JANUARY 24, 2003

The lawyer Gianni AgnelliFriday 24 January 2003, Luigi Gallina, sales representative of Stola S.p.A. particularly dedicated to Fiat Auto, already in the office around 07.15, he receives a phone call from Engineer Paolo Ollino Director of the C.S. department. (Experimental Constructions) of Mirafiori.
Without explaining the reason he was asked to immediately go to the factory in via Biscaretti di Ruffia 25 with four expert modellers/assembly technicians.
Twenty minutes later, Gallina with the small team reach the Mirafiori factory and are received by Engineer Ollino in a presentation room, inside which there is a black production Fiat Ulisse, a metallic gray Mercedes 250 hearse and a coffin.
He personally informs them that the lawyer Gianni Agnelli has recently died, and that the Ulysses must immediately be set up as a hearse, using the internal technical components of the Mercedes, modifying and adapting them to perfection.

ANSA press releas(ANSA issued its first press release on the passing of the Honorary President of Fiat Auto and Senator of the Republic Gianni Agnelli at 08:57; therefore after the arrival of the modellers/assembly technicians at the Mirafiori plant.)
The mood is shaken, the emotion is great, but the sense of responsibility will ensure that the work will begin immediately together with another team of Fiat Auto technicians from the C.S. department. ; the Ulysses hearse must be ready within the next 38 hours.
The work is complex given the size of the Fiat vehicle, but the commitment of the two teams to set up the minivan will be such as to allow the work to be finished on time, also using the night to guarantee the pre-arranged delivery.
On Saturday late afternoon, unscheduled, we are also asked to immediately find an expert to darken only the rear windows, and so the Solar Tech supplier will be involved, who will be the last to finish the job in the evening.
The following Sunday morning the funeral took place in Turin Cathedral, and among the many thousands in attendance also the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

Turin 26 January 2002: the Fiat Ulisse hearse arriving at the Duomo.

The lawyer Gianni Agnelli has always been a point of reference for the Stolas, a person esteemed and admired, and even without personal knowledge, every work done towards Fiat has always been in a certain sense imagined for him, and only those who are from Turin of a certain generation can very well understand it.

Rivoli 27 January 2003: a heartfelt letter from Alfredo Stola sent to Engineer Paolo Ollino of Fiat Auto.

PUBLISHED APRIL 2024