History of Carrosserie Ghia S.A., Aigle & Lugano (CH)

Ghia Aigle, Ghia-Aigle, Ghia-Aigle Suisse, Ghia Suisse

30/04/1948 Carrosserie Ghia S.A., Aigle

Route du Simplon (corner Chemin de Marjolin), Aigle/VD (CH) (aerial view; today: Route D´Ollon)

30/04/1948 inscription to the local register of Aigle (Waadt, CH) (registre du commerce Aigle no. 51)
president: Paul Genet, Aigle (CH), an automobile and motorsports enthusiast;
directors: Edouard Monney, Aigle (CH); engineer and industrialist Pierre-Paul Filippi, Rivoli Torinese (I). Filippi was also owner of other companies including the soap factory Saponificio Vero in the Piemont
(Günther 1984a, b, 1989a and Günther et al. 1992 wrongly report the founder as the physician Dr. Pierre-Paul Philippi from Turin)

1948–1951 Design by Mario Felice Boano and Giovanni Michelotti and production by Ghia, Turin (I) (Moretti 1991)

01/12/1948 first advertisement of Karosserie Ghia S.A, Aigle in Automobil Revue (Nr. 51, p. 20): “Lizenz der Modelle GHIA S.A., TURIN”
According to Jean-Claude Oguey, Aigle (CH) (administrator until 1981; interviews with Lutz Montowski and Dieter Günther: Günther 1984a, b, 1989a, Günther et al. 1992) Filippi asked Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin for the right to use the name Ghia for his independent company.

1951–1957 Design by Giovanni Michelotti

(1951) Ferrari concessionaire (Massini 1990: p. 41)

1953 Ghia-Aigle independent from Ghia, Turin (Moretti 1991)

18/09/1954 Relocation from Aigle to Lugano

01/01/1955 Start of Business in Lugano

Via Monte Boglia 50, Lugano/TI (CH) (today renumbered to Via Monte Boglia 3; building since 1971 used by Garage Molino Nuovo, Adelino Pin)

(1954) Manager Edouard Monney

1955 visit by the journalist Eberhardt Seifert (Seifert 1955, 1957)

1957–1960 (?) Design by Pietro Frua

23/04/1958 Relocation from Lugano back to Aigle

Route du Simplon (corner Chemin de Marjolin), Aigle/VD (CH) (aerial view; today: Route D´Ollon)

1960–1988 repairs, ambulances, removal vans and other commercial transformations
e.g. 1962 Tempo Matador I removal van

01–11/10/1970 Carrosserie Nervocar S.A., Aigle (CH): Präsentation des Fiat 238 Fourgon Isotherme at the 57. Salon de l´Auto in Paris (F)

15/03/1973 president: Paul Genet, vice president: Pierre-Paul Filippi (sole signatory), secretary: Michel Dubuis
14/07/1977 president: Charles Reitzel, vice president: Rémy Besmo (?), secretary: Pierre Jaquenod, administration: Pierre-Paul Filippi (sole signatory), Michel Dubuis

11/11/1981 Relocation in Aigle

Chemin de Marjolin, Aigle/VD (CH) (vis-à-vis 1st company building in Aigle)

11/11/1981 Inscription of Ghia S.A. to the local register of Aigle (CH) (registre du commerce Aigle no. 660)
with address change to Chemin de Marjolin (= same place like Carrosserie Ghia S.A.)
president: Claud Pilet (sole signatory), vice president: Francis Moyard, secretary: Jean-François Besson, administration: Jean-Claude Oguey, Pierre-Paul Filippi

19/10/1981 Carrosserie Ghia S.A. in liquidation; liquidator: Charles Reitzel (sole signatory)
09/05/1984 liquidation of Carrosserie Ghia S.A.

31/10/1988 Ghia S.A. closed (Montowski 1989)

1991 2nd company building in Aigle bought by Jean Dionisotti (Auto-Line Engineering), Aigle (CH) (Gloor 1991); incl. Ghia Aigle archive (Angelo Tito Anselmi, pers. comm. 30/04/2005; Anselmi & Massini 2006)

28/10/1998 Carrosserie Nervocar S.A. in liquidation (www.moneyhouse.ch)
25/09/1999 liquidation of Carrosserie Nervocar S.A. (www.moneyhouse.ch)

06/03/2005 1st Company building in Aigle still existant

10/08/2005 Fotos Laurent Missbauer, Fribourg (CH)

2nd company building today rented by Jacques R. de Wurstemberger (Fondation Hervé) for his automobile collection

09/20/2010 1st company building demolished, new building in construction