1957 Bandini Sport International

Ilario Bandini was born in 1911, the son of a farmer living in Forli, Italy. Even though he was best remembered as a car builder, he also had a flare for engineering and mechanics. His skills and knowledge led him to create and patent inventions. He is characterized as a short man who had a passion for life that matched his enthusiasm and his excitement.

By the age of 27, having experience working and studying as a mechanic, Bandini began his own company. The era was 1938, and the world was still suffering from the after-shocks of World War II. Many of the manufacturers that had existed before the war were gone, or their factories had been destroyed or converted into creating machinery for military purposes.

Bandini Automobili was founded in 1946 and operated from Forli in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It remained in business through 1992, gaining a reputation for its lightweight manufacturing methods and construction techniques, which extracted every possible ounce of performance from its small-displacement engines. The small firm would accomplish big things and would have a profound influence on other post-war Italian sports car companies, inspiring many to follow this same basic formula.

Among the company's accolades were winning the SCCA class championships during 1955 and 1957 with their 750cc engined-cars. Sig. Bandini himself entered and drove his own cars in more than 60 races, including the Mille Miglia from 1947 until 1965, during which time he achieved 19 first-place finishes and 18 podiums.

Many of the Bandini vehicles were intended for sports and racing. Bandini favored spiders and coupes. He used Fiat and American Crossley engines which he would modify to increase the overall output and performance. Most were 760 cc through 1300 cc. The engines were originally placed in the front of the vehicles, but this changed when mid-engine design started to become popular. Quickly realizing the benefits of the mid-engine placement, he was one of the first manufacturers to build vehicles in this form.

As was the case with many European vehicles, they were all handmade. During the height of the Bandini empire, he employed fifteen mechanics, each capable of building one car per month. Throughout his entire car-building career, 75 vehicles were created that carried the Bandini badge.

The Bandini badge design came from the symbol of his hometown. It featured a bantam rooster crowing.

In 1992 he was 81. Having lived a long life, he passed away. At many vintage sporting events, Bandini-built automobiles can still be found. A museum in Forli houses seven examples of the Bandini sports cars.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2008