MAY 1998

In May 1998, after a positive experience with the Bolero 330 BT show car, Seat returned to STOLA s.p.a. with the request for a new concept to be presented at the Geneva in 1999.
Named "Formula", the designers were Julian Thomson, Tancredi Aguilar and Alejandro Mesonero, directed by Erwin Himmel, the work is commisioned by VW's Design Center Europe in Sitges, Spain.
"Formula" was a high-performance prototype whose centrally positioned engine developed 240 hp with a total weight of 900 kg.
The frame was made of aluminum with a completely carbon fiber body.

Sitges, spring 1998 on the style model we recognize the designers Juluan Thomson,
Erwin Himmel and Alejandro Mesinero.

Julian Thomson designer of the VW Design Center EuropeTancredi Aguilar designer of the VW Design Center Europe

Rivoli November 1998 F, Cerva and L. Giarolo.Rivoli November 1998 X, S. Ardagna and Y

Rivoli November 1998 S. Ardagna ....

Rivoli November 1998Rivoli November 1998

Rivoli December 1998 Painting begins.

Rivoli January 1999 From left G. Gammichia ...

From left L. Giarolo F. Chiara and T. Aguilar.From the left...

From the left...Roberto Stola

End of January 1999: among the technicians of Stola spa we recognize the designer Alejandro Mesonero on the right.

From left G. Gammichia ...

Turin February 1999 The official photos of the Seat Formula before being transported to the Geneva Motor Show.

Geneva 1999. P. Arcadipane, G. Grande, G. Comollo, S. Ardagna.Geneva 1999 Stefano Ardagna poses with two Seat models.

Geneva 10 March 1999. The Formula, exhibited in the Seat stand.

JUNE 1998

In June 1998 the Lancia Style Center commissioned from STOLA s.p.a. two proposals of style models for the future Phedra: a hard see through exterior and an interior, also in hard material.
Given the agreement of Fiat Auto with the PSA Group, the same Lancia Style Center also requested another style model proposal, with the asme interior and exterior for the future C8 Citroen .
Dam Abramson was the PSA designer who work as a team with his Lancia colleagues.
For industrial synergies, again in the same period and always in STOLA s.p.a., a proposal was also made for the Fiat brand for an exterior model of the Ulysses .
Marco Tencone, Alberto Dilillo directed by Mike Robinson are among the team from Lancia / Fiat Style Center often present in the Stola model shop in Rivoli.

Rivoli October 1998 two model proposals are completed for the Lancia Style Center, an exterior and a complete interior of the Phedra type.

Rivoli November 1998 in STOLA s.p.a. two model proposals are made for the Lancia Style Center of the future Citroen C8; an exterior and an instrument panel.

Rivoli, December 1998, in STOLA s.p.a. a proposal for a model for the future Fiat Ulisse is produced for the Fiat Style Center.

SUMMER 1998

In the summer of 1998, Honda Style Centre Europe, given its satisfactory previous experience with the Civic, requested from STOLA s.p.a. two styling models for an exterior and a hard material interior of the 7th generation Accord.

Rivoli September 1998: In Stola s.p.a. two proposals for exterior and interior styling models are made for the future Honda Accord. The design is made and directed by the Honda Europe Style Center.

SEPTEMBER 1998

Zell am See. 2010. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in his office on the occasion of his 75th birthday.In September 1998 Alfredo Stola received an unforgettable phone call from the Director of the Porsche Style Center Harm Lagay.
With the utmost urgency it was required that Stola would build a style model for the first Porsche SUV, the unforgettable fact was that the work would be for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.
The model, made in Turin, was directed by the designers of Zell am See's Porsche Design.
In January 1999, a phone call from Harm Lagay asked Rivoli to mill a model for a second proposal.
This milled model was then transferred to Porsche Design in Zell am See to be finished by hand by a team of Stola modellers under the instructions of the Professor's stylists.
These two projects, later named Cayenne, were followed in particular by Alfredo Stola and Giochino Grande and together they would make several trips to the small Austrian town.
On these occasions they would frequently meet inFerdinand Alexander Porsche's office leaving them a memory of a kind,passionate and sincerely simple man.
The Stola family's professional satisfaction is that from 2003 Professor Porsche kept on his desk, a scale model of the Stola GTS, in Gulf blue and orange livery.

Rivoli September 1998. La Stola s.p.a. creates a model of style the "Porsche Designe" of Zell am See

Zell am See February 1999. A team of 5 men from Stola s.p.a. will model a second style model
at "Porsche Designe"

For the record, the style models of the Cayenne made for the "Porsche Designe" were not those that went into production.

The design of the two proposals for Cayenne style models, a few years later, in 2001 led to the request by Porshce to create an aluminum fitting master of the instrument panel.

2001 The master of assembly of the dashboard brings complete instruments of the Porsche Cyenne. On the left the configuration without the production parts and on the left with the assembled production parts.

OCTOBER 1998

In October 1998, STOLA s.p.a began an interesting project with Isuzu's Style Centre.
The task was to build two hard see-through style models for the D Max series in single cab and double cab version as well as an interior.
The customer Isuzu is also won over by Stola for their previous work on the 117 and Piazza of 1966 and 1979, for them iconic projects.
These three jobs introduced them to designers such as Shiro Nakamura, Satomi Maruyama and Joel Piaskowski.
This Japanese automaker is part of the American General Motors group, and a few months later, at the Warren Style Center in Michigan, the rebadging version of the Chevrolet will be developed, again in the two variants.

Warren (Michigan) 1998 at the General Motors Style Center, the General Motors Design Center managers check the final details of the Chevrolet rebadging version. From left Jon Albert (Chief Designer), Terry Henline (Designer Director), Ken Parkinson (Design Manager), X, Jerry Palmer (Executive Design Director) and Joel Piaskowski (Lead Designer).

Rivoli 1998. In Stola s.p.a. Two exterior style models (two-door and four-door) and one interior model of the Isuzu D-Max are made.