FEBRUARY 2004
In early February 2004, after a meeting at the Ford offices in Dunton,England between Alfredo and Maria Paolo Stola and managers John Manning and Christopher Bird, Stola s.p.a. was commissioned for the construction of a cabriolet show car.
It was quickly named Vignale, an homage to the historic Turin coachbuilder, the objective of the show car was that it was to be presented at the Paris Motor Show which would open to the press on 28 September.
February 2004 the spouses Stola and Manning.
Following the meeting with Ford, the following day Alfredo and Maria Paola Stola used the occasion to visit the Land Rover Styling Center in Coventry.
February 2004 Southam Warwickshire. A welcome invitation to dinner from Gerry McGovern to Alfredo
and Maria Paola Stola. The restaurant is The Butcher's Aims.
Late February 2004. Coventry. Inside the Aston Martin technical center, Jaguar and Land Rover, Alfredo and Maria Paola Stola pose in a beautiful photograph with the Reng Stormer who has just returned from Detroit a few weeks ago.
February 2004 Coventry. Alfredo Stola poses with one of the very first Land Rovers.
They met with the Director of the Land Rover Styling Center Gerry McGovern, as well examining the condition of the Range Stormer concept, recently returned from Detroit, and also discussed the construction of a new show car for the future iconic Land Rover Defender.
Upon returning to Italy, using accurate technical analysis, they prepared an estimate for the project using the information they had been given. Unfortunately, a couple of months later Stola received news that the project had been postponed.
England, the headquarters of the Dunton Tecnichal Center.At the same time, Pininfarina were tasked with developing, industrializing and building, on behalf of Ford, a convertible production car based on the new Focus.
The work also included the complete realisation of the mathematics for the exterior, and for this reason Giovanni Doglioli, of the Stola CAD department, was sent to work in the UK for six months.
Giovanni Doglioli.
The team of Italian and English modellers worked daily, interfacing with Lucio Giarolo, Giovanni Longo and Christian Pastore of Stola in Italy.
The mathematical surfaces were developed with the 3d software Alias, the work being carried out in the same room as the clay model, which was under continuous daily evolution by the Ford designers and planners. The designers in this project were headed by Christopher Bird, flanked by Ehab Kaoud and Marcus Hurst.
The first plane of shape after the relief on clay model of the Ford Vignale Cabriolet concept.
February / April 2004 Dunton. The work done in England by Giovanni Doglioli of Stola s.p.a. together with Team Ford.
The work for the construction of the show car was carried out in the prototype department in via Ferrero 9.
The team led by Giovanni Longo and included Aristide Tesauro, Porzio Alberto, Giampiero Fasano, Luca Rosetti, Massimo Rosetti, Beppe Comollo, Giancarlo Cubeddu, Procopio Pasqualino, Cuscuna Mauro, Marchese Vincezo, Grippo Domenico, Vito Schiraldi, Francesco Acquaviva and Pietro Calò .
In the first week of April a pre-series example of the future Focus two-door was delivered to Rivoli, direct from Ford of Cologne.
In parallel with the work of the modellers in England, the design activities were carried out in Italy and subsequently the direct milling of the negative moulds.
End of April 2004 Rivoli. Stages of realization of the taillights.
April / May 2004 Rivoli. Phases of the practical realization of the soft top. In the first series of photos one of the Ford designers Ehab Kaoud can be recognized and in the second series Mauro Cuscunà.
The front part of the car, with the exception of the bumper, grill and the headlights remained original, while for the two doors only the framework was saved, the rest of the interior was new apart from the instrument panel. The headlights, pedals, and the wheel rims were also made by Stola.
The retractable hard top of this project was undoubtedly the most complex part of the concept and which logically involved both interior and exterior teams.
Beginning of July 2004, from the left we recognize: Vincenzo Marchese, Mauro Cuscunà, Domenico Grippo, Vito Schiraldi, Pasqualino Procopio, Sergio Scursatone, Luca Rosetti, Moreno Marangon and Francesco Acquaviva.
Domenico Grippo, Vito Schiraldi, Mauro Cuscunà, Sergio Scursatone and Moreno Marangon.
From left: Beppe Comollo, Francesco Gavina, Leone, Moreno Marangon and Giovanni Longo.
Beppe Comollo, Francesco Gavina, Mauro Cuscunà
and Leone
X, Antonio Giovinazzo is hidden behind the quick Longo
End of July 2004 Rivoli. The modeling of the seat foams is finished and the work has been carried out by the Salt-Gavina company
End of July 2004. The concept is practically ready for the final painting. From the left we recognize: Antonino Giovinazzo, Rosario Valido, Giovanni Longo and Pasqualino Procopio.
The Stola family left all operational positions in the company on July 26, 2004 following the sale to Global Immobiliare with less than two months left for the delivery to Ford in Cologne.
On that day the Ford Vignale cabriolet was practically ready for painting which, as always, was to be carried out at Stola; on that occasion by the group A.D.M of Maurizio Di Maria and a small internal team of modellers in support.
The prototype was picked up on 21 September for transport to the Ford style center in Merkenich, Cologne, initially for an internal presentation of the result and for the official photos that would be given to the press.
On 28 September 2004, the Ford Vignale was presented in world premiere at the Paris Motor Show.
September 28, 2004 Paris. The Vignale concept world premiere at the Ford stand.
September 28, 2004 Paris. A souvenir photo at the Ford stand. Mauro Cuscunà, Alfredo Stola and Michele Peralta.
