Belle Macchine: Italian Automotive Design at BMW Museum

BMW Museum unveils “Belle Macchine” exhibition in June 2025, exploring Italian influence on BMW design with 23 vehicles and iconic concepts.

Starting on June 7, 2025, the BMW Museum in Munich will unveil its latest exhibition, “Belle Macchine. Italian Automotive Design at BMW” — a sweeping showcase that delves into the deep and often surprising ties between Italian design and BMW’s automotive evolution. With over twenty vehicles, original sketches, and immersive installations, the exhibit invites visitors to explore how Italian flair has shaped the German brand’s aesthetic over decades.

Italian design’s fingerprints on BMW go back to the 1930s, and some of the most iconic names in the field — Giorgetto Giugiaro, Giovanni Michelotti, and Marcello Gandini — played a pivotal role in this ongoing creative exchange. With their unique stylistic signatures, they helped reinterpret BMW’s engineering ethos into a language of elegance, precision, and subtle drama.

Among the centerpieces is the BMW Garmisch — a concept penned by Gandini in 1970 and faithfully rebuilt in 2019 — which foreshadowed design cues seen in the early 3 and 5 Series models. Other highlights include the rare BMW 2800 GTS Frua, the Italdesign-crafted Nazca M12, and the Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, each representing either bold proposals from Italian studios or commissioned collaborations with BMW as the brand sought new design directions.

The exhibition stretches beyond cars to pay homage to the broader spirit of Italian creativity — from fashion to visual art. Visitors are taken on a journey from the stylish elegance of Milan’s ateliers to the storied Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este by Lake Como. The concluding section features modern concept cars like the Vision Neue Klasse and M1 Hommage, which reinterpret historic influences into forward-looking design statements.

A 360-degree projection wraps around the museum’s “Bowl”, immersing guests in visuals that include works by Giorgio de Chirico — the metaphysical painter who once studied in Munich. It’s a thoughtful nod to the cultural currents that have long flowed between Italy and Germany. In the end, “Belle Macchine” offers more than a walk through design history — it’s a celebration of shared ideas, timeless aesthetics, and the ongoing conversation between two great traditions in automotive art.

Source: bmwgroup.com