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11 OCTOBER 2002

01Roberto Stola 1936 - 2002On October 11th 2002, following an illness discovered at the beginning of 1999 which he fought until the last, Roberto Stola, president and 50% shareholder of STOLA spa and of the companies he directed, passed away.
Allowing for operations and medication, he had always worked with dedication and strength, demonstrating responsibility towards all the workers at STOLA spa its subsidiaries.
To him we owe the vision, at the beginning of the 80's, to focus everything on the new Cad Cam technologies and to milling of Numerical Control models, consequently starting the design of the most advanced body and interior trim systems with the most advanced tools.
For the company, the strategic possibility of designing complete automobiles comes from his intuition to accept the proposed acquisition of Autec by Fiat Auto.

 

NOVEMBER 2002

In mid-November 2002 with great urgency the Alfa Romeo Style Centre commissioned from STOLA s.p.a a see-through style model to be presented at the 2003 Geneva show.
The name of the project was Kamal, it was to be the concept for the first Alfa SUV and consequently the first of the entire Fiat Group. The model was developed entirely in Rivoli with Arese designers Alessandro D'ambrosio and Tori Odagiri, directed by Wolfgang Egger working with the surface and physical modelers from Stola.

Rivoli ottobre 2002. Il team dei modellatori Stola insieme ai due designer (all'interno dell'abitacolo) affinano il modello con numerose modofiche. Da sinistra P. Calò, X, Y, Locantore, Leone,....Rivoli October 2002. The Stola modeling team together with the two designers (inside the cockpit) refine the model with numerous modifications. From left P. Calò, X, Y, Locantore, Leone, ....

Rivoli dicembre 2002. Il modello della Kamal dopo il fondo.Rivoli December 2002. The Kamal model after the fund.

Rivoli gennaio / febbraio 2003 il modello di stile al montaggio finale dopo la verniciatura, posano per una foto ricordo i designer Tori Odagiri, Alessandro Dambrosio e Alfredo Stola. Si riconoscono X, Y, Calò, Z, LocantoreRivoli January / February 2003 the style model in the final assembly after painting, the designers Tori Odagiri, Alessandro Dambrosio and Alfredo Stola pose for a souvenir photo. We recognize X, Y, Calò, Z, Locantore

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Rivoli January / February 2003 The Stola team at work. Locantore, Dambrosio, Zanellati, X, Y, Calò and Tori Odagiri are recognizeddidascalia

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Torino febbraio 2003, ecco le foto ufficiali dell'Alfa Romeo Kamal realizzate nei teatri di posa Euphon.Turin February 2003, here are the official photos of the Alfa Romeo Kamal taken in the Euphon studios.

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February 2003 Wolfgang Egger, director of the Alfa Romeo Style Center in Arese and his congratulatory letter for the quality of the work carried out for the Kamal project.didascalia

Ginevra 4 marzo 2003 Il modello della Kamal nello stan Alfa Romeo.Geneva 4 March 2003 The Kamal model on the Alfa Romeo stand.

 

DECEMBER 2002

In December 2002, Geoge Upex of Land Rover (at that point part of the Ford group) contacted STOLA s.p.a, following the positive experience of 1997 with the two models of the Mini Spiritual.
The project was ambitious, a show car that would showcase the future of the Range Rover.

Febbraio 2003 Coventry. Prima di iniziare i lavori di costruzione del prototipo, Giuseppe Di Nunno della Stola s.p.a. lavorerà per due settimane presso il Centro Stile per condividere le fattibilità tecniche insieme ai tecnici Land Rover.February 2003 Coventry. Before starting the construction of the prototype, Giuseppe Di Nunno della Stola s.p.a. he will work for two weeks at the Style Center to share technical feasibility with Land Rover technicians.

The work began in February 2003 with the construction of the exterior and interior models. The prototype promised to be very complex ,especially for the sophisticated interiors and the two Lamborghini-type electric opening doors.
This work also marked a generational change of the Technical Heads of the STOLA prototype department.
Felice Chiara reached retirement age and was replaced by Giovanni Longo. The goal was to present the concept for the upcoming Detroit Motor Show, scheduled for January 10, 2004.

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September 2003 moments of the prototype processing before painting. In the photo on the right you can see Aristide in a blue shirt.Settembre 2003 momenti della lavorazione del prototipo prima della verniciatura. Nella foto a destra si riconosce in camicia blu Aristide.

Settembre 2003. Alfredo Stola e Giovanni Longo, per lui la Range Stormer sarà il suo primo lavoro come nuovo responsabile del reparto prototipi. A destra Maurizio Dimaria.September 2003. Alfredo Stola and Giovanni Longo, for him the Range Stormer will be his first job
as the new head of the prototype department.
On the right Maurizio Dimaria.

05September 2003. Acquaviva.

06September 2003. The Land Rover team residing in
Stola s.p.a.

07November 2003 Finishing stages of the Range Rover Stormer Show Car.08November 2003 Finishing stages of the Range Rover Stormer Show Car.

09November 2003. final finishing stages. In the photo on the left you can see Longo with the blue shirt.10November 2003. final finishing stages.
Stole posing with Tesauro

11November 2003. Gram Alchoc, P.M. Range Stormer12November 2003 ...

Novembre 2003. Gli esterni sono praticamente finiti e presto inizierà l'assemblaggio degli interni.November 2003. The exteriors are practically finished and the assembly of the interiors will begin soon.

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Dicembre 2003. Le foto in studio realizzate a TorinoDecember 2003. The photos in the studio taken in Turin.

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December 2003. Preliminary phases for the night photo shoot at Alfredo's home
and Maria Paola Stola.
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The name would eventually become Range Stormer, and in addition to the classic studio shoot, Land Rover's marketing team would also ask for an unusual photo shoot at Alfredo and Maria Paola Stola's house at night.
This was an unforgettable experience, not least because it demonstrated the perfect harmony between Land Rover and Stola teams.

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Gennaio 2004 Detroit. Alfredo Stola, Matthew Taylor Managing Diractor Land Rover e Gioachino Grande.January 2004 Detroit. Alfredo Stola, Matthew Taylor Managing Director Land Rover and Gioachino Grande.

Dicembre 2003. Un gradito omaggio ad Alfredo Stola da parte del designer Land Rover Richard Woolley. Durante questo anno di lavori Alfredo chiede a Richard di immaginare una speciale edition del Defender duble cab pick up Stola per un esplorazione in Islanda.December 2003. A welcome tribute to Alfredo Stola by Land Rover designer Richard Woolley.
During this year of work Alfredo asks Richard to imagine a special edition of the Defender duble cab pick up Stola for an exploration in Iceland.

During the development of Range Stormer , Gerry McGovern was the director of the Land Rover Style Center, in February 2004 Alfredo Stola and Gioachino Grande visited him at his Gaydon office in Britain to talk about a new model.
The idea is to imagine the new Land Rover Defender, one of the most iconic cars in the world.
Ultimately, due to strategy, this model would never be built by Land Rover group.
This glorious model would later be resumed in 2017, its production and marketing is scheduled for 2020.
Regarding the Range Stormer, all the style concepts were later seen on the production Range Rovers in the following years.

 

DECEMBER 2002

In the last days of 2002 the Mitsubishi Europe Style Centre, still directed by Akinori Nakanishi, proposed a model style for their K Car named EK Wagon.
The designers residing in Rivoli for this project were Osamu Tsushiiya and Hassan Mir.

Rivoli marzo 2003: in Stola s.p.a. viene realizzata una proposta di modello di stile per la futura EK Vagon. Il design è realizzato e diretto dal Centro Stile Mitsubishi Europa.Rivoli March 2003: in Stola s.p.a. a style model proposal is made for the future EK Vagon. The design is made and directed by the Mitsubishi Europa Style Center.

 

DECEMBER 2002

Febbraio 2003 Shanghai Una delle prime immagini viste in Cina: il Presidente Jiang Zemin.February 2003 Shanghai One of the first images seen in China: President Jiang Zemin.

02China had become an important market for European companies supplying models, cubing, show cars and engineering.
STOLA had been producing cubing models for the Volkswagen plant in Shanghai since 1999, with the work completed on-site with assistance to the customer personally managed by Tiziano Novo and a small technical group from Rivoli. 
With the opportunity of many trips to China, new customers were acquired through an effective business strategy, month after month.
On one of his trips in 2000, Novo met the Goudong partners who would become field representatives for all potential customers with the exception of VW.
Alfredo Stola, is intrigued by the potential of this great country, and so, shortly before Christmas 2002, he asks Tiziano Novo to organize a purely commercial 10 day trip across the nation in order to visit the major car manufacturers and meet their most important directors..

Dicembre 2002 Rivoli Via Ferrero 9. Tiziano Novo nell'ufficio commerciale in STOLA s.p.a. pianifica il viaggio in Cina.December 2002 Rivoli Via Ferrero 9. Tiziano Novo in the sales office in STOLA s.p.a. plan your trip to China.

Immagine fotografata dalla strada su cartellone.Image photographed from the street on billboard.An impressive series of meetings were organised for February 2003.
A journey to discover an evolving world that, in the following months, would bring even more important work in terms of complexity and value.
This trip actually started from Malaysia with a working meeting with the technicians and managers of Proton as we were receiving their cubing in that month.

Immagine fotografata dalla strada su cartellone.	Image photographed from the street on billboard.In the following days the main car manufacturers were visited, including VW in Shanghai, Brilliance Auto of Shenyang, Hafei Motor in Harbin, FAW in Changchun and to finish, again in Shanghai, Patac, Maple Automobile and the Geely.
In this last meeting with Geely, Alfredo and Tiziano Novo had a long and cordial conversation with President Li Shufu.

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February 2003 The trip to China is preceded by a first meeting in Malaysia at the Proton customer.didascalia

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February 2003 Kuala Lumpur, Stola and Novo review X and Y, designers of STOLA s.p.a. away at Proton. On this occasion Alfredo Stola meets the CEO of Proton X.didascalia

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Dr. Lee wife and assistant of Dr. Goudong with Tiziano Novo, right Alfredo Stola in a souvenir photo with Dr. Lee before entering the VW plant.didascalia

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Febbraio 2003 la prima visita a Shanghai presso lo stabilimento della Volkswagen già cliente da qualche anno per il settore Cubing. Novo e Stola incontrano i manager della VW.February 2003 the first visit to Shanghai at the Volkswagen plant, already a customer for the Cubing sector for some years. Novo and Stola meet the VW managers.

Febbraio 2003. Il giorno successivo alla visita alla VW un incontro presso la Maple Automobile.February 2003. The day after the visit to VW a meeting at Maple Automobile.

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February 2003 The second visit is in the city of Shenyang to the Brilliance Auto manufacturer, already a customer of STOLA s.p.a. in the Cubing sector. In the last photo on the right, Dr. Goudong.didascalia

Febbraio 2003 Alfredo Stola sta per decollare da Shenyang per Harbin nell'estremo nord della Cina.February 2003 Alfredo Stola is about to take off from Shenyang for Harbin in the far north of China.

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February 2003 Here is the entrance of the Hafei Motor management offices in the city of Hrbin.didascalia

Febbraio 2003 Una suggestiva immagine dell'entrata degli impiegati della Hafei Motor nei loro uffici.February 2003 A striking image of Hafei Motor employees entering their offices.

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February 2003. Classic ritual photos of Alfredo Stola and Tiziano Novo, on the left with the general management of Hafei Motor and on the right with some technicians employed.didascalia

Febbraio 2003. Il viaggio di trasferimento dalla città di Harbin alla città di Changchun. Sulla destra Tiziano Novo.February 2003. The transfer trip from Harbin city to Changchun city. On the right Tiziano Novo.

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February 2003 In the city of Changchun a visit to the car manufacturer Faw Car. On the right, the usual photo of Alfredo Stola with the Faw managers.didascalia

Febbraio 2003. Tiziano Novo effettua una presentazione ai manager della Faw che non sono clienti della STOLA s.p.a..February 2003. Tiziano Novo makes a presentation to Faw managers who are not customers of STOLA s.p.a ..

Febbraio 2003. Alfredo Stola all'aeroporto di Changchun insieme a Tiziano Novo stanno per decollare per la città di Shangai.February 2003. Alfredo Stola at Changchun airport together with Tiziano Novo are about to take off for the city of Shanghai.

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February 2003, Shanghai. The last two days with an operational base in the historic Peace Hotel.didascalia

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February 2003. Alfredo Stola and Tiziano Novo accompanied by Goudong to a meeting at the Patac company. On that occasion, the Chinese managers showed a certain interest in particular in the activities of STOLA s.p.a. in the Show Cars sector.didascalia

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February 2003. Last day in Shanghai, before taking off to return to Europe. Departure from the Peace Hotel and the morning is dedicated to meeting the president of Geely Mr. Li Shufu in Shanghai Fengjing Industriai District. Unfortunately, the photos of the meeting were lost.didascalia

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