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Vignale

Alfredo Vignale was born in 1913. At the age of 17 he worked for Stabilimenti Farina, then managed by Giovanni Farina, the older brother of Battista "Pinin" Farina.

He became an allround technician and his first steps in coachbuilding started at the age of 33 when he traded an old motorbike for a Fiat Topolino. The rusty coachwork of the Topolino was replaced by an aluminium body. A second body for a Topolino was made and this one got attention from the English 'Autocar' magazine.

In 1948 the Carrozzeria Vignale was founded at Via Cigliano, Turin and became a well known Italian coachbuilding company. Vignale designed and built cars for Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia and many others. For the design he often relied on his friend and former colleague at Farina, Giovanni Michelotti.

Alfredo Vignale also started producing cars under his own name. In 1961 he opened a factory near Fiat's Mirafiori factory in Crugliasco, Turin. The Vignale logo shows the famous church in Turin.

In December 1969 Alfredo sold his Carrozzeria Vignale to DeTomaso Automobili. DeTomaso, like the Ghia Studios, already belonged to Ford's Italian product development group. Carrozzeria Vignale, being a very modern factory, was used to built the mid-engine DeTomaso Pantera sports cars.

Three days after having sold his company, Alfredo died in a car crash while driving a Maserati.

It is a big shame the Vignale name (like the Ghia name) is now degraded by Ford into a modelname addition for the Ford Focus 'Vignale' manufactured by... Pininfarina.

Vignale Abarth 205 A Berlinetta

Vignale Abarth 750 Coupe 'Goccia'

Vignale Alfa Romeo 1900 SS

Vignale Alfa Romeo Tipo 412

Vignale Aston Martin DB 2/4

Vignale Caddilac Coupe 'Bill Frick Special'

Vignale Cisitalia 202 CMM

Vignale Cisitalia 202 Coupe

Vignale Cisitalia 202 SC Convertible

Vignale Corvette

Vignale Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet

Vignale Cunningham C-3 Coupe

Vignale Ferrari 166MM/53 #0300M

Vignale Ferrari 212 Export Convertible

Vignale Ferrari 212 Inter Berlinetta #0179EL

Vignale Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe

Vignale Ferrari 212 Inter Europa Coupe #0287EU

Vignale Ferrari 225 Sport Berlinetta

Vignale Ferrari 225 Sport Spyder

Vignale Ferrari 250 Europa GT Coupe #0359GT

Ex. Liliane De Re?ty, Princess of Belgium

Vignale Ferrari 330 GT Shooting Brake

Vignale Ferrari 340 America Spider

Vignale Fiat 1100 'Coupe Printemps'

Vignale Fiat 1100 Coupe

Vignale Fiat 850 Coupe Sportivo

Vignale Fiat 8V Convertible

Vignale Fiat 8V Coupe

Vignale Fiat 8V Coupe 'Demon Rouge'

Vignale Jensen Nova

Vignale Lancia Appia Coupe

Vignale Lancia Aprilia Coupe

Vignale Lancia Aurelia

Vignale Lancia Aurelia B52 Coupe

Vignale Maserati 3500 GT Special Spyder

Vignale Maserati 3500 GTi

Vignale Maserati A6G Coupe

Vignale Maserati A6GCS Spider

Vignale Matra M530 Sport

Vignale MG TD

Vignale Opel Kadett Coupe & Spider

Vignale OSCA MT-4 Berlinetta

Vignale OSCA MT-4 Berlinetta Villoresi

Vignale OSCA MT-4 Le Mans Coupe

Vignale Packard 120 Convertible

Vignale Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

Vignale Triumph Italia 2000 Coupe

Vignale Triumph TR3

Vignale Volvo Elisabeth I & II

Vignale VW 1200 Beetle

21st Century coachbuild

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