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Lot Essay
1951 CISITALIA 202 B COUPE
COACHWORK BY VIGNALE
Chassis No. 0141
Blue with blue interior.
Engine: Four cylinders, 2 Weber 36 DR 4 SP carburretors, 1089 cc, 7,5:1 compression ratio and 55 hp at 5500 rpm. Gearbox: four-speed manual, Suspension: front independent with transverse leaf springs and coils at the rear. Brakes: drums all round.
Designed by Dante Giancosa nd Giovanni Savonuzzi, the Cisitalia was the venture for industrialist piero dusio into motor racing in the mid-1940's. Initially, efforts were centered around the 1100 class which the new cars soon dominated, rather as in Britain the Coopers of this era were making the affordable 500 class their own. The Cisitalias created a whole new area of the sport in Italy and races were specifically run for the cars. Savonuzzi's aircraft engineering background influenced the design of the aluminium multi-tubular spacefrme chassis. Transverse independent front suspension was used and motivation was provided by tuned 3-bearing OHV Fiat engines. However, the cars were not solely driven by hopeful novices: some illustrious names were to be found among the entrants. Nuvolari, Taruffi, Sommer, Chiron and other great drivers scored some remarkable victories over the 1946/47 season.
The sports cars which followed were also very successful in the 1100 class and in 1947 Nuvolari brought his Cisitalia over the line in second place in the Mille Miglia and his team followed in third and fourth places. That season, Taruffi took the national championship for the marque.
The 1948 cars were available in 1200cc - this was mainly to meet competition from the French Gordinis. Again the cars were very successful. Meanwhile, the company had enlisted the services of Ferry Porsche to design an F1 car. The 1500cc with rear-mounted flat twelve cylinder engine, five speed gearbox and four wheel drive was remarkably advanced for its time but tragically, Dusio's resources had swindled and the car was never to make a starting grid.
The production cars were always a fine balance of racing car design with road refinements. In his initial brief to his team, Piero Dusio is recalled to have said: "I want a car that is wide like my Buick, low like a racing car, comfortable like a Rolls-Royce and light like our single seaters". Pinin Farina was commissioned to design the bodywork for the 202 Sports Coupe. He produced one of the most pleasing bodies of the type ever seen. So highly was it rated that in the early fifties, the Museum of Modern Art in New York installed a show called Automobiles as Sculpture which featured ten of the best designed cars worldwide. After the show ended, the Museum bought the Cisitalia from the owner for their permanent collection, where it is still on display in theIndustrial Design section.
The cars were very expensive in comparison with other models of the period. Consequently, only 153 of the Coupes were produced. The production was shared between Pinin Farina, Stabilimenti Farina and Vignale. All cars followed closely the same design, but differed slightly in details. This is a Vignale example, which the vendor purchased in 1981. It had been repatriated in Italy, from Uraguay, where it appears to have been sold new to a client in Montevideo. In 1961, it went to La Paloma and still has the corresponding registration documents.
Presently dismantled, but complete, it will be a rewarding restoration project.
COACHWORK BY VIGNALE
Chassis No. 0141
Blue with blue interior.
Engine: Four cylinders, 2 Weber 36 DR 4 SP carburretors, 1089 cc, 7,5:1 compression ratio and 55 hp at 5500 rpm. Gearbox: four-speed manual, Suspension: front independent with transverse leaf springs and coils at the rear. Brakes: drums all round.
Designed by Dante Giancosa nd Giovanni Savonuzzi, the Cisitalia was the venture for industrialist piero dusio into motor racing in the mid-1940's. Initially, efforts were centered around the 1100 class which the new cars soon dominated, rather as in Britain the Coopers of this era were making the affordable 500 class their own. The Cisitalias created a whole new area of the sport in Italy and races were specifically run for the cars. Savonuzzi's aircraft engineering background influenced the design of the aluminium multi-tubular spacefrme chassis. Transverse independent front suspension was used and motivation was provided by tuned 3-bearing OHV Fiat engines. However, the cars were not solely driven by hopeful novices: some illustrious names were to be found among the entrants. Nuvolari, Taruffi, Sommer, Chiron and other great drivers scored some remarkable victories over the 1946/47 season.
The sports cars which followed were also very successful in the 1100 class and in 1947 Nuvolari brought his Cisitalia over the line in second place in the Mille Miglia and his team followed in third and fourth places. That season, Taruffi took the national championship for the marque.
The 1948 cars were available in 1200cc - this was mainly to meet competition from the French Gordinis. Again the cars were very successful. Meanwhile, the company had enlisted the services of Ferry Porsche to design an F1 car. The 1500cc with rear-mounted flat twelve cylinder engine, five speed gearbox and four wheel drive was remarkably advanced for its time but tragically, Dusio's resources had swindled and the car was never to make a starting grid.
The production cars were always a fine balance of racing car design with road refinements. In his initial brief to his team, Piero Dusio is recalled to have said: "I want a car that is wide like my Buick, low like a racing car, comfortable like a Rolls-Royce and light like our single seaters". Pinin Farina was commissioned to design the bodywork for the 202 Sports Coupe. He produced one of the most pleasing bodies of the type ever seen. So highly was it rated that in the early fifties, the Museum of Modern Art in New York installed a show called Automobiles as Sculpture which featured ten of the best designed cars worldwide. After the show ended, the Museum bought the Cisitalia from the owner for their permanent collection, where it is still on display in theIndustrial Design section.
The cars were very expensive in comparison with other models of the period. Consequently, only 153 of the Coupes were produced. The production was shared between Pinin Farina, Stabilimenti Farina and Vignale. All cars followed closely the same design, but differed slightly in details. This is a Vignale example, which the vendor purchased in 1981. It had been repatriated in Italy, from Uraguay, where it appears to have been sold new to a client in Montevideo. In 1961, it went to La Paloma and still has the corresponding registration documents.
Presently dismantled, but complete, it will be a rewarding restoration project.