Giovanni Michelotti could have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2021 if he had not died of cancer in 1980. Due to Covid, the various commemorations for his 100th birthday were postponed by twelve months. After Italy and the Netherlands, Switzerland is now also honoring him by exhibiting around 20 vehicles and several of his drawings at the Prestige Car Romand premises in Aigle from 14 May to 26 June 2022.
But why in Aigle? In this small town in the Chablais region of Vaud, craftsmen in the Ghia-Aigle body shop produced several Alfa Romeos, Bentleys, Bugattis, Ferraris, Jaguars and Lotuses between 1951 and 1957 based on drawings by Giovanni Michelotti from Turin. Incidentally, Michelotti often traveled to Aigle to inspect the progress of his creations.
In 1952, he even met Dany Brawand, an 18-year-old from Vevey who dreamed of becoming a designer too.
Shortly afterwards, Dany Brawand decided to emigrate to Turin to train with Giovanni Michelotti before working for the coachbuilder Moretti, also in Turin. This threefold story of Giovanni Michelotti, the Ghia-Aigle body and Dany Brawand, who was Michelotti's first assistant before he became head of design at Moretti, is what the exhibition in Aigle from May 14 to June 26, 2022 aims to convey.
Michelotti designed unique models in Aigle. Giovanni Michelotti was a very productive designer. In 40 years, from 1940 to 1980, he designed more than 1200 vehicles, cars and trucks alike! Some of them were produced in large numbers, such as the BMW 700 and the BMW "New Class".
Others were only built once. This is the case with several models that were manufactured in Switzerland by the coachbuilder Ghia-Aigle.
Some of them are now in the possession of renowned collections and museums. This is the case with the Bugatti T57 Coupé Ghia-Aigle in the Musée national de l'automobile in Mulhouse. This also applies to two Alfa Romeos, which can be admired at the Michelotti exhibition in Aigle (VD) from May 14 to June 26, 2022.
A comprehensive report on Giovanni Michelotti can also be found on this platform.
