Mario Felice Boano took employment as a draughtsman with Stabilimenti Farina after The Great War and when Battista Farina decided to set up on his own Boano joined him in 1930 as chief designer. At the same time Boano opened a carpentry company which specialised in making wooden styling bucks. Through this activity Boano came to work with Giacinto Ghia, and came to own Carrozzeria Ghia in 1947 upon the death of Ghia. Most famously whilst at Ghia Boano designed the Lancia Aurelia GT and had a hand in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta GT. But Boano could not work with Luigi Segre at Ghia and in 1954 formed Carozerria Boano designing for Alfa Romeo and Abarth, as well as bodies on the Ferrari 250 GT. In 1957 Fiat set up its own design centre, Fiat Centro Stile and installed Mario Felice Boano as head until 1959 when his son Gian Paolo Boano took over in 1959.