Italian company plans a limo unbound by paved roads

There are exotic sports cars and even hypercars, but the new Italian automobile company Aznom says its Palladium is a “hyper-limousine” designed to fill “a rather interesting and exclusive niche.”

And what niche is that? Why, A vehicle with the traditional characteristics of a great luxury sedan but capable of traveling on any terrain. 

A production run of only 10 such vehicles is planned, with each open to the sort of customization required by its buyer.

“We have produced this vehicle choosing artisanal manufacturing techniques that are almost lost today, such as panel beating and hand-crafting the body of the car, together with other technological solutions,” said the company’s 43-year-old founder Marcello Meregalli. “Engine builders, tanners, panel beaters, designers and engineers who have worked on this project are heirs to a tradition that has made Italian cars famous all around the world.” 

“Designed and manufactured in Italy,” the company adds in its news release, “Palladium wants to retrace the steps of famous Italian coachbuilders from the past when each vehicle was truly handmade with care and passion.”

Monza-based Aznom notes that the vehicle’s name “points to majestic and classic esthetics, taking inspiration from the mansions of renowned Italian architect Andrea Palladio (famous for using ancient Greek and Roman styles as the base for his creations).

“But this is not all, as the name Palladium also recalls the rare and lustrous metal by the same name.”

Palladium the vehicle is limo sized, nearly 19 feet in length and more than 6½ feet in height. The vehicle offers 4-wheel drive and a 5.7-liter bi-turbo V8 engine providing more than 700 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque.

Zanom was founded in 2007 as a graphics-support company for Meregalli’s other companies, the news release reports. Discussions with Matteo Bertanelli, now Aznom’s product manager, led to Aznom producing custom leather and other hand-made parts for vehicles.

Custom painting of vehicles followed, and the company outfitted a Range Rover with refrigerators powered by a rooftop solar panel and the creation of Monza Garage and Monzatech as part of Gruppo Meregalli.

Conversion of a Ram pickup truck into a luxury, “business-class” sedan called Atulux followed in 2018. 

“In truth, I’ve always been passionate about large automobiles, like the huge American sedans manufactured from the thirties to the beginning of the seventies,” said Meregalli. “Or the incredible Rolls-Royce and Bentleys of those periods. 

“I’ve always been fascinated by big vehicles, I liked the super large hoods and the imposing stance of those cars. I thought about creating something similar for a long time and I even considered a “resto-mod” operation on a vintage Rolls-Royce. 

“Then in 2008, Cadillac unveiled the new presidential limousine for President Barack Obama. This was not a ‘stretched’ vehicle but it had been built with different proportions. Starting from a mega-SUV Cadillac had built a luxury sedan, big and imposing but with the proportions of a classic sedan.

“That particular Cadillac gave the final push to an idea I had had since before the Atulux, of a car completely manufactured by us both outside and inside. I can say today that we pushed that idea even further, conceiving a vehicle that can take its owner wherever, to an elegant soiree as well as on a demanding off-road course. It is a true extra-luxurious limousine that is also able to trek the desert! This is why our Palladium is so unique.”

Why a limousine as an off-roader?

“To answer this question we have to look at our other professional experiences,” Meregalli said. “Our main company has always dealt with wine and I spend many days visiting remote farms and vineyards. In those situations a 4×4 off-road vehicle is truly necessary. And how many times have I seen sedans stuck on the road to ski towns in the winter… the car that I had in mind had to be beautiful, luxurious, comfortable… but also unstoppable!”

He added, “Our intention is to create 10 cars, a mini-series, but with an approach similar to that of a shipyard. Maniacal care of the details and extreme personalization and customizations chosen together with the final client.”

Palladium’s design was done by Studio Camal, the Torino design shop founded in 2013 by Alessandro Camorali, who joined Stile Bertone in 2002, and helped design the BMW Mille Miglia concept and the Ferrari California interior before joining Ferrari and then Pininfarina.

Pricing was not announced. For more information, visit the Aznom website.