1953 Nardi 750

Officine Nardi was founded in Italy in 1948 by Enrico Nardi, a distinguished figure with a notable background as a racing mechanic, engineer, and driver. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, he worked at Lancia, where, among his numerous duties, he served as an advisor to Vincenzo Lancia. Between 1937 and 1946, he was employed by Scuderia Ferrari, where his expertise as both a racing driver and an engineer played a crucial role in the advancement of motorsport development initiatives. He possessed the ability to drive at high speeds, yet he was equally skilled at repairing items when they malfunctioned or required adjustments, refinements, or enhancements.

After the war, he partnered with Renato Danese in the establishment of a workshop in Via Vincenzo Lancia, Torino, specializing in the tuning and construction of racing cars, prototypes and low-volume specials. They built speed equipment including intake manifolds, gearshift assemblies, steering wheels, and exhausts. His steering wheel designs would gain him the most fame.

Frua Coachwork
Four examples of the Nardi-Danese 750 (a.k.a. Nardi 750 ND) were constructed with coachwork by Pietro Frua. The first car may have been powered by a BMW 750cc motorcycle engine and the second example may have received a French Panhard opposed-twin engine. The third example was ordered by Entrepreneur and racer Stanley 'Wacky' Arnolt and was given a Crosley 750cc inline four-cylinder engine. After completion it was sent to the United States where it was shown at the International Motor Sport Show in New York in 1953.

The chassis of the Nardi ND 750 had a wheelbase size of 1900mm and was comprised of small diameter tubes that were triangulated to give strength and keep weight to a minimum. The typical suspension setup used Fiat components with an independent front and leaf-spring solid rear-end design. Many of the mechanical components were sourced from the Fiat Topolino. Stopping power was courtesy of four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The 4.00x15-inch tires were wrapped around Rudge detachable wire wheels.

The styling of the four cars was similar, with an aluminum grille, full-width windscreen, Marchal headlamps, and a unique center-mounted driving lamp. The design perfectly attained the two goals for the car: to be a racecar and to be a show car. It combined Italian craftsmanship with a proven racing chassis and elegant styling by Frua.

- A Nardi 750 with Spider coachwork by Frua was shown at the 37th Paris Salon in 1950.
- Three Nardi 750 models were entered in the Targa Florio in 1952 but all failed to make it to the finish line.

Along with the Frua-bodied Nardi 750, additional examples were built including a unique example known as the Nardi 750LM. It had Crosley power and contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955. It wore twin torpedo-like coachwork with the fuel tank in one compartment and the drive in the other. The two sides were joined by an upside-down wing. The design was creative but problematic, as the upside-down wing caused it to be blown off the road when passed by faster traffic.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2024