Press Release
Gillet Bellariva Multipurpose Supercar by Francesco Riva and Gillet Automobiles Receives the Bronze A' Design Award in Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Francesco Riva and Gillet Automobiles for vehicle, mobility and transportation design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 25, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design category for Gillet Bellariva Multipurpose Supercar by Francesco Riva and Gillet Automobiles, designed for Gillet Automobiles. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Gillet Bellariva Multipurpose Supercar
Gillet Bellariva is a supercar designed for daily use and for long journeys. The exterior recalls the sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s and the lines of luxury speedboats and yachts. The chassis and the body are hand built in carbon fibre for a light structure and a weight of 1200 kg. A wooden rear deck recalls the deck of a yacht and hides a 30 litre safe, while the cargo space holds 400 litres. The dashboard is made of mahogany with a sliding panel. The wooden base of the headlights adds a nautical detail. Butterfly doors and a front lift suspension complete the design.
About Francesco Riva and Gillet Automobiles
Mr. Riva has studied law and worked as lawyer for several years. A dramatic event has completely changed his life. His private and professional life has been turned upside down by a group of people occupying various roles in his country's justice system. Realizing that he was dealing with a wall of corrupt people, Mr. Riva then resumed cultivating his great passion for cars and automotive design. Until one day, in professional circumstances, he meets Mr. Tony Gillet and decides to create with him the car that over the years he has come to conceive with the purpose to bring something innovative in the panorama of exotic supercars. The car symbolizes in particular freedom and audacity.
Award Record
Francesco Riva and Gillet Automobiles is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design Award
The A' Vehicle Design Award is an international vehicle design competition recognizing good vehicle designs by best vehicle designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to vehicle designers, mobility solution providers, transportation design studios and automotive engineers from all countries. Typical entries include cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses and trains. The awarded vehicle designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/vehicle
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/180396
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180396
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180396
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/379194
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://gilletvertigo.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Gillet Bellariva Multipurpose Supercar
- Function
- Multipurpose Supercar
- Category
- Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Automotive
- Colors
- Black, Sky Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray and Dark Olive Green
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Gillet Automobiles
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Francesco Riva and Gillet Automobiles
- Country
- Switzerland
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180396
Credits
- Team
- Francesco Riva, Tony Gillet, Patrick Bataille, Maxime Barthelemy and Vincent Barbereau
- Image Credits
- Creator Gillet Automobiles, 2025; Photographer Francesco Riva, 2025; Designer Jose’ Figueres, 2022
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- New unique exterior design architecture for front engined cars. The car interior has a complete rear wood deck with a strong nautical appeal and a hidden 30L safe, a cargo space of 400L and a double counter under the sliding panel on the mahogany wood’s dashboard. The wooden base of the front headlights is an original stylistic touch that integrates perfectly with the spirit of the car.
- Inspiration
- This supercar reinterprets in a modern key the automotive design of the golden age of the 50s and 60s, with particular focus on cars today considered among the most beautiful and prestigious in the world, such as the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Pontoon and Ferrari 250 GTO, taking inspiration from luxury speedboats and yachts.
- Research
- An extensive visual web search was conducted to identify the stylistic traits that have made certain automobile models of the past particularly fascinating and famous over time. The research was conducted almost entirely through the Google search engine. Images of cars produced in the last century were viewed and saved, with a particular focus on the most iconic cars, considered among the most beautiful in the world (with particular attention to cars such as the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Pontoon, Alfa Romeo Disco Volante, Alfa Romeo BAT 5-7-9, Jaguar E-Type, Mercedes SLR 300 Uhlenhaut and Porsche 993 GT1).. This research was conducted personally by Mr.
- Challenge
- Combine the shape of a sportcars with the look of a speedboat or yacht was the hardest challenge. The idea of using the image of a boat that runs through the entire car and blends harmoniously with it allowed to overcome this conceptual obstacle.
- Realization and Technology
- Design draws and 1:1 scale model to optimize the car shape. Hand built carbon fiber chassis and hand built carbon fiber body for the maximum lightweight construction of the car.
- Operation and Interaction
- Vehicle focused on luxury elegance, comfort and top performances. It has butterfly doors for a greater look. The front lift suspension ‘allows the car to avoid obstacles on the road. The 30L safe offers the highest secutity for great value objects or documents. The car is conforttable for every day use or long journeys. The engine is also capable of operating on just 3 cylinders to minimize fuel consumption and emissions in the city or when needed.
- Project Duration and Location
- Project has started in January 2022 and will be completed shortly, latest in April 2026. The project location is Gembloux, Belgium, at Gillet Automobiles.
- Specifications
- Lenght 4.46 m, width 1.94 m, height 1.19 m, weight 1200 kg, V6 biturbo petrol engine (can operates with only 3 cylinders when needed for lower emissions), engine type V6 biturbo, engine power 580 BHP, 30L safe, 400 L trunk space
- Keywords
- Speedboat for the road, Streetyacht, Hybrid concept design car, Riva Boats, Classic elegance supercar
