Sergio Sartorelli

(Alessandria, May 7th,1928 - Torino, November 28th 2009) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Antoniopellegrino (talk • contribs) 10:44, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

My experience in the car design with GHIA - OSI – FIAT.

Born in Alessandria in 1928, took the degree in Mechanical Engineering at the “Politecnico” of Tourin, I soon began to be charmed by cars.

The passion and interest in everything that moved on wheels (see cars, trucks, trains and even military vehicles) in the dark periods of 40’s, push me to experiment with myself, already on the books for school and build wooden models scale, taking the shapes and dimensions from war magazine and directly from the affected means.

Studying engineering at the Politecnico of Turin I began to acquire the technical and design mindset and imagination became more realistic.

The degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1954 had been immediately followed by the Military Service in Turin as a cartographer at the Northwest High Commands.

In this period (18 months) I managed to save some time and space (small room and drafting machine) to develop cars models presented to the Boano Bodywork (Mario Felice Boano) gaining the appointment to develop others on Giampaolo Boano’s (son) sketches.

At the same time execute a number of proposals for advertising trucks for account of PASINI Bodywork - Alessandria.

Accomplished the Military Service, I introduced myself to the Bodywork GHIA-Monviso with photos and sketches and I was immediately employed (April 1956) by Eng. Segre and Comm. Casalis, CEO.

Negative, in fact, was Boano’s answer, which at that moment was considering major transactions with Fiat, such as the creation of the Style Center Fiat; moreover at that time I didn’t find space with Pininfarina, already full of designers.

My work in Ghia began under eng. Savonuzzi’s supervision: spending time for training and also for models with the drafting machine, going from small projects to a lot of chrome on giant Chrysler for Arabian Sheiks.

At the end of 1957, when the eng. Savonuzzi left Ghia for Chrysler, I became 'Head of Style Prototyping Department" and, as such, I worked for Ghia until the early months of 1963, and thereafter as external designer, to the first months of 1964.

During this period, unfortunately, suddenly disappeared in February 1963, eng. Segre.

In chronological order I list my works during Ghia period:

1957 - 1959 - Volkswagen (1200 Beetle prototypes); - Fiat 1100 / 103 Coupé, Cabriolet, Giardinetta (1957 Motor Show); - Fiat Jolly 500 - 600 (first cars for the beach - series); - 1100 Fiat Jolly (proposal); - Chrysler 375 F.M. (prototype); - Warzawa Saloon (prototype);

- Karmann "Type 14" (1200 Coupè restyling); - Innocenti / Piaggio (integrated handlebar scooter); - Innocenti - GLAS ISARA mini car (prototype); - Innocenti Lambretta (prototype); - Outboard Lionel Bounty (prototype).

1960

- Innocenti "Risciò" (prototype); - Karmann Coupé 1500 "Type 34" (prototype); - Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint "Spider and Coupé (prototypes); - Alfa Romeo Spider 2000 (prototype); - Selene I Concept Car (forward driving); - Renault truck cab (prototype); - SAETA truck cab (prototype); - Innocenti "Sprite" Spider (cooperation); - Chrysler 300 M Special (hunting car Kuwait).

1961 - Fiat 2300 S Coupé (prototype and subsequent series); - Selene II Concept Sports Car Forward Driving (cooperation V. Exner); - Maserati 5000 (single model) Innocenti; - Chrysler Valiant "St. Regis "Coupé and Spider (prototypes for the U.S.); - D.B.B. Locomotive (studies of form); - Fiat 500 "ZIBA" Pick-up (proposal); - Fiat 1300 / 1500 Family (prototype for the series); - Renault R8 saloon (prototype); - Volvo 660 Saloon (studies of style); - Fiat 950 Saloon (prototype); - Renault Estafette Jolly (prototype); - Renault 900 Limousine Forward Driving (2 prototypes).

1962

- Fiat 2300 D "Club" and Cabriolet (prototype); - Fiat 1500 Coupé GT (limited series); - Ford "Galaxie" limousine (prototype for the U.S.); - Renault 115 Saloon (prototype); - Renault "Ontario" limousine (prototype); - Volkswagen EA128 and EA53 Limousine (prototypes); - De Soto Truck Cabs (2 prototypes for the U.S.); - 4 doors Porsche Berlinetta (prototype); - Chrysler Imperial Crown - Limousine (stylistic restructuring).

1963

- Fiat Coupe GS 2300 (prototype); - Ford Falcon "Clan" (prototype for the U.S.);

- Ford Falcon "Sport" Coupé (studies for the U.S.);

- Chrysler Imperial Crown - Limousine (stylistic restructuring);

with which ended my works for Ghia.

During those years, radical changes took place regarding the location of the Ghia Bodywork.

The old headquarters of Corso Unione Sovietica (Ghia-Monviso) became no longer sufficient, and in 1958 a new headquarters rised in Via Agostino da Montefeltro, much larger and more modern (Ghia).

Later, in 1959, began the building of a new plant (in front of the new headquarters of the Ghia as renovation of a former factory of guns).

So born the company Ghia-Osi (Officine Stampaggi Industriali) as partnership between the Ghia S.p.A. and the Fergat S.p.A. as eng. Segre and Law. Arrigo Olivetti (Fergat owner) initiative.

The initiative by the eng. Segre was courageous and farsighted: give to Ghia a parallel structure, capable of producing for the big car industries special small series production (niche), but without renouncing to maintain their own workshops of research and design and meanwhile maintaining completely separated the two areas.

The eng. Segre’s death in February '63 abruptly interrupted the Ghia-Osi partnership.

At that time OSI produced in series, the 2300 S coupé, the Innocenti 900 Spider, Fiat "Familiare" 1300 / 1500.

The sudden lack of a Style Center, push it to use the collaboration of designer Michelotti.

In 1965, with the arrival in Osi of eng. Giacomo Bianco, born the “Osi Style Center” in a new building in the surroundings of Tourin, near to a large industrial warehouse equipped to carry out prototype, complete with a small wind tunnel for small scale models.

In 1965 I began working with the eng. Bianco, first as a external professional, making the following prototypes:

- Ford Mustang B1 Coupè;

- Alfa Romeo 2600 “De Luxe ";

- Alfa Romeo 2600 "Presidenziale"; - Ford Taunus 20 MTS Coupe and Convertible;

then in May 1966, as employed by Eng. Bianco, as “Head of Style "Osi and could thus treat directly the development of MTS 20 Ford coupe. In the meantime, rised two other large buildings for the series production of the Coupé and the Innocenti 900 Spider.

The order of the coupé was important and the production, reserved solely for the German market, reached the number of 15 cars per day.

From the series coupé, shortening the pitch of 20 mm, born the 20 MTS cabrio, which I had started to study in the past, exhibited at the 1967 Motor Show in Turin.

In addition to the prototypes listed above I also remember, in chronological order, my others works:

1966 - 1967

- DAF "City" (3 door car for the city); - Fiat 124 "Cross Country" (off road); - Fiat 850 "Weekend" (pleasure craft - small series); - Alfa Romeo 1600 "Scarabeo" (sport proposal); - Bisiluro "Silver Fox" (Taruffi records in 1000 cc class); - Fiat 125 "Estate Car" (prototype); - Fiat 1100 saloon 2-door (prototype); - Autobianchi G. 31 Coupé (prototype); - ATS 2500 G.T. Coupé (transposition Scarabeo); - Fiat 126 (prototype and produced in large series); - Fiat 950 van (Forward driving - series).

As you will note, the Osi Style Center had an intense production, I could say aggressive, thanks to good organization and a highly skilled workforce.

To this was added an ironed discipline, enviable “esprit de corps” and, above all, great enthusiasm and cooperation for a small number of employees (about 60 men) for style, design, modeling, resins, plates, brass coating, painting, upholstery and mechanical.

The Osi Style Center suddenly ceased to exist in December 1967, I think for company reasons while continued the Osi series production.

Resigned Eng. Bianco I assumed - from January 1st 1968 - the responsibility to carry out the orders in course of the Style Center (model for Fiat 126 - model big limousine for Fiat - Fiat minibus small series 950 - Series Fiat 850 "weekend" - prototype ATS 2500 GT coupe), and began the diaspora of the workers and designers towards other factories.

So I spoke with Fiat, in person of eng. Giacosa, to incorporate what remained of Osi Style Center into the Fiat Style Center, which then happens in May 1968.

I was therefore also employed with Fiat Style Center as Manager "Head of Future Studies" with workshops for study, development, molding plaster of prototypes.

Thus began a new period of proposals (on the order and autonomous), lasted 16 years in a context that did not allow more large leaps and the enthusiasm of the Bodywork, caused by the change of production needs and by the crisis of the car market, during the period from 1973 to 1980 and over.

To the new models of cars you had to choose the least expensive restyling, so the "Future Studies", although shown, judged and compared, had to wait for a time that, unfortunately, often never arrived.

Could still see the light and then produced in large series as well as the Fiat 126 and the Bus 950, the Fiat Ritmo, the "Lancia" Beta ", the Fiat Regata" and then the Fiat "Weekend."

Many were the models for the "Tipo 3" (class "Tipo" and "Brava") and for the "Tipo 4" (class "Croma" and "Thema") all accompanied by an aerodynamic optimization performed at the Fiat Wind Tunnel with the Fiat Research Center in Orbassano.

Low was the number of Coupé Research models, Coupé often performed in competition, now with Italdesign, now with Pininfarina and Bertone.

In 1984 I finished my collaboration with Fiat, with a touch of bitterness and the feeling that the situation of those difficult years, for the car market crisis, had partially eroded, but not at all removed, the enthusiasm that I carried from the ancient times and had formed the basis of my versatility and adaptability to different needs of the Bodywork and of Car in general.

Turin, February 15th, 2009

Eng. Sergio Sartorelli