Aldo Brovarone

{{Short description|Italian automobile designer (1926–2020)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}

Image:Aldo Brovarone.jpg

Image:Ferrari 400 Superamerica fl.jpg

Image:Dino 206.jpg

Aldo Brovarone (24 June 1926 – 12 October 2020){{cite web|url=https://autodesignmagazine.com/en/2020/10/a-farewell-to-aldo-brovarone/ |title=A FAREWELL TO ALDO BROVARONE |website=Auto Design Magazine|access-date=14 October 2020}} was an Italian automobile designer and the chief stylist with Carrozzeria Pininfarina (1974-1988) – widely known for a prominent range of work including the Dino 206 GT, Lancia Gamma Coupé and the Peugeot 504 (sedan).

Background

Brovarone was born on 24 June 1926, in Vigliano Biellese, in Italy's Piedmont textile region.{{cite web | url=http://www.conceptcars.it/stilisti/brovarone.htm | title=Also Brovarne | publisher=Conceptcars.it | accessdate=3 February 2011 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230110215/http://www.conceptcars.it/stilisti/brovarone.htm | archivedate=30 December 2010 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }} He demonstrated artistic talent at an early age, and was fascinated by airplanes and dreamed of becoming a pilot. He later studied at the state commercial and technical institute, considering a career in the textile industry.

His studies were interrupted by WWII, and he was deported by the Germans and imprisoned for one year in a German concentration camp in occupied Poland.{{cite web

|title = Addio Aldo Brovarone, la ‘matita’ della Dino

|publisher = Veloce.it

|author = Nicolò Minerbi

|date = 14 October 2020

|url = https://www.veloce.it/storie/addio-aldo-brovarone-la-matita-della-dino-59725}}{{cite web

|title = Ferrari Dino Designer Aldo Brovarone Has Died

|publisher = Top Speed

|author = Michael Fira

|date = 19 October 2020

|url = https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/ferrari-dino-designer-aldo-brovarone-has-died/}}{{cite web

|title = Si è spento Aldo Brovarone

|publisher = Top Speed

|author = Mirco Magni

|date = 14 October 2020

|url = https://www.quattroruote.it/news/eventi/2020/10/14/lutto_nel_mondo_dell_auto_si_e_spento_aldo_brovarone.html}} Having managed to survive,{{cite web

|title = Appuntamento con I grandi designer : Aldo Brovarone

|publisher = Quattroruote.it

|author =

|date = 15 March 2020

|url = https://ruoteclassiche.quattroruote.it/appuntamento-con-i-grandi-designer-aldo-brovarone/}}

he later worked as a designer with a refrigerator company.

Career

In 1949 Brovarone expatriated to Buenos Aires, Argentina and worked as a graphic designer at an advertising firm, later working with AUTOAR (Automotores Argentinos) until it ended operations in 1953. Brovarone returned to Italy to work with Piero Dusio of Cisitalia, where he first developed brochure illustrations and began his career as an automobile designer.

On introduction from Dusio, Brovarone met Battista "Pinin" Farina

and in 1952, he joined Carrozzeria Pinin Farina (later simply Pininfarina) first as assistant stylist to Francesco Salomone and Franco Martinengo. He subsequently became lead designer, beginning with the design of the Ferrari Superamerica II, presented at the 1960 Turin Auto Show.

At Pininfarina, Brovarone designed the sedan variant of the Peugeot 504. In 2007 he verified that he did not design the coupe and cabriolet variants, confirming these were designed at Pininfarina, but under the direction of Franco Martinengo, from sketches by Peugeot.

At Pininfarina, he collaborated on the 1987 Ferrari F40 with its designer Pietro Camardella, just before retiring.{{Cite web |url=https://topclassico.com/en/pietro-camardella-so-i-designed-my-ferraris/|title=Pietro Camardella: "So I designed my Ferraris" |date=May 2021 |access-date=7 January 2022 |website=topclassico.com }}

Later years

After his retirement from Pininfarina in 1988,{{cite web

| title = Aldo Brovarone

| publisher = Studiotorino.com

| author =

| date =

| url = http://www.studiotorino.com/en/auto/rk/rkcoupe/brovarone.htm}} Brovarone consulted as a stylist with Stola, later contributing to the design of Studiotorino's Porsche Boxster-based Ruf RK Spyder, named at the 2005 Milan Triennale as the most beautiful car in the world. At Studiotorino, Broverone secretly penned a coupe variant that management later accepted.{{cite web

| title = Aldo Brovarone

| publisher = loveforporsche.com

| author =

| date = 24 June 2019

| url = https://www.loveforporsche.com/aldo-brovarone/}}

He continued to live in Turin, without computer or cellphone, and continued to make pencil sketches and tempera illustrations which were printed as collectible postcards.{{cite web

|title = ADDIO AD ALDO BROVARONE, MAESTRO DI STILE

|publisher = ASI Automotoclub Storico Italia

|author =

|date =

|url = http://www.asifed.it/addio-ad-aldo-brovarone-maestro-di-stile/17904/}}

He died at 94 on 12 October 2020 at Molinette hospital in Turin, several days after the death of his wife Martarita,{{cite news|url=https://primabiella.it/cronaca/addio-ad-aldo-brovarone-papa-biellese-della-ferrari/|title=Addio ad Aldo Brovarone, papà biellese della Ferrari |website=Prima Biella|access-date=14 October 2020|language=it}} and was survived by his son Enrico Brovarone and nephew Cesare Brovarone. He was a member of the Auto Moto Club Storico Italiano (AMSAP) and judge for two concours d'elegance organized by the club, at Villa La Malpenga in Vigliano Biellese (in 2016) and at Ricetto di Candelo (in 2017).

His life and work was recounted in the 2019 book, Stile & raffinatezza. Le creazioni di Aldo Brovarone ("Style & Refinement. The Creations of Aldo Brovarone) by Giuliano Silli, presented at the Third Annual Parco del Valentino Concours d'Elegance.

Design work

File:Cisitaliaav.jpg|Cisitalia Type 33 DF Volo Radente

File:Lancia Gamma Coupé 2500 1979 Bailly Mars 2011.jpg|Lancia Gamma Coupé

File:Peugeot 604 (6100200213).jpg|Peugeot 604

File:Peugeot 504 000.jpg|Peugeot 504

File:Paris - Bonhams 2015 - Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 Coupé - 1968 - 002.jpg|Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

File:2021 Pebble Tour Ferrari 375 0355AL.jpg|1955 Ferrari 375 America Coupé Speciale for Gianni Agnelli

File:1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico - Flickr - exfordy.jpg|Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico Coupé

File:1954-10-07 Paris Ferrari 375 0456AM Bergman Rossellini.jpg|Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta Speciale, for actress Ingrid Bergman

File:1960 Ferrari 400 Superamerica in the Museo Ferrari, front right.jpg|Ferrari 400 Superamerica Pinin Farina Coupé, for Fiat CEO Gianni Agnelli

File:2013-03-05 Geneva Motor Show 7865.JPG|Dino Berlinetta Speciale

File:1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast.jpg|Ferrari 500 Superfast

File:1956 Alfa Romeo 3000 CM Superflow IV fvl.jpg|Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Superflow

File:1953 Maserati A6GCS fr.jpg|Maserati A6GCS Pinin Farina

References