END OF AUTUMN 1999

Towards the end of 1999, the Technical Management of Maserati involved Stola S.p.A. in a very important project, not only for the house of the Trident itself but for the history of one of its most iconic models.
Attorney Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, in a precise corporate recovery plan, included the fifth generation of the Tipo Quattroporte, an icon in the world of luxury sports sedans.
The chosen style was from Pininfarina with design being entrusted to Stola due in part to the excellent results achieved in terms of quality with the previous M 338 sports project, better known as the 3200 GT.
As in previous model development projects, in this latest one activities started with the scanning of the style model that would enable the definition of the class A surfaces.
This first phase saw the CAD team of Massimo Stola, assisted by Carlo Mantovani and working along with the Pininfarina stylists, to achieve the excellence demanded in the quality of exterior aesthetic body surfaces.
The use of Icemsurf software had become a standard for this type of modeling, with Opticore being used for the evaluation of reflections and curves in the VR rooms at Stola, making it possible to achieve their objectives whilst still validating the surfaces by means of a milled Master model.

Benedetto Carmelo is the project manager for the Stola for the Quattroporte project, together with his nephew Iacopo.Once this first phase was completed, the engineering activity could begin, starting from the feasibility pre-tests of the style model. The technical manager of Stola s.p.a. for the Maserati Quattroporte project, Carmelo Benedetto, was assisted by various team leaders, each of whom were responsible for different areas of the bodywork, chassis, engine compartment, sides, doors, front, hood and trunk, external finishes, dashboard and interior finishes.
The Quattroporte Team brought together around 50 design engineers whose activity was carried out with Catia software, according to the well-established process that involves the creation of: final studies, design and modeling of the individual components and complete and overall design.
Fundamental for the control of project progress was the IBM data storage and sharing system (Virtual Project Management) and the management of the BOM on AS400, also assigned to the Stola Team of Paola Busato, tools that allowed the actors working on the project, Maserati, Stola, co-designers and suppliers to access the latest data.
For around two years, the meetings for the advancement and sharing of design solutions were held in the virtual room of Cinisello.
The possibility of detailed analysis, on a large screen and in 3D, of how the project was progressing contributed to obtaining the excellent result presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003. As always, the internal "systems" area and its external interface to the customer was co-ordinated by Gianfranco Morlacchi.

June 2003 one of the first official images of the Maserati quattroporte whose first presentation dedicated to suppliers took place in Modena. The style of the exteriors and interiors is by Pininfarina and the engineering, mathematics and masters were created by Stola s.p.a.

DECEMBER 1999

In the latter part of 1999, Stola s.p.a. acquired 100% of the company Estival , a historic French model shop whose headquarters are in Ivry sur Seine just outside Paris.
The acquisition takes place directly from its owner Luciano Vercellotti, a lifelong friend of the Stolas, who had directed it since 1978 with the assistance of manager Gerard Picard.
L'Estival founded in 1949 by Monsieur Estival is one of the oldest companies operating in the model and show car sectors, and with the new CAD - CAM and CN technologies at its disposal since the mid-eighties it also makes it one of the most modern of France.
A precise strategy suggested this expansion beyond the Alps by the Rivoli model shop, would enable discreet work with the car manufacturers Renault, Peugeot and Citroen.
Stola s.p.a. was quite well known in Germany but much less in France, and for this reason the family delegated Gerard Picard the positions of Administrator and Technical Director.
New technical investments were approved as early as the first months of 2000, including an expansion of the work spaces with new secure areas.
The management of Estival proved to be relatively easy and profitable thanks above all to the professional work of Picard and the generous advice of Vercellotti.