Pietro Frua
Encyclopedia
Pietro Frua was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car
designers during the 1950s and 1960s.
, the fourth son of Angela, a tailor, and Carlo Frua, an employee of Fiat
, the centre of coach
building in northern Italy
.
After school he was educated as a draftsman at the Scuola Fiat.
, who became his successor as Head of Styling after he started his own studio in 1937.
During World War II car-styling work was scarce and Frua had to turn to designing children’s cars, electric oven
s and kitchen units, as well as a monocoque
motorscooter.
Frua planned for post-war times: in 1944 he bought a bombed-out factory, hired 15 workers (including Sergio Coggiola
, who founded his own carrozzeria in 1966) and equipped himself to design
and build car
s.
His first known car is a 1946 Fiat 1100
A Sport Barchetta
. Maserati
was one of the first clients who contracted Frua for the styling of their new 2-litre, 6-cylinder sports car, the A6G. From 1950 to 1957, Frua built 19 Spyders and seven coupé
s in three different design series – including those on the A6 GCS racing chassis
.
In 1957, Frua sold his small coachbuilding company to Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin, and Ghia director Luigi Segre
appointed him head of Ghia Design. In this short period, Frua was responsible for the successful Renault
Floride, which experienced well-deserved commercial success. This success led to a disagreement between Segre and Frua over the car’s “paternity”, and Frua left Ghia to start his own design studio again.
At the same time, Pelle Petterson
designed his Volvo P1800
under the attentive eye of Frua and, not surprisingly, it is often attributed to Frua's pen. From 1957 to 1959, Frua also designed several cars for Ghia Aigle, the former Swiss subsidiary of Ghia Turin, already independent at that time. Giovanni Michelotti was his predecessor in this position.
After Ghia Aigle finished coachbuilding, a former employee, Adriano Guglielmetti, started his own business and founded Carrosserie Italsuisse in Geneva
. Again Pietro Frua did the drawings and, most probably, built all the prototype
s for this company. After a Corvair
-like styled pontoon-Beetle in 1960, Italsuisse showed a Maserati 3500
GTI Coupé on the Italsuisse stand at the 1961 Motor Show in Geneva, together with two tasteful bodies on Studebaker
chassis. In 1964 a lovely little Spyder followed with Opel Kadett
mechanics.
During the 1960s Pietro Frua was among the most prominent car designers in Italy. The “Frua line” was synonym
ous with the good taste of a single man. He followed each car’s practical realization to the last detail of the fully functional one-offs and prototypes, often driving them to their presentation at the motor shows in Europe.
, Germany’s smallest car-maker, the GT Coupé and Cabriolet. These were built until 1968 as the BMW GT, after BMW
had bought Glas.
and the four-door Quattroporte
which, after several one-offs, re-established Frua’s connection with this manufacturer. With these cars Maserati was positioned into a new market of luxury and powerful, understated cars.
Spyder, which drew from the Mistral’s shape. A coupé followed in 1967. In the same year, the Swiss racing driver and Ferrari importer Peter Monteverdi
started to build a Frua-bodied sport coupé, the Chrysler
engined Monteverdi High Speed
375S. Due to Frua’s limited capacities, the production of the following High Speed models went to Fissore in Turin.
At the end of the 1960s, Frua tried in vain to prolong his success with Glas by making a dozen proposals to BMW. BMW decided to make it on their own, but Frua’s influence can be seen even today in the “angry view” of BMWs.
In the 1970s Frua reduced the frequency of his presentations, but in the sixth decade of his life he still demonstrated his good taste and craftsmanship to the younger ones who already had taken their role in the industrial process. There was no longer a demand to build completely detailed and functional prototypes in less than ten weeks, and no more customers for special bodied one-offs.
and had unsuccessful surgery in the autumn of that year. He and his long-time assistant, Gina, married shortly before he died on 28 June 1983, a few weeks after his 70th birthday.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
designers during the 1950s and 1960s.
Early years
Frua was born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, the fourth son of Angela, a tailor, and Carlo Frua, an employee of Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, the centre of coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
building in northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
After school he was educated as a draftsman at the Scuola Fiat.
Design career
Frua's professional career began at the age of 17 when he joined Stabilimenti Farina as a draftsman. At the age of 22, he became Director of Styling at Farina, already a leading Turin coachbuilder employing several hundred people. That was where Frua had his first contact with his pupil and lifelong friend, Giovanni MichelottiGiovanni Michelotti
Giovanni Michelotti was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Triumph and BMW marques...
, who became his successor as Head of Styling after he started his own studio in 1937.
During World War II car-styling work was scarce and Frua had to turn to designing children’s cars, electric oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
s and kitchen units, as well as a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
motorscooter.
Frua planned for post-war times: in 1944 he bought a bombed-out factory, hired 15 workers (including Sergio Coggiola
Sergio Coggiola
Sergio Coggiola is an Italian designer mainly known for his design of automobiles. He has worked on Saab Sonett III, Volvo 262C, Lancia Thema Coupé, Fiat Punto Surf, Fiat Brava Sentiero, Pontiac CF 428 , and many more.-External links:*...
, who founded his own carrozzeria in 1966) and equipped himself to design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and build car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s.
His first known car is a 1946 Fiat 1100
Fiat 1100
The Fiat 1100 is a compact automobile produced from 1937 to 1969, by the Italian car maker Fiat.- Fiat 508C Nuova Balilla 1100 :The Fiat 1100 was first introduced in 1937 as an updated version of the 508 "Balilla" with a look similar to the 1936 Fiat 500 "Topolino" and the larger 1500, with the...
A Sport Barchetta
Barchetta
A barchetta was originally an Italian style of open 2-seater sports car which was built for racing. Weight and wind resistance were kept to a minimum, and any unnecessary equipment or decoration were sacrificed in order to maximize performance....
. Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
was one of the first clients who contracted Frua for the styling of their new 2-litre, 6-cylinder sports car, the A6G. From 1950 to 1957, Frua built 19 Spyders and seven coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
s in three different design series – including those on the A6 GCS racing chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
.
In 1957, Frua sold his small coachbuilding company to Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin, and Ghia director Luigi Segre
Luigi Segre
Luigi "Gigi" Segre was an Italian automotive designer and engineer, leading the Carrozzeria Ghia from 1953, when Mario Boano left, until his death in 1963, from complications during surgery....
appointed him head of Ghia Design. In this short period, Frua was responsible for the successful Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
Floride, which experienced well-deserved commercial success. This success led to a disagreement between Segre and Frua over the car’s “paternity”, and Frua left Ghia to start his own design studio again.
At the same time, Pelle Petterson
Pelle Petterson
Per "Pelle" Helmer Petterson in Stockholm is an award-winning Swedish sailor and yacht designer. He is the son of Helmer Petterson, and studied design at the leading Pratt Institute in New York from 1955 through 1957. He is probably best known for designing the Maxi Class sailing boats, which...
designed his Volvo P1800
Volvo P1800
-History:The project was started in 1957 because Volvo wanted a sports car, despite the fact that their previous attempt, the P1900, had been a disaster, with only 68 cars sold. The man behind the project was an engineering consultant to Volvo, Helmer Petterson, who in the 1940s was responsible for...
under the attentive eye of Frua and, not surprisingly, it is often attributed to Frua's pen. From 1957 to 1959, Frua also designed several cars for Ghia Aigle, the former Swiss subsidiary of Ghia Turin, already independent at that time. Giovanni Michelotti was his predecessor in this position.
After Ghia Aigle finished coachbuilding, a former employee, Adriano Guglielmetti, started his own business and founded Carrosserie Italsuisse in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. Again Pietro Frua did the drawings and, most probably, built all the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s for this company. After a Corvair
Chevrolet Corvair
-First generation :The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 selling for under $2,000...
-like styled pontoon-Beetle in 1960, Italsuisse showed a Maserati 3500
Maserati 3500
Maserati 3500 was a 2-door coupé and convertible made by Maserati of Italy. It was the company's first attempt at the Gran Turismo market and large-volume production.- History :...
GTI Coupé on the Italsuisse stand at the 1961 Motor Show in Geneva, together with two tasteful bodies on Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
chassis. In 1964 a lovely little Spyder followed with Opel Kadett
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :...
mechanics.
During the 1960s Pietro Frua was among the most prominent car designers in Italy. The “Frua line” was synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
ous with the good taste of a single man. He followed each car’s practical realization to the last detail of the fully functional one-offs and prototypes, often driving them to their presentation at the motor shows in Europe.
Glas
In 1963, at the age of 50 and at the peak of his career, Frua designed for GlasGlas
Hans Glas GmbH is a former German automotive company, which was based in Dingolfing. Originally a maker of farm machinery, Glas evolved first into a producer of motor scooters, then automobiles...
, Germany’s smallest car-maker, the GT Coupé and Cabriolet. These were built until 1968 as the BMW GT, after BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
had bought Glas.
Maserati Mistral
In the same year, Maserati showed the Frua-bodied MistralMaserati Mistral
The Maserati Mistral , named after a cold northerly wind of southern France, was the successor to the iconic 3500 GT, it was also the first in a series of classic Maseratis to be given the name of a wind. It was offered both in Coupe and Spyder form...
and the four-door Quattroporte
Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury four-door saloon made by Maserati in Italy. The name translated from Italian literally means "four doors". There have been five generations of the car, each separated by a period of roughly five years....
which, after several one-offs, re-established Frua’s connection with this manufacturer. With these cars Maserati was positioned into a new market of luxury and powerful, understated cars.
AC Frua
In 1965, AC showed the powerful, Frua-bodied 7-litre AC FruaAC Frua
The AC Frua or AC 428 is a British GT built by AC Cars from 1965 to 1973. With an Italian body, British chassis, and American big block V-8 it is a true hybrid...
Spyder, which drew from the Mistral’s shape. A coupé followed in 1967. In the same year, the Swiss racing driver and Ferrari importer Peter Monteverdi
Peter Monteverdi
Peter Monteverdi was a Swiss automaker and creator of the automobile brand Monteverdi....
started to build a Frua-bodied sport coupé, the Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
engined Monteverdi High Speed
Monteverdi High Speed
The Monteverdi High Speed was a grand tourer automobile built by Monteverdi in Basel, Switzerland from 1967 to 1970. Contemporary rivals included the British Jensen Interceptor....
375S. Due to Frua’s limited capacities, the production of the following High Speed models went to Fissore in Turin.
At the end of the 1960s, Frua tried in vain to prolong his success with Glas by making a dozen proposals to BMW. BMW decided to make it on their own, but Frua’s influence can be seen even today in the “angry view” of BMWs.
In the 1970s Frua reduced the frequency of his presentations, but in the sixth decade of his life he still demonstrated his good taste and craftsmanship to the younger ones who already had taken their role in the industrial process. There was no longer a demand to build completely detailed and functional prototypes in less than ten weeks, and no more customers for special bodied one-offs.
Death
In 1982 Pietro Frua contracted cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and had unsuccessful surgery in the autumn of that year. He and his long-time assistant, Gina, married shortly before he died on 28 June 1983, a few weeks after his 70th birthday.
External links
- Registro Pietro Frua - The complete history and an extensive illustrated description of over 200 cars designed and built by Pietro Frua.