1947 Cisitalia 202SC

Coupe by Pininfarina

Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia or Cisitalia for short, was one of many small Italian firms that built specialty sports cars using Fiat components during the immediate postwar period. After first building successful one-seat racing cars, the firm introduced the road-going 202, a Pinin Farina-designed grand touring fastback powered by a modified 1100cc Fiat four-cylinder engine. When first presented to the public at the Villa d'Este concours on Lake Como, Italy, and then at the 1947 Paris Motor Show, the 2-seat 202 GT was a resounding success. Considered one of the most attractive cars ever built because of its taut lines and graceful proportions, a 202 Coupe was featured in the 1951 New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) show entitled Eight Automobiles, an exhibition that helped establish automobile coachwork as a legitimate art form akin to sculpture.

Early ownership of this 202 Coupe is not known; however, it was acquired by the Petersen Museum in 2004 and was returned to its original maroon paint color. That same year it was awarded with a First in Class trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Coupe

This is the actual car shown at the Museum of Modern Art's famous 1951 exhibition, 'Eight Automobiles.' It exemplified the emerging art of aerodynamic styling.

In 1947, Cisitalias took 3 out of 4 top places over all, in the Mille Miglia race with Tazio Nuvolari leading the way.

Cabriolet by Vignale
Chassis number: 054 SC
Engine number: 075

Cisitalia, more formally Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia, was one of many Italian firms building sports cars using Fiat components in the postwar period. Established by Italian soccer star Piero Dusio, Cisitalia introduced its first road-going car in 1946 and it was powered by a modified 1100cc Fiat 4-cylinder engine. The following year, at the 1947 Mille Miglia, Cisitalia debuted a racy 202 S MM race car, which was driven by the great Tazio Nuvolari and led the race for many hours. Later that year, the Cisitalia 202 SC Coupe, designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi, was unveiled at the Milan and Paris Motor Shows - and a cabriolet soon followed. In total, just 170 Cisitalia 202s were built, including this example bodied by Vignale, with is one of only 17 cabriolets. Despite its rarity, the Cisitalia 202 is regarded as one of the most influential postwar sports cars; it was famously described in the press as 'a rolling sculpture' when it was exhibited, alongside several other motoring icons, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1951.

This 1947 Cisitalia 202 was out of circulation for decades residing in Argentina. Industrialist and Italian Racer Piero Dusio and all Cisitalia production moved to Argentina in the middle of the last century. This example is one of the rare Vignale-bodied cabriolets and was given a 10-year restoration. There are 1990s photographs of it being removed from a long hibernation in a Buenos Aires garage where it went unmolested for decades. It is now restored to be exactly as built by Cisitalia. There is good documentation and remnants that attest to the original deep red color. It is equipped with Boranni wire wheels unlike most of the 202 series cars Vignale bodied for Cisitalia. The form was left pure on this example as it clearly never had bumpers fitted and noting the total lack of any supporting structure or signs of removal on the original chassis platform or adjoining alloy body skin.

Cabriolet by Vignale
Chassis number: 054 SC
Engine number: 075

Mr. Piero Dusio was the star of Torino's Juventus soccer team in the 1920s until a knee injury brought that career to a close. After the injury, he found a job at a Swiss textile firm where he proved to be a talented salesman, earning him head of sales for all of Italy. Another talent was his driving; in 1937, at the Mille Miglia he finished first in class driving a Siata. In 1938, he earned a fourth overall in an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 at the Mille Miglia. By this point in history, he had created Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia (Cisitalia), a conglomerate with interests in the textile, hospitality, sporting, and banking industries.

After World War II, Mr. Dusio worked with Fiat engineers Dante Giacosa and Giovanni Savonuzzi to realize his dream of building his own automobile. The vehicle they built was called the D46 Monoposto, thought to be the first race car utilizing a full space-frame chassis.

In 1947, at the Mille Miglia, Cisitalia introduced the 202 SMM sports-racing car. Tazio Nuvolari drove a 202 SMM at the Mille Miglia where he was in the lead before rain compromised his electrical system, resulting in a very impressive second-place finish.

Having proven they could build competitive vehicles, Cisitalia's next creation was an advanced road car based on the space-frame design of the race cars. Introduced in 1947, the 202 SC Coupe exemplified the emerging art of aerodynamic styling and was later displayed at the Museum of Modern Art's famous 1951 exhibition, 'Eight Automobiles.' Cabriolet variants were also produced, with around 60 examples built.

This particular example was discovered in Argentina, where Mr. Dusio had eventually moved his operation. It was owned by several Argentine owners before being discovered in a garage in Gualeguaychú, just north of Buenos Aires, and imported to the US by Orlando Cairo and Michael Graham of Florida in 2003.

The current caretakers acquired the car in 2005, who began a no-expense-spared restoration. During the work, it was discovered that the car was a Vignale-bodied example. They also discovered the original data plate, which also displayed the engine number stamped on the block. The original color was found in several covered areas. They also found the original leather remaining on a fold underneath one of the seats, and these colors were matched and applied during the restoration.

The restoration was finished in 2016.

The engine is the optional MM specification with twin Weber carburetors. The 1089cc overhead valve four-cylinder engine offers 63 horsepower and is mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox.

The car made its restoration debut at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. It was also shown in the 2016 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, where it was awarded Best in Class in the Italian Sports/ GT Category, and at Lime Rock Historic Festival 34, where it was awarded another first in class.

by Dan Vaughan

Prior to World War II, Italian industrialist Piero Dusio had proven his abilities through amateur racing competitions. He had a passion for racing and the talent to back it up. More importantly, he had the financial means to create his own sports car and to compete in a more competitive arena. He had done well with the Consorzio Industriale Sportivo Italia, which was a conglomeration with interests in various industries such as sporting goods, banking, and textiles. When World War II emerged, his dreams of building racing cars were put on hold. At the conclusion of the war, he convinced Dante Giacosa and Giavonni Savonuzzi to aid in the creation. Both of these individuals were renowned engineers who had worked with Fiat and were more than capable of building a competitive racer.

The first creation of the Cisitalia Company was the D.46 monoposto powered by a 1100cc engine. They were the first racing cars to use a full space-frame chassis. Since the engineers had experience with Fiat technology, many of the components were from Fiat, such as the engine and four-speed gearbox. The engine was modified with dry-sump lubrication and twin Weber downdraft carburetors which resulted in an increase of horsepower to 60.

Seven monopostos debuted in 1946 at the Coppa Brezzi in Turin's Valentino Park. The competition was fierce but the Cisitalia, driven by Dusio, was still able to cross the finish line ahead of the pack. Though this was an impressive accomplishment, it was not as entertaining as watching Tazio Nuvolari cross the finish line in hot, and angry pursuit. His steering wheel had come detached and he was forced to drive the car by the steering hub with one hand as the other held a hold of the detached wheel.

The next iteration of vehicles produced by Cisitalia was a road-going sports car named the 202. The first vehicle off the production line was a space-framed chassis which was sent to Carrozzeria Colli to receive its body. The second was another coupe sent to Alfredo Vignale to receive its body. The third vehicle was given an open roadster body that was clothed by Garelli and further improved by Stabilmenti Farina.

Production of the 202 continued until 1952, with a total of 17 spiders and 153 coupes being constructed.

by Dan Vaughan