Alfredo Zanellato

Alfredo Zanellato Vignale, grandson of the famed car designer Alfredo Vignale, developed a profound passion for art at an early age. At just nine years old, he was gifted a set of oil paints by his mother, Bianca Vignale, and it sparked a lifelong love for painting. As a teenager, he created numerous paintings, often reproductions of various subjects, which he gifted to family and friends. At 19, he was introduced to tempera painting through the sketches of car designer Giovanni Michelotti, which he found equally inspiring. He soon began creating his own car sketches for his uncle, Alfredo Vignale, all while continuing to nurture his passion for oil painting.

Zanellato Vignale’s university years were marked by an influence from metaphysical and surrealist art movements, and he held his first exhibition in 1963 at the Circolo Calabrese in Turin. His career in painting continued with exhibitions in 1966 and 1968, where he received second place in a painting competition. In the early 1970s, his professional career as an engineer and designer led him to momentarily step away from painting. However, in 1976, his path crossed with Giancenzo Màdaro, the deputy director of Quattroruote, a collaboration that began his long-standing association with automotive magazines like Autoruote 4×4 and Auto Oggi, lasting nearly two decades.

In 1978, Zanellato Vignale met his second mentor, Guido Bertello, a renowned illustrator and painter, who introduced him to the art of life drawing, nudes, and watercolor. The 1980s were primarily dedicated to his work as an illustrator, while his painting activities took a backseat. However, in 1991, he participated in a collective exhibition at the Istituto La Salle alongside other notable painters.

The following years saw several notable exhibitions: in 1992, he displayed automobile paintings at a show in Aosta, and in 1993, Torino Domani organized a personal exhibition on vintage cars in Turin. Zanellato Vignale’s work on Ferrari car bodies earned significant recognition in 1994, when the Club Piemonte Ferrari showcased his drawings and paintings at an event honoring Ferrari’s anniversary. His 1996 exhibition, Nascere Designer, featured a wide range of works including sketches, paintings, and caricatures related to the automotive world.

Zanellato Vignale’s artistic journey also led him to study under Mario Caffaro Rore, a master of fresco and sacred painting, where he learned classical oil painting techniques. This newfound skill enabled him to create perfect replicas of classical masterpieces. His 2006 calendar for Ruoteclassiche magazine, featuring his paintings alongside works by Paul Bracq and Bruno Sacco, recognized his eclectic talents and his four-decade-long commitment to art, design, and the automobile.

Since 2009, Zanellato Vignale has been a member of the ASI Commission for Car Manufacturers & Design, establishing a School for the Restoration of Vintage Cars. He frequently gives lectures on topics related to cars, art, and science. Currently, in addition to managing the archive of his beloved uncle Alfredo Vignale, he divides his time between painting, primarily portraits and classical replicas, and writing, including novels, biographies, and essays—his most recent passion being science.