Garage Italia Customs Opens New Milano Headquarters
Garage Italia Customs opened its new Milano headquarters on 7 November 2017, inside the restored Agip service station at Piazzale Accursio, one of the city's most historic automotive landmarks. The bespoke creative house founded by Lapo Elkann took three years to bring the building back to life, turning it into a 360 degree customization studio for cars, motorcycles, aircraft, helicopters and boats, complete with a bar and a restaurant.
Where is the Garage Italia Customs headquarters in Milano?
The headquarters sit in the former Agip station at Piazzale Accursio, a site rich in motoring memory. The station was originally commissioned in 1952 to architect Mario Bacciocchi by Enrico Mattei, founder of the Italian energy group. Lapo Elkann chose it precisely because of that heritage, restoring an icon rather than replacing it. In his own words, an icon cannot be changed, it can only be restored.
What does Garage Italia Customs do?
Lapo Elkann's vision blends art and automobiles, built on a belief in individuality and tailor made objects. Every car that passes through the creative team at Garage Italia Customs leaves as a unique masterpiece tailored to its owner. The new Milano base houses one of Italy's finest creative studios, and the restoration brought in prestigious Italian designer Michele De Lucchi, while Michelin starred chef Carlo Cracco penned the menu for the in house restaurant. Lifestyle coverage from WWD documented the unveiling in detail.
A tribute to Milano's motoring history
The new breath given to the old station is a tribute to its historic importance, recalling the days when trusty Fiat 500s roamed every corner of Milano's streets. Lapo Elkann wanted to give life back to the building and see it blooming again with creativity, finding the perfect place to create his works of art. Design publication Interni Magazine covered the architecture of the project.
Explore custom and coachbuilt cars at TheArsenale
If the Garage Italia Customs philosophy of one off, tailor made machines appeals to you, browse the curated cars collection at TheArsenale. Italian coachbuilding lives on in pieces like the Frangivento Asfane Diecidieci Italian hypercar, the Ferrari 296 Corsso by VENUUM and the Project M Ferrari 308 GTS restomod, each a bespoke creation in the same spirit as Lapo Elkann's studio.
