Vignale

Vignale
Industry Automotive
Founded 1948, Turin Italy
Founder Alfredo Vignale
Headquarters Italy
Services automotive design, coachbuilding
Owner Ford Motor Company


Vignale was an Italian automobile coachbuilder company. Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale was established in 1948 at Via Cigliano, Turin[1] by Alfredo Vignale (born 1913) in Grugliasco, near Turin (Torino).

The first body on a Fiat 500 Topolino base was made in 1948, followed by a special Fiat 1100. Most customers were Italian firms such as Cisitalia, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Maserati, Lancia.

In 1952, Vignale collaborated with Briggs Cunningham to jointly produce the Continental C-3.[2] In 1968, Vignale designed the body of Tatra 613.

Vignale designed and built cars, usually low volume variants of the main production cars of these automobile manufacturers. Amongst them were 850, Samantha, Eveline and the Vignale Gamine, based on the Fiat 500.[3]

A close cooperation was maintained with Giovanni Michelotti.

Vignale was taken over by De Tomaso in 1969[1] who already owned Carrozzeria Ghia. Both coachbuilder firms were sold to Ford in 1973 but the Vignale brand was discontinued.

At the 1993 Geneva Motor Show Aston Martin, at the time owned by Ford, produced a concept car called Lagonda Vignale. Ford then used the Vignale name in the Ford Focus Vignale concept car introduced at the 2004 Paris Motor Show,[4] however the production model was named as Ford Focus Coupé-Cabriolet.

In September 2013, Ford of Europe announce plans to resurrect the Vignale name as an upscale luxury sub-brand of Ford.[5] The cars will be visually distinct from regular Ford products and have an improved dealership experience. Exclusive services, such as free lifetime car washes, will be offered as well. The first Ford model to receive the Vignale name will be the 2015 Ford Mondeo.

On 1 March 2016 Ford of Europe announced a Kuga Vignale Concept vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show.[6] where the company also announced the line-up of Vignale products, Ford S-Max Vignale, Ford Edge Vignale and Ford Mondeo Vignale five-door models debut alongside Ford Kuga Vignale Concept, offering a vision of the future of upscale SUVs as well as revealing Vignale Ambassadors and the signature Vignale collection [7]


References

  1. 1 2 "ABOUT CARROZZERIA Vignale". geocities.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  2. ↑ Cotter, Tom (11 March 2011). "Italian Flair and American Muscle". New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "The History of the Fiat Gamine". geocities.com. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  4. ↑ "2004 Ford Focus Vignale". conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  5. ↑ "Ford to reveal Vignale sub-brand with special Mondeo in Frankfurt [UPDATE]". Autoblog. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  6. ↑ "Ford of Europe Press Release Geneva Motorshow 1-mar-2016".
  7. ↑ "Ford Expands Upscale Ford Vignale Line with Four New Models, Exclusive Concierge and Travel Services".
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