Arista (1956 automobile)

The firm had been founded in the late 1940s by Antonio Monge and Robert Rowe under the name Callista, but the two fell out over the future direction of the firm after its original project, a sporting model called the "Coupe des Alpes" first seen in prototype form at the 1950 Paris Motor Show, appeared likely to be severely undercut on price when Panhard themselves launched their Panhard Dyna Junior with a comparable level of performance at a far lower price than Callista could achieve with their elegant low volume cars.

[1] Shortly after this setback Rowe, who had previously worked as an electrical engineer with the Fulmen business, but who also engaged in other trading activities, suddenly found himself financially ruined after he imported to France several hundred Romanian tractors that turned out to be defective.

Up to this point Gaillard had figured in the Callista business only as a substantial investor and potential sales distributor for the "Coupe des Alpes" model.

[citation needed] 1956 saw the arrival of the Arista Passy, powered by the 42 CV 848 cc engine from the Panhard Dyna Z, and still listed in 1962.

A model with the 50 CV "Tigre" engine was sold as the Arista Sport, although the weight savings over a regular PL17 was only about 80 kg (180 lb) due to the car's ample equipment.