Cisitalia D46
Consorzio Industriale Sportive Italia was a conglomerate with extensive
holdings in textiles, hotels, sporting goods and bankings.
It was controlled by wealthy industrialist and sportsman Piero Dusio.
He was a good amateuar driver and after the WWII he decided to build
racers.
He bought Fiat engineers Dante Giacosa and Giavonni Savonuzzi to create his cars and Piero Taruffi to manage the racing team. Later, when it was time to attack the GP circuits, Ferdinand Porsche and Robert Eberan von Eberhorst were employed.
The first D.46 was completed in 1946. Approx 40 D46 single-seaters were constructed during 1946 and 1947. They were Fiat based and were succesful in several races.
Now, Cisitalia #1 is the prototype of the D46 based 2-seater coupe, designated Tipo 202.
It's chassis number is SN #001 and the body was sketched by Giovanni Savonuzzi (he designed the whole factory-built 202 range).
This car is known as the Cassone ("Box"), for its high chopped- off roofline. While aerodynamically efficient, it broke no new ground. But Savonuzzi's second design - a low-slung, high-finned red berlinetta- was a sensation. Built by Alfredo Vignale at Stabilimenti Farina in March 1947 on chassis 001/CMM (Coupe Mille Miglia), the Tipo 202 CMM established the ideal form for the immediate postwar generation of Italian bodywork.
The CMM was immediately dubbed the Aerodinamic Savonuzzi.
According to a source (no. 2 on the end of this text) this car was Fiat 1100 based. Dave Sisson states:
The 1947 MM Taruffi car, sn# 001cmm, engine # 009, Fiat 508 based. Not Fiat 1100 as is commonly believed. The 1100s were not in production in time for the '47 mm.
From this paragraph it's easy to see that the first prototype has to be based on the same donor.
Dusio drove the second Cisitalia, the Razzo, spider # 004SMM,
engine # 1. Nuvolari drove the third Cisitalia. # 001ASMM,
spider, engine #006.
Cisitalia 202 SMM - spider
The Box has seen some action in recent MM recreations and until just prior to this picture was silver. More recently, the car was sold, through Rudy Pas, back to Europe.
Cisitalia Tipo 202 CMM - rear view
The most succesful Cisitalia was the 202 Gran Sport produced from 1947-1952. Production: coupe 153.
In essence, the Gran Sport was similar to any number of Fiat
specials built just before, and after the War. Apart from the space
frame, everything came from the Fiat 1100: front suspensio was by
a transverse leaf spring and lower wishbones; the live rear axle
was suspended on semi-elliptics; the drum brakes came from the
1100 as did the four cylinder 1089 cc engine and four-speed
gearbox. The engine was tuned to give 66bhp, which was a good
figure for the day. What set the car apart was a superb body by
Pinin Farina which bore a family relationship to the shape he had
created for the Maserati A6/1500, but was even more sleek. On all
sides it was hailed as a masterpiece, but lovely though it was the
Cisitalias was a Fiat special whic could barely top 100mph yet cost
twice as much as a Jaguar XK120.
I've seen only one guy up to date who drove a Cisitalia
daily: he is Nino Balestra the director of the Italian Museo dell'
Automobile ""Luigi Bonfanti"
When I was there he drove a 202 cabrio, but he has about 15 Cisitalias.
Photos: Dave Sisson (dsisson@alfa-necrophylia.com)
And news from year 2000: Cisitalia has been revived in Argentina. More details: www.cisitalia.com.ar
Copyright April 1995.
Paul Negyesi npaul@hu.inter.net I have no responsibility for the accuracy of the above info. This document or parts of it cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Cisitalia #1
Cisitalia Tipo 202 CMM