Two Fiat Topolino design studies from Giugiaro and Elkann debut in Turin
Giugiaro's design house GFG Style and Lapo Elkann have revealed a pair of one-off cars that each push the tiny Fiat Topolino in a completely different direction.
- 2
- 4
- under 3 m
- September 11, 2026
What Happened
Fabrizio Giugiaro and Lapo Elkann teamed up on two one-off cars derived from the new Fiat Topolino. Their shared enthusiasm for automobiles and design drove the project, which they present as an unprecedented collaboration producing two contrasting takes on the same small model. The pair say the work opens a path they plan to keep following. GFG Style, Giugiaro's design house, handled both machines and showed them under its own banner in Turin.
At Salone Auto Torino, the GFG Style stand hosted the first public display of Top. L and Top. J on September 11, 2026. The unveiling followed a dedicated press conference.
Top. L takes the sportier, more emotional route. It is a strict two-seater with no roof at all, and Giugiaro and Elkann stripped away anything they judged unnecessary, turning the little machine into a compact speedster. The body wears a matte aquamarine paint, and the cabin is trimmed in leather of the same aquamarine tone with Alcantara inserts.
Top. J heads the opposite way, and it is the more surprising of the two. It still fits inside the same footprint of less than three metres, yet it carries four seats, with the rear pair facing backwards so that legroom grows. A fabric soft top replaces the fixed roof, and the tail lights sit inside a broad chrome surround. The blue-and-green colour scheme nods to a 1950s Ferrari 166 MM that Gianni Agnelli once owned and also honours Umberto Agnelli, who liked blue and green detailing on his own cars. Inside, foam and leather appear in the same shades.
- Top. L: two seats. Top. J: four seats, with the back pair facing the opposite way to travel.
- Top. L: fully open, no roof. Top. J: fabric soft top.
- Top. L: matte aquamarine body, aquamarine leather with Alcantara inserts. Top. J: blue and green, foam and leather interior.
GFG Style presented the project as the start of a design journey that Fabrizio Giugiaro and Lapo Elkann intend to continue.
Why this matters
These are design studies, not production cars, but they show how far a very small vehicle can be reworked: one becomes an open speedster, the other seats four people in under three metres. GFG Style says the partnership is meant to continue over time, so more joint work between Giugiaro and Elkann may follow. It also gives the current Fiat Topolino a public showcase at the Salone Auto Torino show.
Terms in This Story
- one-off
- A vehicle built as a single example rather than as a series-production model.
- speedster
- A small, light, open-topped sports car, usually with minimal bodywork and no fixed roof.
- livery
- The paint scheme and graphic treatment applied to a vehicle's body.
- Alcantara
- A suede-like synthetic material commonly used for car interior trim.
A brief summary; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.