Webbs: The Italian Edit
Written by Murray Crane
Webbs’ upcoming auction showcases a distinct Italian theme, and I'm particularly interested in how the three featured cars each represent a unique era of Italian design culture. My clear favourite is the 1959 Fiat 600 Multipla. It is, in many respects, the quintessential example of successful functional design. With its cab-forward posture, slender pillars, and smart packaging, it achieves a sense of lightness and clear purpose that still feels contemporary. Though less common today, when one appears in Milan, it always looks perfectly in place—compact, upright, and subtly self-assured. I find the honesty of its simplicity especially attractive..
The 1971 Alfa Romeo GT Junior is something else entirely. Giugiaro’s work at Bertone in this period is, for me, some of the most enduring automotive design ever produced. The proportions are near perfect - low waistline, fine glasshouse, and those clean, taut surfaces. It is a car that doesn’t shout; it carries its sporting intent through balance and refinement rather than aggression. Even today, it feels contemporary in a way few period coupés do.
By contrast, the 1986 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint QV captures a different energy: sharper lines, a forward-leaning stance, and the slightly angular optimism of the 1980s. The QV detailing adds just enough attitude without upsetting the form. The boxer engine gives the car a distinctive character, but it’s the geometry—the wedge profile, the simple cut of the panels—that places it firmly in its era. It’s a reminder that Italian design evolved quickly through the decade, shifting from curves to edges with surprising confidence.
Together, the three cars form a concise study in Italian aesthetics—from post-war utility to refined sporting elegance and finally the graphic clarity of the ’80s. Each offers its own interpretation of what “good design” can look like, and that is what makes them collectively so interesting.
