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Gio Ponti's '50s-era Linea Diamante is a brand new old car

Art Basel has grown to expansive levels in the past decade. The historic global modern and contemporary art tour has integrated itself in automotive culture through various initiatives such as its partnership with BMW. But for those who are interested strictly in the relationship between automobiles and art and design, there is a different Basel: Grand Basel, a new show launched this year in Switzerland. There, alongside automobiles of timeless importance, a never-realized car design from the '50s debuted for the first time. That car is the Linea Diamante, which roughly translates to Diamond Line. The design was originally conceptualized in 1952 by Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli for Carrozzeria Touring. It was intended for an Alfa Romeo 1900 chassis, yet looked nothing like any Alfa, or any other vehicle, of the time. Grand Basel describes itself as a place where "the finest automobiles of the past, present, and future are discussed in the cultural context of art, design, architecture, and lifestyle." In that vein, the Linea Diamante is now viewed as a design far ahead of its time. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. With a shape similar to that of a Saab 900, which didn't debut until the late '70s, the Linea looked nothing like the over-stylized bubbly curvaceous designs of the '50s. Hoping to oppose the less practical car bodies that created large cavernous interiors, Ponti set out to craft a suit that isolated passengers from the outside less. The result is a boxy vehicle with a wide-open cabin. The panels are flat, the nose is low, the greenhouse is upright and tall, and the rear angles straight down like a hatchback. Though it was an eyesore to many at the time, the design created better visibility, an airy-feeling cabin, and maintained practical space. The rear seats are even adjustable, an unheard-of feature for the period. It is also on this car that Ponti formed a relationship with Pirelli (he later designed the Pirelli Tower in Milan). Furthering the futuristic premise of the vehicle, the Linea had a wrap-around rubber bumper with spring-mounted pieces at the front and rear for extra safety in the event of an accident. As a nod to this collaboration, Pirelli provided the tires for the modern replica. When Carrozzeria Touring turned the wild concept down, Ponti turned to Fiat, but the design was thought to be too outrageous.

FCA worker in Indiana tests for coronavirus, but the plant will stay open

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Thursday that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 at its Kokomo, Indiana, transmission plant, but the location will remain open. The Italian-American automaker said the company placed the employee and his immediate co-workers and others he may have come into direct contact with in home quarantine. The automaker said it is “deploying additional sanitization measures across the entire facility, re-timing break times to avoid crowding and deploying social spacing.” Fiat Chrysler is canceling all in-person meetings unless “business critical” and conducted meetings through video conferencing technologies. Automakers also have canceled non-essential travel. Ford, meanwhile, said its plants in North America remain unaffected. General Motors spokesman Jim Cain said the Detroit automaker has not had any cases of the coronavirus in its North American plants yet, citing such measures as reduced travel and restricted entry to plants as helping. How the No. 1 U.S. automaker would respond to a positive test would depend on the situation, he added. “You do plan to operate with a certain amount of absenteeism, but every facility has a different operating plan,” he said. The Fiat side of the FCA operation, meanwhile,  is temporarily halting operations at some plants in Italy and will reduce production rates in response to coronavirus in the country, the largest outbreak in Europe, a spokesman for the automaker said on Wednesday. FCA said in a statement it had stepped up measures across its facilities, including intensive sanitation of all work and rest areas, to support the government's directives to curb the spread of the infectious disease. "As a result of taking these actions the company will, where necessary, make temporary closures of its plants across Italy," it said. The spokesman said affected plants were Pomigliano, Melfi, Atessa and Cassino, each of them halted for two or three days between Wednesday and Saturday. FCA said that to allow greater spacing of employees at their workstations, "daily production rates will be lowered to accommodate the adapted manufacturing processes." However, a source close to the matter said FCA did not expect an impact on overall production rates. The source added that temporary closures were in no way linked to disruptions of auto parts supplies following anti-virus measures imposed by Rome all over Italy.

Fiat gets into the classics game with 'Reloaded by Creators' program

Classic vehicles help modern buyers make new connections to a carmaker's modern offerings. That's why in little more than a month we've seen Jaguar announce a continuation run of the D-Type, Porsche get a show at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, Land Rover plan to restore a Series I, and Jay Leno celebrate the 1942 Dodge Carryall. Fiat Chrysler already has a heritage division, but the vintage department takes a new step into its history with the "Reloaded by Creators" service. Said to be inspired by retail programs at museums, Reloaded by Creators will see FCA Heritage source and buy noteworthy classics from the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia brands, restore them to original spec, then sell them to collectors. When Roberto Giolito, head of FCA Heritage, broke the news at Retromobile in Paris, he also revealed the first five offerings: three "ultimate classics" in the Alfa Spider IV serie (1991), Lancia Fulvia Coupe Montecarlo (1973), Spidereuropa Pininfarina (1981), and two custom cars in the Alfa Romeo SZ (1989) and Lancia Appia Coupe (1959). The ultimate classics represent the last of their kind to be built, not necessarily according to model year, but with respect to design and engineering - no major model changes followed. The Lancia Fulvia Coupe ceased production in 1976; the limited edition 1973 Montecarlo model celebrated the car's victory in the 1972 Montecarlo Rally and still wears the original license plates. The 1981 Spidereuropa Pininfarina comes from the beginning of the end of production; after building the Fiat 124 Sport Spider for US-only sale from 1975 to 1983, Pininfarina resumed manufacture in Europe in 1982 and bestowed the new name. The Alfa Spider went out of production in 1993, the 1991 Series IV example for sale here has been in FCA's collection since it was built, used for technical testing. As for the custom cars, Lancia built a variant of its third-generation Appia as a coachbuilt chassis. Pininfarina bodied the 1959 model for sale here, and Fiat showed it first in Paris. Fiat used the funky, Zagato-designed, thermoplastic-composite-bodied, 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ for testing at the carmaker's Balocco circuit. Only around 1,000 SZ models emerged from the factory during a two-year production run. Each vehicle will come with a certificate of authenticity and be guaranteed by FCA, plus be featured on the FCA Heritage site.