Italdesign Wants To Expand Operations In The US

Italdesign may technically be based near Turin in Italy, but with a new design center near Detroit, the legendary firm has global aspirations. A major step in this path appears to be a strong partnership with America’s three biggest automakers.

In 2024, Italdesign opened a US office in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The goal with this satellite workplace is to forge stronger, deeper ties with American automakers. Speaking with Car and Driver recently, when asked why Italdesign wants to be near Detroit, CEO Fabrizio Mina said plainly: “Because of the ‘Big Three.'”

Italdesign aims to assist with everything from engineering and testing to building prototypes and, yes, design work. The firm plans to spend $20 million on its US operations over the next five years, with its home in Michigan providing design support to local automakers as well as its headquarters in Turin.

Part of that plan is what the company calls its New Concept Lab, which offers a blank-space automotive interior that can be used to simulate interior design and how a person interacts with the elements in that space. This system can be used to develop vehicles of different sizes, show how those vehicles would work in the real world, and enable real-time collaboration with the team back in Italy.

Motor1’s Take: While most major automakers have similar in-house capabilities, Italdesign could offer larger companies a faster path to prototyping ideas. Or Italdesign could be tasked with handling “the fun stuff” while the automaker buttons down its best sellers.

Either way, it will be interesting to see whether Italdesign can penetrate the American auto industry more deeply and meaningfully.