Ghia-Aigle

Last updated

Carrosserie Ghia S.A., Aigle (established 1948 in Aigle, Switzerland, closed 1988) was a Swiss automobile design and manufacturing company, commonly referred to as Ghia-Aigle.

Emblem Ghia-Aigle.jpg
Emblem

Established by P. P. Filippi of Torino, the company originally operated as a subsidiary of Carrozzeria Ghia, becoming independent in 1953 and temporarily located in Lugano (1954–58). Designers were mainly from Ghia, including Mario Boano (1948–51), Giovanni Michelotti (1948–57), and Pietro Frua (1957–60).

1955 Alfa-Romeo 1900C SS by Ghia-Aigle Alfa 1900 CSS.jpg
1955 Alfa-Romeo 1900C SS by Ghia-Aigle

Small-scale special designs such as Delahaye 135 (1948), MG T-type#TD (1952), Jowett Jupiter (1951), Panhard Dyna Z coupe (1954), VW coupe (1957), Lloyd Alexander (1958–59), Austin-Healey 100 spider, Fiat 500 spider (1957), Lotus Eleven spider and coupe, Chevrolet Corvette coupe, Renault Dauphine spider, MG spider, Porsche 356B coupe, Jaguar XK150 coupe, Alfa Romeo 1900 SS coupe and spider. [1]

The first Alfa-Romeo bodied by Ghia-Aigle was made in 1955 and was shown at the 1955 Geneva Auto Salon. This car was the first of eight Alfas bodied by the firm and it is shown on this page. [2]


Since 1960, the company was mostly involved in minor remodeling of vehicles and closed operations in 1988. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Michelotti</span>

Giovanni Michelotti was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph marques. He was also associated with truck designs for Leyland Motors, and with designs for British Leyland after the merger of Leyland and BMC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro Frua</span>

Pietro Frua was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand tourer</span> High-performance luxury car

A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zagato</span>

Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres - 11,000 of which is covered.

Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe. The former company Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale was an Italian automobile coachbuilder established in 1948 at Via Cigliano, Turin, by Alfredo Vignale (1913–69). After its founder's death in 1969, Carrozzeria Vignale was acquired by De Tomaso. The studio ceased operation in 1973, but ownership of the name was taken over by Ford Motor Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrozzeria Ghia</span> Italian automobile design firm

Carrozzeria Ghia SpA is an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firm, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". The headquarters are located at Corso Guglielmo Marconi, 4, Turin. The company is currently owned by Ford Motor Company and focused on the European market through Ford's subsidiary in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera</span>

Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera is an Italian automobile coachbuilder. Originally established in Milan in 1925, Carrozzeria Touring became well known for both the beauty of its designs and patented superleggera construction methods. The business folded in 1966. In 2006 its brands and trademarks were purchased and a new firm established nearby to provide automotive design, engineering, coachbuilding, homologation services, non-automotive industrial design, and restoration of historic vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancia Aurelia</span> 1950s-era car

The Lancia Aurelia is a car produced by Italian manufacturer Lancia from 1950 to the summer of 1958. It is noted for using one of the first series-production V6 engines. Several body styles were offered: 4-door saloon, 2-door GT coupé (B20), 2-door spider/convertible (B24), and a chassis to be custom bodied by external coachbuilders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pininfarina</span> Italian car design firm and coachbuilder

Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo 1900</span> Motor vehicle

The Alfa Romeo 1900 is an automobile produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1950 until 1959. Designed by Orazio Satta, it was an important development for Alfa Romeo as the marque's first car built entirely on a production line and first production car without a separate chassis. It was also the first Alfa Romeo offered with left-hand drive. The car was introduced at the 1950 Paris Motor Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco Scaglione</span>

Franco Scaglione was an Italian automobile coachwork designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felice Mario Boano</span>

Felice Mario Boano was an Italian automobile designer and coachbuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo Giulietta (1954)</span> Motor vehicle

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a family of automobiles made by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1954 until 1965 which included a 2+2 coupé, four-door saloon, estate, spider, Sprint, and Sprint Speciale. The 2+2 was Alfa Romeo's first successful foray into the 1.3-litre class. From 1954 to 1965 a total of 177,690 Giuliettas were made, the great majority in saloon (Berlina), Sprint coupé, or Spider body styles, but also as Sprint Speciale and Sprint Zagato coupés, and the rare Promiscua estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo 6C</span> Motor vehicle

The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race, and sports cars produced between 1927 and 1954 by Alfa Romeo; the "6C" name refers to the six cylinders of the car's straight-six engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring Superleggera, Castagna, and Pinin Farina. Beginning in 1933 there was also a 6C version with an Alfa factory body, built in Portello. In the early 1920s Vittorio Jano received a commission to create a lightweight, high performance vehicle to replace the Giuseppe Merosi designed RL and RM models. The car was introduced in April 1925 at the Salone dell' Automobile di Milano as the 6C 1500. It was based on Alfa's P2 Grand Prix car, using a single overhead cam 1,487 cc in-line six-cylinder engine, producing 44 horsepower. In 1928 the 1500 Sport was presented, which was the first Alfa Romeo road car with double overhead camshafts.

The Turin Motor Show was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1938 having shared it with Milan and Rome until that time. From 1972, the show was held biannually and in 1984, it moved into Fiat's shuttered Lingotto factory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrozzeria Boneschi</span>

Carrozzeria Boneschi S.r.L. is an Italian coachbuilder, mainly of commercial vehicles. Until 1960, the company was mostly involved with automobile manufacturers such as Talbot, Rolls-Royce, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat. It was established in Milan by Giovanni Boneschi, moving to Cambiago in (1933). The factory was rebuilt after World War II (1946), after which Boneschi died. Among its designers and directors in the later years was Dr. Bruno Pezzaglia. Boneschi brand has recently been acquired by the coachbuilder Savio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Martin</span> Italian car designer widely (born 1943)

Paolo Martin is an Italian car designer widely known for his career with Studio Tecnico Michelotti, Carrozzeria Bertone, Pininfarina and De Tomaso/Ghia where he styled the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Competizione, Ferrari Modulo concept, Fiat 130 Coupé and the Rolls-Royce Camargue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Savonuzzi</span>

Giovanni Savonuzzi was an Italian automobile designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrosserie Worblaufen</span>

Carrosserie Worblaufen, F. Ramseier & Co. was a Swiss manufacturer of car bodies headquartered in Worblaufen near Bern from 1929 to 1958. The company is different to Carrosserie Ramseier in Bern and Biel.

The Alfa Romeo Abarth 2000 Coupe is a one-off concept car produced by Abarth, in collaboration with Alfa Romeo, and designed by Ghia, in 1954.

References

  1. 1 2 "History of Carrosserie Ghia S.A., Aigle & Lugano". ghia-aigle.info. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  2. "1965 Alfa 1900 CSS". Hemmings.com. Retrieved 2020-03-21.