VISION GST

In January 2001, Mercedes commissioned a new project at Stola, the Vision GST. (Grand Sport Tourer).
A complex project and a great responsibility because with this project Stuttgart wanted to anticipate a new class, a new car segment that did not yet exist: the "Multi Purpose Vehicle".
A mix of minivan and SUV, with a certain sporting dynamism.
The goal was to probe the taste of the public for a hypothetical new type of Mercedes.
Under the direction of Peter Pfeiffer, designers Gorden Wagener, Christopher Benjamin and Steve Mattin followed the project for a whole year, together with the Stola team for every phase work.

01Gorden Wagener02Christopher Benjamin03Steve Mattin

The deadline to present Vision GST to journalists and professionals was the Detroit Motor Show on January 6, 2002.
The strategic importance of this presentation for Mercedes was that there was an agreement with the Government of the United States of America, to establish their first US production facility at Vance, Alabama.

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For both the Stola modellers and the mercedes team this show car would be remembered as the most risky in their careers.

06Rivoli January 2001 Felice Chiara Head of the show car department of Stola spa.

07Valter Domenino08Roberto Giachino

09Fabio Sansalone10Nardiello and Peralta called spark and lightning.

11Beppe Comollo with an Albanian engineer.

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The last 95 hours
from 02 to 6 January 2002

42From 2nd January to the evening of 5th, over 45 technicians and managers from STOLA s.p.a. and  Mercedes worked continuously for over 85 hours to complete the prototype.
The transportation from via Ferrero 9 in Rivoli to  Turin Caselle airport, and the consequent complex cargo operations on the cargo plane were taken care of by Alfredo Stola and Tiziano Novo together with the Ilyushin bridge crew through until dawn on 6th January, in that time, the Azeri cockpit crew, rested after a night's sleep, began the "check list" and 45 minutes later took off for Detroit.

43Rivoli January 2, 2002. A sort of dormitory is set up on the second floor of the prototype department to allow workers and managers to rest for a few hours.

442 January Rivoli. Cubeddu.452 January Rivoli. Mammone and Peralta.

463 January 2002 Rivoli.473 January 2002 Rivoli. G. Grande is recognized.

484 January 2002 Rivoli.

494 January 2002 Rivoli. We recognize G. Simeone and A. Tesauro and standing L. Rosetti.

504 January 2002 Rivoli. Giarolo and Laura.

514 January 2002 Rivoli. Comollo from behind with the blue shirt and to the right of him C. Pastore.

52Rivoli January 5, 2002 at 10.30. The Stola Team still at work.

Antonov An124 in Turin;
too surreal a story
known only by those who were there ...

53January 5, 2002 Turin Caselle Airport at 10.30,
A first Russian cargo plane is almost ready for take-off to Detroit.
It is an Antonov An-124 and is the largest transport aircraft in the world.

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59Rivoli December 2001 Murat Günak, Peter Pfeiffer, Franco Stola and Roberto Stola.

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74Rivoli January 5th 2002 at 9.00 pm
A few minutes before the Mercedes Vision Grand Sports Tourer prototype enters the elevator.
Alfredo Stola in the center with the whole Team della Stola s.p.a. The second on the left standing with the blue shirt is Tiziano Novo who will accompany Alfredo in the loading operations at the Turin Caselle airport.

75Rivoli January 5, 2002 at 21:40 Antonello Mulargia76Rivoli January 5, 2002 9:40 pm Christopher Benjamin

77Rivoli January 5, 2002 9:40 pm Felice Chiara project manager of the Stola for the Vision GST show car after 72 consecutive hours without sleep. He will rest all night in the company to return home the next day.

78Rivoli via Ferrero 9 at 21:45 the prototype is loaded on the container used for the cargo flight, destination Turin Caselle airport.79Rivoli via Ferrero 9 at 21:45 the prototype is loaded on the container used for the cargo flight, destination Turin Caselle airport.

80Rivoli via Ferrero 9 The container is about to be loaded onto the truck for Turin Caselle airport.
The precious cargo will arrive at the airport at 10:30 pm and Alfredo Stola and Tiziano Novo are waiting for it who will assist the loading on the cargo which will finish at 05:30 the next day.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, and to the extraordinary use of Azerbaijan Airline's Ilyushin II76 cargo plane, with a flight dedicated transport the Show Car to Detroit, the presentation was made on schedule.

81Turin Caselle January 6, 2002 08:45 am The Ilyushin II-76 takes off for Detroit with the "only" prototype of the Mercedes Vision GST in the hold. Cargo company is Azerbaijan Airline coming from Congo via London.

82January 7 Detroit. Motor show.
Peter Pfeiffer.83January 7 Detroit. Motor show. Cristopher Benjamin,
Stev Mattin and Gorden Wagener.

84Detroit 7 January 2002 09:00 Official presentation to the press of the Mercedes Vision GST.

85Detroit January 6, 2002 09:00 Official presentation to the press of the Mercedes Vision GST.

For the first time in the history of Mercedes show cars, official photos were taken in Germany, after the Detroit presentation.
For the journalists press kit, virtual images were used, made in great haste by the designers of the Sindelfingen style center.

86January 24, 2002 Leonberg Renè Staud realizes the photographic service of the Vision GST87January 24, 2002 Leonberg Renè Staud realizes the photographic service of the Vision GST

88The interior of the Vision GST was the real problem with this unusual delay.
For a mistake of scale they were built twice.

On October 11th 2002, after suffering an illness since the beginning of 1999 and fighting to the end, Roberto Stola, president and 50% shareholder of STOLA spa and the companies wholly under his control, passed away.
89Rivoli March 2002. Roberto StolaFor 8 years Roberto worked and followed the Mercedes customer projects with a passion, establishing an extraordinary working relationship with them.
A special dedication, because Mercedes are special, and the gratitude for the trust accorded to STOLA s.p.a is unique.
As sign of the esteem in which this relationship was held, Harald Leschke was present at the funeral and CEO Dieter Zetsche sent a wreath of flowers.

 90 Dieter Zetsche.

91Rivoli November 23, 2002. The letter sent by Dieter Zetsche
to Alfredo Stola.