1970 Lombardi Grand Prix

After World War I, Carlo Francesco 'Francis' Lombardi opened a business called Carrozzeria Lombardi. Carrozzeria, Italian meaning coachbuilder, is an individual or company that bodies carriages or automobiles. The name in German is Karosserie. These skills were needed during the early part of the 1900s to fabricate enclosures for rolling chassis. The materials used were mostly wooden or metal. As the evolution of automobile production evolved, manufacturers brought the design and development in-house, making individual coachbuilders a dying breed.

During the 1950s, Carrozzeria Lombardi made a living by building and selling a series of cars based on Fiat chassis, such as the 850. His most beautiful and sporty creation was the Lombardi Grand Prix, with production beginning in 1968. The Grand Prix was built atop the Fiat 850's chassis and borrowed many of its mechanics including the rear-engined configuration. When introduced, they featured the 850's 843 cc, four-cylinder engine producing 34 horsepower. The American versions, dubbed the OTAS 820 Grand Prix, were smaller and given an 817-cc engine capable of producing 52 horsepower.

Most of the mechanics were borrowed from the Fiat. A four-speed synchromesh gearbox and front transverse leaf spring and rear trailing arms, and coil springs suspension were courtesy of the Fiat 850. Zero to sixty for the 1450-pound vehicle took around sixteen seconds. Stopping power was provided by front disc and rear drum brakes.

The vehicle sat very low to the ground, only 5.5-inches high. It was a very small vehicle, only 42 inches high. The famed Ford GT 40 race car that won numerous victories at Le Mans sat only 40 inches tall, thus the '40' in the name GT40. With the Grand Prix only being two inches taller, it is a very small vehicle. Passengers over six feet tall would be uncomfortable and possibly have a difficult time negotiating their bodies into the car. But with its low profile, it had a low center of gravity which gave it excellent performance and handling.

A purpose-built Grand Prix was created for track use and smuggled into the United States for its new owner Harry Neuman of Maryland. The Grand Prix featured an over-bored engine which increased the capacity of the engine to 1013 cc and the horsepower output to 75.

Production came to a close in 1972 after a few hundred examples were produced. After the Grand Prix came the FL1, a mid-engined two-seater. Unfortunately, the FL1 would ultimately be the demise of the company, and Lombardi was out of business in 1976.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2006