within the end of the current year. Since 2010, some 200 new employers joined the Company. Giugiaro’s decision to leave Italdesign, will neither affect the activities, nor the Company’s growth process.”

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Why it matters

With a career spanning 60 years, I would say he’s earned a break. Giorgetto Giugiaro started designing cars for Fiat->ke30 when he was just 17, and later for Bertone->ke2523 and Ghia before setting out on his own.

His earlier work, including the Alfa Romeo->ke1386 2600 and Giulia Sprint GT, featured more curved, organic, traditionally Italian lines, but as time wore on he began to develop his signature design language of flat surfaces and sharp creases.

With over 200 cars to his name, Giugiaro worked with just about every car company you can think of and a few you probably can’t. His more notable designs include the, DeLorean->ke2842 DMC-12, 1974-2002 Lotus Esprit, 1963-1975 Iso Grifo and 1978-1981 BMW M1.

He also designed a few cars you may have owned in the past. The Eagle Premier, first-generation Lexus GS,->ke439 Isuzu Impulse, Saab->ke75 9000, Fiat Panda,->ke1420 Subaru SVX->ke4872 and original Volkswagen Golf->ke164 were all his.

Coincidentally, the one-of-a-kind Maserati->ke51 Boomerang concept car->ke169 designed by Giugiaro will cross the auction block this September at the Bonhams event in Chantilly, France.

2015 Italdesign Giugiaro Gea

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