Stola (automotive company)

Last updated
Stola Spa
Industry
Founded1919
Headquarters,
Italy
Owner Blutec
Number of employees
3,500 (2006)
Website www.stola.it

Stola is an Italian automotive company founded in 1919. From its start it realized concept cars, prototypes and style models, master models and engineering consultancy for some of the biggest manufacturers in the automotive industry. [1]

Contents

In 2004 it was acquired by RGZ group, along with subsidiaries: Estival, Tecnocars and Stola do Brasil. By 2014 was sold to Blutec, part of the METEC group. As for 2006 it had more than 3.500 employees. Currently its activities are focused around production of limited edition exclusive cars. [2]

Cars and models

Alfa Romeo Proteo DTW LITC 018 gen91.jpg
Alfa Romeo Proteo
Porsche C88 Porsche Museum IMG 20141112 123627 (15851050092) (cropped).jpg
Porsche C88
Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination 1996 Concept AboveRSideMBMuse 9June2013 (14983595795).jpg
Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination
Mercedes-Benz F300 Life Jet 1997 Mercedes-Benz F300 Life Jet Concept Vehicle.jpg
Mercedes-Benz F300 Life Jet
Toyota Funcoupe 1997 Toyota Funcoupe Concept Motorshow di Bologna - anni 90' - 3244013252.jpg
Toyota Funcoupe
SEAT Formula Seat Formula green v TCE.jpg
SEAT Fórmula
Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR Vision SLR.jpg
Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR
Alfa Romeo Nuvola Arese Museo Storico Alfa Romeo 1996 Nuvola 3.jpg
Alfa Romeo Nuvola
Alfa Romeo Kamal Alfa Romeo kamal.jpg
Alfa Romeo Kamal
Maybach Exelero Huge Maybach Exelero.jpg
Maybach Exelero
Fisker Tramonto at the 2006 Paris Auto Show The Stola Fisker Tramonto at the 2006 Paris Auto Show (2).jpg
Fisker Tramonto at the 2006 Paris Auto Show

List of master models, mock-up style models, prototypes and concepts realised by Stola: [3]

Stola S81 Stratos

62deg Coppa Intereuropa - Autodromo Nazionale Monza - 21-06-2015 (19230336115).jpg
62deg Coppa Intereuropa - Autodromo Nazionale Monza - 21-06-2015 (19042774838).jpg
Stola S81 Stratos

Stola S81 Stratos was a concept car designed by Marcello Gandini and shown at the 2000 Turin Motor Show. [9] Its exterior design was a hommage to Gandini's original 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero exactly at the 30th anniversary of the 1970 Turin Motor Show presentation. Development began in autumn of 1999 to create a static show car. The front was meant to have a Lancia shield but with protest from Fiat management, a stylised mg logo appears in honour of the designer instead. Vivid orange paint colour chosen mirrored that of a prototype Stratos HF. "S81" in its name commemorates the 81st anniversary of the company founding by Alfred Stola. From 2009 concept resides in the Lopresto automobile collection, where in 2014 it received an electric motor. [10]

Stola S82 Spyder

In 2001, at the Milan Motor Show, Stola presented a prototype model S82 Spyder built on the Porsche Boxster (986) basis. [11] Exterior was designed by Aldo Brovarone. [12]

Stola S85 Thesis Limousine

Stola S85 Lancia Thesis Stretch vr-EBV.jpg
Stola S85

During the engineering consultancy work done for the Thesis model in 2000, Stola proposed a stretched limousine version, similar to the previous Thema and Kappa. Fiat Group CEO Paolo Cantarella agreed to the project but under the supervision of Giancarlo Concilio of Centro Stile Lancia and engineer Nevio Di Giusto. [13] Initially Stola planned to showcase the blue-gray painted prototype at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show but at the last minute Fiat management decided to postpone the presentation. Although the show car was ready earlier and would be named as "S82" it was ultimately presented at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show repainted in burgundy bi-colour and renamed as the "Stola S85" to celebrate the Stola company's 85 years. [14] [13]

The car is equipped with a beige leather interior and electrically adjustable rear seats. The car has also a minibar with refrigerator, multimedia system with GPS navigation system, internet access, fax machine and a DVD player. [15] With 230 PS (169 kW; 227 hp) and all these extra features the converted car weighs 2,030 kg (4,475 lb) and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.2 seconds, with a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph). [16] In 2002 Fiat ordered another stretched limousine for President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and further two examples which would ultimately be cancelled. Presidential limousine would receive an armour plating by specialist shop Repetti and be delivered in 2003. [13]

Stola S86 Diamante

Stola S86 Diamante 2005 12 01 Essen Motorshow 167 (8832901710).jpg
Stola S86 Diamante

Stola S86 diamante is a concept car designed by Marcello Gandini and presented at the 75th Geneva Motor Show in 2005. It is a static model of a coupé, created in just 5 weeks to demonstrate Stola's ability and speed in development and construction of automotive prototypes in a "tailor-made engineering" perspective. [17]

The name is also a reference to the company's 86 years of activity.

Stola Phalcon

Sto may eks.JPG
Stola (Budapest).jpg
Stola Phalcon

At the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, Stola introduced the Phalcon, a 2-door coupe with a similar design as the Maybach Exelero that Stola had in 2004. [18] The car was presented with a Mercedes-Benz V12 and a one piece windshield extending all the way to the back of the car. The plan was to produce 25 units. [19]

See also

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References

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