2010 Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept
The Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept’s taut and muscular body is the result of an original interpretation of the Alfa Romeo badge, where the man-eating snake depicted there represents the attraction of elegance (what we call the ‘Skin’), and the aristocratic cross symbolises the rigour of rational thought, the technological aspect (what we call the ‘Frame’). According to this interpretation, the Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept’s design is, like every Alfa Romeo, a perfect synthesis between ‘Skin and Frame’, an ideal balance resulting from a tension between opposites: technology and sensuality, rationality and instinct, architecture and sculpture, structuralism and organicism, industrial excellence and excellent craftsmanship.
The design of the Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept is based on a concept Robinson calls: “Skin & Frame” – a new interpretation of the inherent duality in the 100 year old Alfa Romeo logo. “Skin” refers to the snake in the logo, representing the world renowned Italian excellence in beautiful, seductive forms; and “Frame” refers to the cross in the logo, representing the mechanical excellence in high performance Italian race cars. The combination of the two has now become a dynamic dial searching for an ideal balance resulting from the tension between opposites: technology and sensuality, rational and emotional, architectural layout and sculptural form, structural and organic, industrial excellence and artisan excellence.
According to this interpretation, the vibrant energy in every Alfa Romeo is represented by Pandions’ spinal structure (or ‘Frame’), which crosses the length of the car from the V-shaped grille in the nose of the car to the V-shaped bumper in the tail of the car, crossing the interior as a visually aesthetic structural element which supports the surrounding shell (or ‘Skin’).









Wow… I feel a bit ignorant now, I just thought it looked good. Didn’t realise there was this much depth to the design!
I’d love it if Alfa’s new cars started to look like this. This is still so obviously Alfa, but it’s moving forward into the future too. It even makes the grille look good. Don’t think it’ll happen for quite some time though.
If this should ever go in to production it would probably be year 2020.
Yeah, it definitely wouldn’t be any sooner than that. Then again, technology moves so fast these days. Take a look at the mobile phone. It hasn’t actually been around that long and now everyone has one.
So true.