Auto Design

Long before the launch of the Fiat 500, in Turin and the remaining part of the Italian car enthusiasts’ world, the idea of customize one of the new “small baby” with the most distinctive and possibly convincing “individual” touches has stimulated all sort of fantasies and projects. Maria Paola Stola, the wife of well-known “creative entrepreneur” and founder of Studiotorino, Alfredo Stola were among the first one to say “I want to design my own 500″.

Noblesse Oblige, they say, and consequently she could not get away with some plastic strips or a paint shop of the exterior. On the contrary, she wanted to enrich her 100 HP Fiat 500 with solid innovations and a touch of art. Following the path of famous fashion and furniture designer, who have recently brought graphic themes of all sorts, including some cartoon strip to the textile used for sofa of all sorts as well as for women and men wear.

She felt time had come to treat her 500 as a very personal and minimal “cottage” on wheels. Her front seats and rear sofa had to be very personal with more than a reference to creativity. The bright idea came to her when she met the publisher of a famous Italian cartoon-series, DIABOLIK, she had been readying since she was a child. She explained her idea and its potential, and got the right to reproduce the heroes of many Italian children (of all ages) onto and into her car.

Her challenge was to transfer the digital printing technology applied so far to materials suitable for different applications but cars. Working with the Turin based specialist in digital printing on textiles and other materials Mycrom (www.mycrom.it) and of passionate leather specialists, Maria Paola has eventually been able to combine the two worlds and got printed leather that can pass all the quality test for resistance and durability typical of the car industry and is introducing the first application in her “Fiat 500 Diabolika by Studiotorino.

This means they can repeat the process on a small scale and deliver up to 50 very different Fiat 500 Diabolika. Indeed the “work of art” reproduce on leather can change with every unit. It tool more than one to find a solution to all sort of problems but now the car is ready to be unveiled in Torino today at 6 p.m.

There will be a lot more to see and admire (or criticize): from the extensive matt black painting of the bodywork (that still carries the red strips typical of Studiotorino creations) with little touches of chrome all around and old-timer Borrani wheels fitted with unique Pirelli tyres exclusively sculpted to integrate the black mask of Diabolik. Inside the black dominated atmosphere of the cabin, you find the unique seat covered with the face of Diabolik and his girl friend Eva Kant but, strangely enough, Eva is not at the driving seat both on the front passenger seat, whereas Diabolik, the man, occupy the driver’s seat.

I would have expected Maria Paola to preserve her leading role and given the lady the driver seat. In the back, the sofa shows a police-car after Diabolik who, in this instance is a fugitive on the Fiat 500 instead of his favourite Jaguar E-type coupé.

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