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DECEMBER 1991

Still in December 1991, Fiat asked STOLA spa to create an electric research Show Car to be presented in a future motor show.
It’s name was Downtown, and was designed by Roberto Giolito who followed the entire modeling and prototyping process with the support of Ermanno Cressoni, Director of the Fiat Style Center and Chris Bangle, exterior styling manager in Fiat.
Starting from the molds and details of the bodywork built in the Stola modelshop of, a second example was then made which was assembled at Mirafiori in the Centro Sperimemtale Fiat of Via Biscaretti di Ruffia.
The first Downtown, the one made in STOLA was grey and  served to perform the tests of the innovative electric motor, while the second,in green for the Geneva Motor Show had a more efficient motor and was managed by Cav. Rodolfo Gaffino Rossi.
For the record, at the inauguration of the Geneva Motor Show in March 1993, the lawyer Gianni Agnelli drove the prototype from general aviation at Geneva airport to the Fiat stand.

011991/1992 the original drawings by Roberto Giolito from Downtow.021991/1992 the original drawings by Roberto Giolito from Downtow.

031992 Some phases of the construction of the see through model of the Downtown.

051992 Chris Bangle relaxing after working on Fiat Downtown models with the STOLA coat and the tie.

061992 In the center you recognize Robaldo.

071992 realization of the aluminum frame for the interior studies.

081992 Marco Goffi and Lucio Giarolo. 091992 Mauro Palman and Alfredo Stola.

101992 Roberto Giolitto in his office at Fiat.111992 E. Cressoni, R. Giolitto and Peter Devis at the helm.

121992 Roberto Giolitto and Darrin Caddes 131992

14Turin 1992 Vittorio Della Rocca, Alberto Sasso, Rodolfo Robaldo, Zanini and Ardagna can be recognized.

151992 The engineer Alberto Sasso and
the team leader Zanini.

18October 1992 official photo of the grey Fiat Downtown before being sent to Fiat's Experimental Test Center.19October 1992 official photo of the grey Fiat Downtown before being sent to Fiat's Experimental Test Center.

20March 1993 Official photo of the Downtown before the Geneva Motor Show. This green version was developed at the Experimental Test Center with the molds of the first grey Showcar used for the tests.

 

JANUARY1992

011992 Engineer Enrico Fumia director
of the Lancia Style Center.
02Original drawing of the Engineer's Lancia Y
Enrico Fumia.

In January 1992 the Fiat-Lancia Style Center instructed STOLA spa to develop two models of exterior and interior styling models for the new Lancia Y to replace the Y10.
The models were specified as Hard see-through and  milled from data supplied by Lancia then finished by hand with all the necessary style modifications included.
One  model was designed by the engineer Enrico Fumia and the second by the architect Massimo Gay, while the interiors from Greg Brew.
The model chosen for the production will be the one designed by the engineer Enrico Fumia.

031992 STOLA spa creates two style models
of the Lancia Y.
031992 STOLA spa creates two style models
of the Lancia Y.

041992 STOLA spa creates two style models of the instrument panel.041992 STOLA spa creates two style models of the instrument panel.

 

WINTER 1992

In the winter of 1992, the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre at Arese, directed by Walter De Silva, commissioned Stola s.p.a. to build the style model for the exterior of the new Alfa Romeo 166.
Class B and C styling surfaces were created at the Arese styling center following the precise indications of Wolfgang Egger.
The Stola resident team was made up of the surfacers Carlo Mantovani, Adriano Rossi and Gianfranco Cappa with the support of Giancarlo Besana for the technical pre-feasibility studies.

01Turin 1992 La STOLA s.p.a. realizes the style model of the exterior of the Alfa Romeo 166 on the recommendation of the director of the Alfa Romeo Style Center Walter De Silva. Subsequently in 1994 the surfaces of class A will be made and the milling of the Master's mathematical verification.

n Via La Thuile 71, Turin, the style model was milled, then modified manualy immediately afterwards following the changes requested by the designers Egger, Rosti, Favilla and Giavazzi.
Among the Stola modellers, Stefano Ardagna was noted for having personally resolved demanding requests from Walter Da Silva for the refinement of very difficult lines.
Due to Fiat Auto group’s internal issues, this project experienced several interruptions and restarts, to the point that the style model chosen in1994 did not go into production until three and a half years later.
In 1994, Stola was commissioned to carry out the class A mathematics,mill the mathematical verification master, design the body and external and internal finishes and, last but not least, a modification of the original platform of the Lancia Kappa.
The work was mainly carried out in the offices of Stola in Cinisello Balsamo and to a lesser part in Rivoli. The Stola engineers would liaise with great effectiveness with the hundreds of Alfa Romeo technicians from Arese.

02Alfa Romeo Tipo 936 internal and external clearance / tolerance diagram.

03The complete synoptic picture of the Alfa Romeo 166 project created by Stola s.p.a. for Fiat Auto signed by Autec.

04A detail of the synoptic table.05Project table, Autec in evidence.

06The details of the synoptic table of the Alfa Romeo 166 project.07The details of the synoptic table of the Alfa Romeo 166 project.

Class A class mathematics and master milling were performed in the Rivoli headquarters by the usual Team of Massimo Stola, Carlo Mantovani and Vittorio Della Rocca.
Design activities were under the technical direction of Gottardo Bustreo assisted for contracts and purchases by Carlo Biassoni, who assigned Piero De Micheli as Project Manager.
Roberto Arpini, Marco Destefano, Roberto Bianchi, Marco Brizzolara, Giuseppe Di Nunno, Marco Criveller and Paolo Zerbini were all part of the team.
The Stola team worked with that of Alfa Romeo for three years. Their project manager was Ezio Villa assisted by colleagues Giuseppe Longoni, Pietro Tagliaferro, Luigi Verga, Roberto Guandalini, Domenico De Felice and Masera.
The whole project was developed using Computervision, although the preliminary technical feasibility phase began on a classic drafting board.

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MAY 1992

01October 1992 Heuliez Raffica, The final moments
before the delivery of the model.
We recognize Calò and the Sellan Sante.
In May 1992, the French company Heuliez contacted STOLA spa to request the construction of an opening model with an electric hood to be presented four months later in October on their stand at the Paris Motor Show.
The design of this model was by Marc Deschamps, a designer well known in Italy having been the director of Stile Bertone.
Vittorio Della Rocca, Workshop Manager at Stola, for this model  also worked as a team leader given the limited time available and the many styling modifications required by Deschamps.

02October 1992 Heuliez Raffica, official photo before the presentation at the Paris Motor Show.

 

SUMMER 1992

01The Engineer Leonardo Fioravanti.In the summer of 1992, STOLA spa created a styling model for Fioravanti srl.
It was a medium-sized sedan with the Fiat brand, called “New Large”.
The stylist, Leonardo Fioravanti, known world wide for some of the most extraordinary Ferraris designed during his time at Pinifarina between 1962 and1987.
In the volumes, the design was very refined and balanced, immediately denoting great personality.
After milling, manual changes were indicated to the modelers with great attention to every detail by Fioravanti himself.
Concurrently, the modellers created a second version of “New Large” directly for Fiat and their in house stylist, Andreas Zapatinas. In essence, the New Large was to go on to replace the Fiat Croma.
This did not happen due to strategic decisions taken by the Turin car manufacturer. Unfortunately there are no photos of the two models made in STOLA spa for either Fioravanti srl or Fiat spa.

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