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Wikipedia / Vignale

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 (1913–1969). After its founder's death in 1969, Carrozzeria Vignale was acquired by De Tomaso (founded by Argentine businessman and race driver Alejandro de Tomaso). The studio ceased operation in 1973, but ownership of the name was taken over by Ford Motor Company (which had majority ownership of De Tomaso).

Since then, Ford has continued to use the name sporadically to the present day. Up to present days, Ford of Europe released Vignale versions of models Mondeo, Edge, Fiesta, Focus, and Kuga, among others.

History

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. A close cooperation was maintained with Giovanni Michelotti, who in 1959 opened his own design studio and in 1962 definitely concluded the cooperation.

Also Rodolfo Bonetto designed a couple of cars in the early 1950s before moving to Boneschi. Later Vignale designs were created by Virginio Vairo. Vignale also designed and built cars themselves, 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. In 1968, Vignale designed the body of their last prototype, the Tatra 613. Vignale was taken over by De Tomaso in 1969 who already owned Carrozzeria Ghia. Shortly after selling, Alfredo Vignale died in a car crash on 16 November 1969. Both coachbuilders 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, but the production model was named the Ford Focus Coupé-Cabriolet.

In September 2013, Ford of Europe announced plans to resurrect the Vignale name as an upscale luxury sub-brand of Ford. The cars would be visually distincted 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 was the 2015 Ford Mondeo.

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

Designs

List of cars designed and bodied at Carrozzeria Vignale or coachbuilt to a third-party design.

Notable designers

References

Bibliography