A talented Italian car designer who pioneered the design of the small family car for the Fiat company.

Giacosa studied mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic University in Turin. He worked as a draughtsman before joining Fiat in 1928, for whom he designed the world's smallest mass-produced car, the famous 500A 'Topolino' (Little Mouse) in 1936. This small, compact, rounded vehicle broke with the convention of the box shape and its lightweight metal body was highly suited to mass production. Over half a million Topolino's were built between 1936 and 1955.

This model was succeeded by Giacosa's diminutive Nuova 500 in 1957, of which 3.6 million were produced by 1975. While the 500A helped democratise car ownership in Italy, Giacosa's Nuova 500 became a potent symbol of Italy's post-war economic miracle.

Giacosa also designed the Fiat 124 (1966), 128 (1969), 130, 127 (1971), 1100, 1400, 1900 and 125 before retiring as head of Fiat's research and development centre in 1975.