Although much has changed in recent years, and the area around Modena is now promoted as being at the centre of “Motor Valley”, to many the home of the Italian motor industry is still considered to be the northern Italian city of Torino (Turin). It is here where the automotive giant that is Fiat was created and where the company, although now operating out of various other manufacturing sites in Italy and around the rest of the world, is still head-quartered, to the extent that to many, Fiat is Torino and Torino is Fiat. Although Fiat has long had a huge collection of historic vehicles, it is only very recently that these have been made available for the public to see. Prior to that, though, the city has long had a museum, of world renown, where you can learn about the development of the automobile with a special emphasis on the products of Italy. This is the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (The National Automobile Museum) sometimes referred to as “MAUTO”. It was set up in 1932 based on the idea of two pioneers of Italian motoring, Cesare Goria Gatti and Roberto Biscaretti di Ruffia (the first President of the Turin Automobile Club and one of the founders of the Fiat company), and is one of the oldest Automobile Museums in the world. It was Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia (Roberto’s son), a Turin aristocrat born in 1879, who attached his name permanently to the National Automobile Museum, since he was the one who conceived it, gathered together the initial collection, strove to bring it into being and worked his whole life to give it decent headquarters. Carlo Biscaretti was also its first President and on his death in September 1959, the Board of Directors passed a resolution to name the Museum after him; it was then formally opened on 3 November 1960. This is the only National Museum of this kind in Italy, housed in the premises designed by the architect Amedeo Albertini, on the left bank of the Po river and a short distance from the Lingotto; it is one of the few buildings specially constructed to house a museum collection, and is also a rare example of modern architecture. The museum has a collection of almost 200 cars from around eighty automobile brands representing eight countries (Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, United States of America, Poland), though not all of them are on display at any one time spread over the three floors of the building. After restructuring in 2011 the museum reopened with the exhibition area significantly expanded, display space up nearly 50% from 11,000 to 19,000 square metres (120,000 to 200,000 sq ft). The museum also has its own library, documentation centre, bookshop and auditorium. In early 2019, I was able to experience the museum for myself, when I came to Torino to the AutoMoto Retro event that used to take place at the nearby Fiera. I loved it, and said to myself that I would come back. Not long after this came news that Fiat themselves now had a museum in the city, the FCA Heritage Hub, and photos of that convinced me I needed to return sooner than later. However, a combination of void lockdowns and the fact that the FCA was not actually opened to the public for some time after we all saw lots of wonderful pictures meant that it has taken longer than planned to make that return, but here, finally, in June 2024, as part of a very car-based few days holiday across the Northern part of Italy, I am back in the city for a couple of days, and the first thing I did, even before checking into my hotel, was to come and this impressive collection again. This is what I saw:

IT STARTS OUTSIDE

There is a modestly sized car park across the street from the museum, and I was able to park in there, for free, for my visit. It seems that this is not quite what supercar owners will accept though, and they use the piece of road right outside the museum for their cars. These cars were parked up when I arrived:

MAIN DISPLAYS

The museum is spread over three floors, although most will not see the basement, or vault, as this contains the reserve collection which can only be visited by special arrangement. Having paid your entrance fee, you start the visit upstairs, where there are eight separate rooms, before coming back downstairs to an area used for special displays and the cafe. The core of what I saw in what are loosely described as “permanent displays” was as it had been in 2020, though there were detailed differences, so there were some cars that I saw then that were not on show this time, and vice versa and also some of them had been moved to fit under a different category from where they had been before.

THE BEGINNINGS OF WHEELED TRANSPORT

The first area that you come to charts the very start of wheeled transport, with some very early vehicles.

1478 Leonardo: Leonardo’s self-propelled cart is an invention designed by Leonardo da Vinci, considered the ancestor of the modern automobile. The machine is powered by the two symmetric springs. While one spring would be enough to move the device, two symmetric springs probably looked like a more “logically perfect” solution. Leonardo has been well aware the powering force drops significantly as the spring unwinds. In order to deliver smooth and stable motion, the machine features balance wheel, as used in clocks. The control mechanism is quite complex and allows to follow the pre-programmed path automatically. The machine also features a mechanism similar to differential that also allows to set the turning angle.

1769 Cugnot: This is a 7:10 scale reproduction of the world’s first self-propelled vehicle, a steam-powered, tricycle artillery tractor designed in Paris’s Military Arsenal by Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of Lorraine. Its two-cylinder engine was supplied with steam by a boiler and drove the front wheel, which also took care of the steering. The original, better known as the fardier (waggon for carrying heavy loads), can be seen in the Conservatoire National des arts et Métiers, Paris. It weighed a massive 4 tonnes and could reach a heady 4 km/h

1898 De Dion-Bouton 1¼ HP: The factory began producing motor three-wheelers in the late 19th century. The model on display is a three-wheeled Tri (from the word ‘Three-wheeler’ or ‘Tricar’) model, powered by an air- cooled single-cylinder De Dion engine, located behind the rear axle and with a gear transmission. Thousands of these three-wheelers were built over a period of about ten years. It was a De Dion three-wheeler that sparked Carlo Biscaretti’s great passion for cars.

1854 Bordino Carriage: Virginio Bordino, an officer in Italy’s Royal Engineers and a pioneer of locomotion in Italy, built this vehicle in Turin’s Military Arsenal by fitting a two-cylinder steam engine below the suitably reinforced bodyshell of a horse-drawn landau, together with a boiler and burner at the back. It was driven by an original transmission system consisting of con rods directly linked to a crankshaft-shaped rear axle, and consumed 30kg of coke per hour. It weighed 3 tonnes and could reach 8km/h.

THE AUTOMOBILE SINCE THE 1890s

A series of connected rooms trace the history and development of the car, in more or less chronological order, with a series of cars, some better known that others from each decade up to the start of the twentyfirst century.

The first room has an amazing collection of cars from the first years of motoring.

1896 Bernardi 3.5 HP: Prof. Enrico Bernardi of Verona was a leading automobile pioneer and a skilful inventor who took out a number of patents. He also built the first motor car to travel in Italian roads. The three-wheeler 1 cylinder 624cc 3,5 HP with its “duc” coachwork displays many of Bernardi’s inventions: cylinder with detachable head, overhead valves and a centrifugal inlet valve regulator, constant-level carburettor with float and spray nozzle, incandescent ignition with platinum heat sponge, and geometrically correct steering. Top speed was around 35 km/h.

1893 Benz Victoria: Karl Benz, together with Gottlieb Daimler, is regarded as the father of the motor car. After spending some years in the elaboration of single-cylinder petrol gas engines for tricycles, he moved over to four-wheelers in 1893. The Victoria, his first model, was built (with slight modifications) until 1898. This example has a break-type body with four face-to-face seats, and bears the number 57.

1892 Peugeot Type 3: This very display car, a Type 3 Peugeot 1892, chassis n. 25, Daimler engine n. 124, is a milestone in the history of the Italian automobile: it is the first car to circulate in Italy. It was ordered, on August 30th 1892, by Gaetano Rossi, owner of the most important fabric industry in Italy, when back from one of his journeys from Paris. The car came to Piovene Rocchette on January 2 1893 and was used for several years until it was sold to Guido Lazzari, a young heir of a rich family. After some adventures it came to the Museum. The car as 2 cylinders in a V, at the back, a 565cc engine generating 2CV at 1000 rpm, with a chain driven transmission, and a top speed of 35 km/h In spring 2007 the car was delivered to Peugeot Automobili Italia for a careful restoration and a close examination of its first years through the archives and the documents of Peugeot itself.

1894 Panhard et Levassor Type A

1898 Hurtu 3HP

1899 Jamais Contente: La Jamais Contente (English: The Never Satisfied) was the first road vehicle to go over 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). It was a Belgian electric vehicle with a light-alloy torpedo-shaped bodywork and batteries. The high position of the driver and the exposed chassis underneath spoiled much of the aerodynamics. The light alloy, called partinium, is an alloy of aluminium, tungsten and magnesium. The land speed record was established on April 29 or May 1, 1899 at Achères, Yvelines near Paris, France. The vehicle had two direct-drive Postel-Vinay 25 kW motors, running at 200 V and drawing 124 A each, for about 68 hp total, and was equipped with Michelin tires. Chassis number was n°25. The vehicle was driven by the Belgian driver Camille Jenatzy. Camille was the son of Constant Jenatzy, a manufacturer of rubber products (rubber was still a novelty at the time). Camille had studied as an engineer, with an interest in electric-traction automobiles. He became known for his record-breaking speed runs and was nicknamed Le Diable Rouge (“The Red Devil”) for the colour of his beard. He died in 1913, after being shot in a hunting accident. Wishing to carve a place in the then promising Parisian electric carriage market, Jenatzy started a manufacturing plant, which would produce many electric carriages and trucks. He competed fiercely against the carriage-maker Jeantaud in publicity stunts to see which of them made the fastest vehicles. In order to ensure the triumph of his company, Jenatzy built a bullet-shaped prototype, conceived by the carriage-maker Rothschild in partinium (an alloy of laminated aluminium, tungsten and magnesium). Jenatzy reached the speed of 105.882 kilometres per hour (65.792 mph), besting the previous record, held by Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat driving a Jeantaud, who had attained 92.78 kilometres per hour (57.65 mph) on March 4, 1899. After this exploit the gasoline-fuelled combustion engine would increasingly supplant electric technology for the next century.

1891 Pecori: Built in 1891 by its Lombard inventor Enrico Pecori at a time when the superiority of the internal combustion engine had not yet been fully established, this vehicle mounts a flat two-cylinder engine fuelled by a boiler generator with a concentric flue, and has a chain drive to the rear wheels. A pioneering effort that proved to have no future.

1899 Benz 8HP: Benz’s light Velo was the world’s first “mass-produced” car, albeit in very small numbers, and was subsequently equipped with pneumatic tyres. It retained the Victoria’s single-cylinder rear engine. The steering mechanism is provided with a rotating central leaf spring to damp the vibrations on the driving bar. The engine was at the rear with 1 horizontal cylinder and a capacity of 1140 cc, which gave a max power output of 3 CV a 400 rpm. It had two forward speeds but no reverse, and could reach a heady 50 km/h. 372 were sold.

1899 Renault 3.5 HP: Renault was founded in Paris by three brothers, Louis, Fernand and Marcel, in 1899. Its firs vehicle was designed as a prototype by Louis before the company was formed and a few dozens were then built in its little Billancourt workshop. The 31/2 HP came next. It, too, was also equipped with a water-cooled, single-cylinder De Dion engine and soon made its name in the motoring world, one reason being the races it won, including the Paris-Ostend, in the hands of Louis and Marcel Renault. It had a 1 cylinder 402 cc engine, generating 3.5 CV a 1500 rpm and a 2 speed gearbox, which gave it a top speed of 45 km/h

1899 Fiat 4HP: Designed by Aristide Faccioli, this was the first model made by what was to become Italy’s leading automaker, S. A. Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino, and appeared shortly after the company was formed. With three-seat, face-to-face coachwork. it has a three-speed gearbox with no reverse and chain drive. Its rear-mounted, two-cylinder 657cc engine is water-cooled through a coil radiator generating 4.5 HP and delivering average fuel consumption of about 8 l/100 km. Only 2 of the thirty or so manufactured have survived. The other is in Fiat’s Centro Storico.

1900 Fiat 4HP

1903 de Dion Bouton 8HP

1901 Ceirano 5HP: The four Ceirano brothers, Giovanni Battista, Giovanni, Matteo and Ernesto, were leading pioneers in Italy’s motor car history. Giovanni designed the “Welleyes”, from which the first Fiat sprang, and one brother or another sired a host of marques over the course of some twenty years: Fratelli Ceirano (1901), Itala (1904), STAR (1904), Junior (1905), SPA (1906), SCAT (1906) and Ceirano S.A. (1919). The 5 HP was made by Fratelli Ceirano. It has an Aster single-cylinder engine and a patented four-speed, constant-mesh gearbox. Note the two radiators at the sides. The “duc” coachwork is by Locati & Torretta. This car has a 1 cylinder 639 cc engine, putting out 5 bhp at 800 rpm, which allowed it to reach 45 km/h.

1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile: After Olds sold his company in 1899 it was renamed ‘Olds Motor Works’ and was moved to a new plant in Detroit. By March 1901, it had a range of prototype models ready for mass-production. Unfortunately, a mistake by a worker caused the factory to catch fire and it burned to the ground with all but one of the prototypes destroyed. The only car that survived the fire was a Curved Dash model, which was wheeled out of the factory by two workers while escaping the fire. A new factory was built, and mass-production of the Curved Dash commenced. Over 500 Curved Dash Oldsmobiles had been constructed by the end of 1901 and, by 1904, 5,000 units per annum were being produced.

1901 Fiat 8HP: Fiat’s first front-mounted, two-cylinder engine was initially cooled by a coil radiator and subsequently by a honeycomb radiator. It was 2 cylinder 1082cc unit which developed 10 HP at 1100rpm giving it a top speed of 45 km/h. There were eight of these vehicles on the starting line when the first Giro d’Italia (Round Italy) race began in 1901 and they all completed the 1634-km course. One was driven by Fiat’s founder Giovanni Agnelli with Felice Nazzaro as his mechanic, whereas the museum’s 8 HP was driven by Emanuele Cacherano di Bricherasio. The coachwork is of the “duc” type.

1902 Darracq 9.5HP: This is one of the first light cars built by Alexandre Darracq. The company he established in France became the source of others that survived its own demise. Alfa Romeo, in fact, was conceived in Darracq’s works in Milan and Naples. The 9,5HP has a single-cylinder 1281cc front engine generating 9 HP at 1200rpm, a three-speed gearbox and cardan shaft drive to the rear wheels. Note the canopy with its let-down side and rear curtains, the generous windscreen and the drooping bonnet typical of French cars. During the 1902 “Semaine de Nice”, Paul Baras took this vehicle over the flying kilometre in less than 36 seconds, equivalent to an amazing speed of more than 100 kilometres per hour.

1899 Panhard et Levassor B1: Louis-René Panhard and Emile Levassor founded their company in Paris in 1886 and produced their first car (also powered by a Daimler engine) three years later. The B 1 was presented in 1899. It has a 4 cylinder 3562cc 12CV Daimler Phenix engine with automatic inlet valves and is derived from the model in which Ferdinand Charron won the Paris-Amsterdam race in 1898 at an average speed of more than 44 km/h.

1903 Fiat 16/20HP: The 16/20HP was first produced by Fiat in 1903 and widely sold in Italy and abroad. The first and second series were powered by a 4179 cc 4 cylinder engine with a band clutch and a 4 speed transmission, which generated 20 HP at 1200 rpm. They were followed in 1906 by a third series with a 4503 cc engine and multiplate clutch. The vehicle on display comes from the first series and is fitted with a “phaeton” coachwork.

1903 Florentia 10HP: This unique 10 HP with its “phaeton” coachwork is the only surviving example of a model made by Florentia, a Florence factory active from 1903 to 1913 that began by producing its own cars before manufacturing under licence from the French company Rochet Schneider. It has a 2 cylinder 7690 cc engine, generating 15 CV a 1200 rpm which allowed it to reach 55 km/h and weighed 750 kg.

1902 Fiat 12/16 HP: Designed by Giovanni Enrico, who became Fiat’s engineering manager in 1901, this model with its huge displacement, 3768cc four-cylinder engine swept the company into a new horsepower bracket, generating 16 HP at 1200 rpm, giving it a top speed of 75 km/h. It was also Fiat’s first model to be fitted with a honeycomb radiator and the first of its exports. It went out of production in 1903, however, and only a hundred and ten were made.

1908 Brixia Zust 10HP: Established by Roberto Züst at Brescia in 1906, Brixia Züst was the start of what eventually became Officine Meccaniche in 1917 and OM- Fabbrica Bresciana di Automobili in 1928. The unique feature of the 10 HP is its integral three-cylinder 1386cc engine with a fixed head and side valves operated by two camshafts in the cylinder block, which generated 10 bhp at 1000 rpm. It was produced until 1911.

1908 Legnano A 6/8HP: This little two-seater with its “duc” coachwork and snub-nosed radiator was made by FIAL (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Legnano), a small company that operated in Lombardy from 1906 to 1909. It has a front-mounted, integral two-cylinder 1135cc engine generating 8 bhp at 1100rpm, a sheet steel chassis and cardan shaft drive, and cost 4000 lire.

1907 Sizaire et Naudin 8HP

1912 Fiat Zero: The Zero was the first Fiat runabout. More than 2000 were manufactured in a torpedo and a spider version between 1912 and 1915. The coachwork with its simple, rugged and reliable mechanicals was devised by the Farina works with the direct involvement of Giovanni Battista Farina (1893 – 1966), who eventually incorporated his nickname “Pinin” into the new family name Pininfarina. there was a 4 cylinder 1846cc engine which generated 18 bhp at 1700rpm, giving a top speed of 70 km/h. The price of the torpedo (8.000 lire) was a real bargain in those days.

1909 Isotta Fraschini 20/30HP: Established by Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini in 1900, this Milanese company was among Italy’s leading automakers and its prestigious de luxe models were long renowned the world over. The AN 20/30 HP sprang from the A 16/22 HP designed by Giustino Cattaneo, a skilled engineer who also patented front-wheel brakes. With its 4 cylinder 4940cc engine it generated 30 bhp at 1200 rpm and could reach 70 km/h. The landaulet coachwork on this model is by Pavesi, Crespi & Coo., Milan.

1907 de Dion Bouton BG: In the early years of the century, De Dion & Bouton was also one of the main suppliers of engines to other European automakers. The BG runabout is one of the company’s last single-cylinder models and was produced at a time when the make was very popular. Its wide diffusion was also assisted by some advanced features, such as the automatic engine lubrication pump and the lighting equipment with an acetylene generator. It had a 1 cylinder 942 cc generating a maximum output of 8 bhp at 1400 rpm allowing a top speed of 40 km/h.

1907 Pope C 60V

1913 Delage AB-8: Founded by Louis Delage in 1905, the company’s touring and racing cars were among the finest Europe had to offer until it closed down in 1935. The light vehicle on display with its superb engineering and elegant coachwork is one of those made between 1910 and 1913. It features a 4 cylinder 2121 cc engine which put out 14 bhp at 1200 rpm whcih gave it a top speed of 70 km/h.

1909 Itala 35/45 HP: Christened Palombella (little dove), this luxurious vehicle with its landaulet body by Italy’s leading coachbuilder Cesare Sala of Milan, was made for Queen Margaret of Savoy. The chassis is that of the 1907 “Peking to Paris” Itala, plus a few modifications, such as the two separate brake pedals. Note the eagle-shaped silver door handles and foldaway step ladder. It had a 4 cylinder 7433 cc engine which put out 45 bhp at 1250 rpm.

1908 REO Gentleman’s Roadster: The US car manufacturer REO, founded in 1904 by Ransom Eli Olds, began pro- duction with two separate models, one with a single-cylinder engine and one with a 2-cylinder engine. The single-cylinder model had an output of 8 HP and could reach a top speed of 45 km/h. The engine was placed horizontally in the middle of the car, under the two seats. The vehicle had an elegant front bonnet, which was, of course, fake, and purely for aesthetic purposes. The twin-cylinder model was not dissimilar, although bigger and faster: it was able to exceed 60 km/h and carry five people in the ‘touring’ version. In both cases they were simple and inexpensive but very efficient cars

1906 Gardner et Serpollet 12/15HP

1910 Renault AG Fiacre Paris, the “Taxi de la Marne”: As indicated by its name, this model was built as a Parisian taxi. It earned its moment of glory as well as a nickname the taxi of the Marne on 6 September1914 when a thousand were requisitioned by General Gallieni, commandant of the garrison in Paris besieged by the German army led by Field-Marshal Von Kluck, to carry two regiments to the front and take part in the battle that saved the capital and France. It was powered by a 2 cylinder 1206cc engine which generated 7 bhp at 1800 rpm, giving it a top speed of 65 km/h.

1911 Fiat 4: This model with its six-seater torpedo coachwork was one of Fiat’s first to have an integral engine, L-shaped combustion chamber and petrol feed taps for cold starting. It was a 4 cylinder 5802cc that put out 53 bhp at 1600rpm giving a top speed of 95 km/h. In 1915, it was equipped with a 12 V electrical system. A total of 684 had been manufactured when it went out of production in 1918. There was also a military torpedo version. One of these was fitted out for King Victor Emmanuel III to use during World War I.

1922 Citroen 5CV: A widely sold French runabout, this is one of the first models tuned out by André Citroen after reconverting his factories from their wartime operations. It was a very simple design , with an open two-seater body and three-speed gearbox, and powered by a 856 cc engine, the C3 weighed 420 kg and had a top speed of 60 km/h. A total of 80,000 were built down to 1926.

1914 Rolls Royce 40/50HP: The founders of this renowned English firm, Henry Royce and Charles Rolls, brought out their first car in 1904. Its superb quality was universally appreciated and won it instant success. Later on they created the 40-50 HP, the official designation of the world-famous Silver Ghost. First presented in 1906 and produced until 1925, it started Rolls-Royce on its legendary career. It had a 7428cc 6 cylinder engine. The manufacturer never officially declared the power output, starting a long tradition of declaring it to be “sufficient”. This example was made in 1914 and used by the British High Command on the French front during World War I. The torpedo coachwork is by Barker.

1922 SPA 23S: Founded in 1906 by Matteo Ceirano and Michele Ansaldi, SPA (Società Piemontese Automobili) made rapid progress thanks to the quality and sparkling performance of its touring and sports cars. Its 23 S appeared in a number of version in 1922. In the first half of the 1920s, this one carried off the Coppa delle Alpi and the Aosta to Great St Bernard and Cuneo to Colle della Maddalena hill climbs. Note the luggage space behind the two seats. This car had a 4 cylinder 2724cc engine, generating 50 bhp a 3000 rpm and a top speed of 110 km/h.

1930 Lancia Lambda: Built in 9 series over a 10 year period, the Lambda pioneered a number of technologies that soon became commonplace in our cars. For example, it was the first car to feature a load-bearing monocoque-type body, (but without a stressed roof) and it also pioneered the use of an independent suspension (the front sliding pillar with coil springs). Vincenzo Lancia even invented a shock absorber for the car and it had excellent four wheel brakes. The narrow angle V4 engine which powered is not something which was widely copied. Approximately 11,200 Lambdas were produced. Most of them had the open Torpedo style body, but some of the last Series 8 and 9 cars had Weyman saloon bodies.

1931 Cord L29: The Cord marque was founded by Errett Lobban Cord. Its six-window L-29 saloon was produced from 1929 to 1933. Much of the fascination and interest it aroused stemmed from the proportions of its bodywork: the bonnet accounted for nearly half the length of the entire vehicle, while even the 4-door saloon was lower than the average and had something of a sports car appearance. Following the launch of his 810 and 812, however, Cord decided to retire in 1936 and the company closed down year later. The cars produced by this ingenious, many-sided entrepreneur have earned a permanent place in motor car history. The L29 had an 8 cylinder 5279 cc engine generating 125 bhp at 3600 rpm, giving it a top speed of 170 km/h.

1929 Isotta Fraschini 8A: The Model 8 A is a development of the Model 8 introduced by this Milan company in 1920. It was a very luxurious and sophisticated car, with an 8 cylinder 7370cc engine and was intended for the rich and those who needed to be right in the public eye. The vehicle on display has a “coupé de ville” body, manufactured by Castagna in Milan and was used in the 1950 film “Sunset Boulevard”, starring William Holden, Erich von Stroheim and Gloria Swanson, in the Norma Desmond part, whose names are engraved on the rear doors.

1948 Lancia Aprilia: Launched in 1937, the Aprilia was one of the first cars to be designed using a wind tunnel. This was in collaboration with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino and allowed the car to achieve a record low drag coefficient of 0.47. This was the last of Vincenzo Lancia’s designs, with the car entering production in the very month in which he died. The first series (model. 238) of which 10,354 units were built between 1937–39 featured a 1,352 cc V4 motor providing 47 bhp. The second series (model. 438) of which 9,728 were made, was first seen in 1939 and production of which continued after the war, had its engine capacity increased to 1,486 cc which provided 48 bhp. A Lusso model of this second series was also offered as well as a lungo (lengthened) version. 706 of these were made between 1946 and 1949, making a grand total of 20,082 cars, with 7,554 additional chassis for coach built bodies, produced in Turin along with about 700 in France. With the Aprilia, Lancia followed their tradition of offering cars with the steering wheel on the right even in markets seen by other manufacturers as left hand drive markets. Outside the UK and Sweden customers increasingly picked the optional left hand drive versions, however. Although the regular Berlina is the best known version, the car was available with a number of coachbuilt bodies.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K: A luxury sports car powered by a straight-eight engine supercharged through a positive-displacement blower engaged from the driver’s seat, with all-independent suspensions and very high performance ratings, the 500 K was built at the Daimler Benz works in Mannheim in very small numbers and in four version: saloon, torpedo, coupé, cabriolet and roadster, and is an excellent example of pre-war German automotive engineering. The 540K sported an 8 cylinder 5000 cc engine generating 180 bhp at 3500 rpm giving this heavy (2235 kg) car a top speed of 170 km/h.

1936 Buick 41C Special: The U.S. Buick brand, founded in 1903 and acquired by General Motors in 1908, suffered heavily in 1933 the consequences of the severe recession that affected the global economy: from fourth place in the ranking of the best selling brands, it sank in the sixth and seventh. G.M decided to invest massively to allow Buick to recover positions. This was possible thanks to the marketing of particularly successful models such as the Series 40, whose design was the result of current stylistic innovation introduced to the GM by Art & Color Studio directed by Harvey Earl. The year of full recovery was 1938, two years after the release of the model on display, thanks to the all-steel chassis replacing the mixed steel-wood one adopted until then. The Special exhibited still shows a solemn design, but also modern and well harmonized as a whole. The length of the front part is accentuated by the twin radiator grill, the slender front form is enhanced by the elongated shape of the two lights mounted on each side of the bonnet and of the two ones on the large fenders. The doors are double-folding, but the body has a central pillar. The glasses area is small in relation to the volume of the car, while the V-windscreen helps to give dash to the design of the body. The integral rear trunk can be considered among the earliest examples of a three-volumes-line. Ultimately a car with excellent features, as confirmed by the slogan that was long employed in the advertising campaigns of the house: “When better automobiles are built, Buick will buy them”.

1932 Austin Seven: The “Baby Austin” was one of the most popular runabouts of the Twenties and Thirties, especially on account of its reputed 20 km to the litre. Designed and built by Lord Herbert Austin, it was launched in 1923 and cost only 165 pounds, one-third of the price of other small British cars. It was powered by a 4 cylinder 747cc engine which put out 13 bhp at 2500rpm meaning that the little car could just about hit 70 km/h. A total of 375,000 had been built when it went out of production in 1939.

1934 Citroen 11A: 1934 saw the introduction of the Citroen’s revolutionary and mould-shattering front-wheel-drive semi-monocoque car, the Traction Avant. The Traction endured a troubled and prolonged birth process, however, and was part of an ambitious investment programme which involved, also in 1934, the bankruptcy of the business, and its acquisition by Citroën’s principal creditor. The patron himself died in 1935. In this troubled situation, availability of the larger Rosalies (although re-engined with a turned-around version of the new Traction’s OHV four-cylinder engines) continued till 1938: it is only through the distorting prism of subsequent events that its reputation has been diminished when set against the technical brilliance of its successor. Produced for over 20 years, many different versions were made during that time, all with the same styling outline, but with power outputs ranging from 7 to 15CV, and different wheelbases, as well as some with Coupe and Convertible body styles. There was even one model with a large opening tailgate, the Commerciale.

1932 Fiat 508: The 508 Balilla was a compact car launched in 1932. It was effectively the replacement of the Fiat 509, although production of the earlier model had ceased back in 1929. It had a three-speed transmission (increased to four in 1934), seated four, and had a top speed of about 50 mph (80 km/h). It sold for 10,800 lire (or 8,300 2005 euro). About 113,000 were produced. It was offered with a number of different body styles. The first 508 came with a front-mounted four cylinder petrol/gasoline side-valve engine of 995cc. Maximum power was listed as 20 hp at 3500 rpm, providing for a top speed of approximately 80 km/h (50 mph). Power passed to the rear wheels through a 3-speed manual gear box without the assistance of synchromesh on any of the ratios. Stopping power was provided by drum brakes on all four wheels. At the end of 1933 power was increased to 24 hp at 3500 rpm, and the maximum speed went up to 85 km/h (53 mph). Transmission was upgraded to a four speed gear box. For 1934 the car now came with a slightly more aerodynamic looking “berlina” (saloon/sedan) body, available with either two or four doors. This version was identified as the Fiat 508B, and the original 1932 model was now, retrospectively, became the Fiat 508A. The first 508A, introduced in 1932, was a 2-door “Berlina” (saloon/sedan) with four seats and a three speed “crash” gearbox. The front seats could be slid forwards and the backrests tilted in order to facilitate access to the back seat in what was a relatively small car. Unusually, the windows in the doors could be wound down by turning a crank handle fitted to the door, while the windscreen was hinged at the top and could be opened, while two windscreen wipers were powered by their own electric motor, positioned inside just above the windscreen. The interior used rubber mats while the seats were cloth covered. Accessories offered included a dash-mounted rear-view mirror, an interior light mounted on the centre of the roof and an externally mounted luggage platform at the back which, when specified, came with the spare wheel repositioned to a mounting point on the side of the car between the left-side door and the front wing. A “Lusso” (“de Luxe”) version also featured a better type of cloth covering for the seats as well as extra bright work around the lights, front grille, wheels and door handles. With the 508B, introduced early in 1934, the body was described as “more aerodynamic” although from the perspective of later developments in car styling, the 508B still followed the rather boxy lines associated with cheap cars from the early 1930s. The gear box was upgraded, now offering four forward speeds, and while the a 2-door “Berlina” remained on offer for a few more months, a 4-door “Berlina” was now added. In June of the same year the 2-door “Berlina” was delisted for Italy and there was a further face-lift for the 4-door bodied car, which now received a modified front grille and a windscreen, previously vertical, that was slightly raked, hinting at the more wholesale styling changes that would accompany the appearance in 1937 of the 508C version of the car. Standard and “Lusso” versions of the 4-door “Berlina” were both offered. A “Torpedo” bodied 508 was added to the range in 1933, with four seats and four doors, and in 1933 still with the 3-speed “crash” gear-box. It was offered only with the “Lusso” (“de Luxe”) trimmings. As on the “Spider”, seat covers and interior trimmings used coloured leather. The windscreen pillars and door hinges were chrome plated, and the removable fabric hood could be stored in a suitably shaped storage bag provided for the purpose. The upgrade to a four speed transmission in 1934 was not accompanied by any aesthetic changes to the “Torpedo” bodywork. The Italian military was active in Tripolitania (now known as Libya) during this period, and a special “Torpedo Coloniale” was produced, sharing the features of the regular 508 Torpedo, but this car came with wider tyres and was painted the colour of sand. A commercial version of the Balilla was offered, both as a panel van or as a small flat-bed truck, with a 350 kg load capacity, based initially on the 3-speed 508A and later on the 4-speed 508B. Around 113,000 were produced.

1936 Fiat 500: Known for being the car which really put Italy on wheels, the Topolino was one of the smallest cars in the world at the time of its production. Launched in 1937, three versions were produced until 1955, all with only minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. It was equipped with a 569 cc four-cylinder, side-valve, water-cooled engine mounted in front of the front axle, which meant that it was a full-scale car rather than a cyclecar. The radiator was located behind the engine which made possible a lowered aerodynamic nose profile at a time when competitors had a flat, nearly vertical grille. The shape of the car’s front allowed exceptional forward visibility. The rear suspension initially used quarter-elliptic rear springs, but buyers frequently squeezed four or five people into the nominally two-seater car, and in later models the chassis was extended at the rear to allow for more robust semi-elliptic springs. With horsepower of about 13 bhp, its top speed was about 53 mph and it could achieve about 48 mpg. The target price given when the car was planned was 5,000 lire. In the event the price at launch was 9,750 lire, though the decade was one of falling prices in several part of Europe and later in the 1930s the Topolino was sold for about 8,900 lire. Despite being more expensive than first envisioned, the car was competitively priced and nearly 520,000 were sold. Nowadays the car seen here is known as the 500A, and this shares its body with the later 500 Model B, but the later car had more power, a heady 16 hp. It was made between 1948 and 1949. The Model A was offered as a 2-door coupé, 2-door cabriolet and a 2-door van, while the Model B also introduced a 3-door estate under the name 500 B Giardinetta (“estate car”). The 500 Model C was introduced in 1949 with a restyled body and the same engine as Model B, and was offered in 2-door coupé, 2-door cabriolet, 3-door estate and 2-door van versions. In 1952, the Giardinetta was renamed the Belvedere (“A turret or other raised structure offering a pleasant view of the surrounding area”, referring to its sunroof). The Model C was produced until 1955.

1937 Packard Super Eight: Prior to the second world war, Packard was a leading American maker of aristocratic cars with straight-eight and V12 engines whose impeccable style, elegance and top-quality worksmanship gave them an image on a par with the limousines being produced in Europe. This example has an eight-cylinder 5261cc power plant which generated 125 bhp at 3200rpm and independent front suspension.

1941 Ford-Jeep: Almost 278,000 jeeps were produced by both Ford and Willys Overland as G.P. (general pur pose) vehicles (hence the nickname) for the American and Allied armies during World War II. Many, indeed, were the purposes to which this tough and tireless performer was assigned: scout car, infantry attack vehicle, amphibious vehicle, breakdown truck, etc. So much so that the word has passed into English as the synonym for a light, 4WD off-road vehicle. This car had a 4 cylinder 2199 cc engine generating 60 bhp at 4000 rpm.

1947 Cadillac 62: Cadillac was constituted at Detroit by William H. Murphy and Henry Leland in 1902. Named after the French army officer who founded the city of Detroit in 1701, it very quickly became a synonym for America’s most prestigious de luxe models. Its motto, indeed, was: “Our creed is perfection; our rule is precision”. The company’s burgeoning reputation and sound financial position soon attracted the attention of William Crapo Durant and Cadillac became part of the General Motors group in 1909. The 62 (a descendent of the 60 series) carried Cadillac to the height of its worldwide fame. It was produced as a coupé, convertible and sedan down to 1964. This V8-powred car had a 5765 cc engine, generating 156 bhp at 3400 rpm.

1948 Cisitalia 202: The 1947 Cisitalia 202 coupe redefined automotive styling when it was introduced in 1947. It was lower. It was tight. It was concise. In fact, it was so pretty that the New York Museum of Modern Art considered it a work of sculpture and acquired one for its own permanent collection. It was a centrepiece of their 1951 Eight Automobiles show that spoke to three different approaches to coach building. The Cisitalia is still regarded as one of the most beautiful, beautiful cars ever built. And even though it’s got a small 1.1-litre engine, it’s capable of going more than 100 miles per hour because of its lightweight and aerodynamic design.

The mood lightens somewhat as we enter the 1950s, with times gets better initially for the Americans.

1954 Fiat Turbina: The Fiat Turbina was a gas turbine-powered concept car built in 1954. Fiat was the second car manufacturer, after Rover, to introduce a car propelled by a gas turbine—Fiat touted the Turbina as “the first turbine car built in Continental Europe”. The project took a long period of planning, studies began in 1948 and ended with a first track test on 14 April 1954 on the rooftop track of the Lingotto factory. The car was first publicly shown on 23 April 1954 at the Turin-Caselle Airport, where it made some demonstration runs with Fiat chief test driver Carlo Salamano at the wheel. All major Fiat personalities were present, including Gianni Agnelli, president Vittorio Valletta and engineer Dante Giacosa, director of the technical office and responsible for the car’s development. The Turbina was then displayed at the ongoing 36th Turin Motor Show. The turbine engine was placed amidships, behind the passenger compartment. It consisted of a two-stage centrifugal compressor, three can-type combustors, a two-stage turbine driving the compressor, and a single-stage power turbine with a geared reduction to the rear wheels. There were no gearbox or clutch. According to the manufacturer the engine produced 300 PS at 22,000 rpm, and the estimated top speed was approximately 250 km/h (160 mph). The bodywork had undergone wind tunnel testing at the Politecnico di Torino facilities. The Turbina held the record for lowest drag coefficient on an automobile (0.14) for 30 years. The concept was shelved due to high fuel usage and problems with overheating.

1955 Citroen DS19: It is hard to imagine just how revolutionary this car must have seemed when it was unveiled at the Paris Show in 1955. 18 years in secret development as the successor to the Traction Avant, the DS 19 stole the show, and within 15 minutes of opening, 743 orders were taken. By the end of the first day, that number had risen to 12,000. Contemporary journalists said the DS pushed the envelope in the ride vs. handling compromise possible in a motor vehicle. To a France still deep in reconstruction after the devastation of World War II, and also building its identity in the post-colonial world, the DS was a symbol of French ingenuity. It also posited the nation’s relevance in the Space Age, during the global race for technology of the Cold War. Structuralist philosopher Roland Barthes, in an essay about the car, said that it looked as if it had “fallen from the sky”. An American advertisement summarised this selling point: “It takes a special person to drive a special car”. Because they were owned by the technologically aggressive tyre manufacturer Michelin, Citroën had designed their cars around the technically superior radial tyre since 1948, and the DS was no exception. The car featured a novel hydropneumatic suspension including an automatic levelling system and variable ground clearance, developed in-house by Paul Magès. This suspension allowed the DS to travel quickly on the poor road surfaces common in France. In addition, the vehicle had power steering and a semi-automatic transmission (the transmission required no clutch pedal, but gears still had to be shifted by hand though the shift lever controlled a powered hydraulic shift mechanism in place of a mechanical linkage, and a fibreglass roof which lowered the centre of gravity and so reduced weight transfer. Inboard front brakes (as well as independent suspension) reduced unsprung weight. Different front and rear track widths and tyre sizes reduced the unequal tyre loading, which is well known to promote understeer, typical of front-engined and front-wheel drive cars. As with all French cars, the DS design was affected by the tax horsepower system, which effectively mandated very small engines. Unlike the Traction Avant predecessor, there was no top-of-range model with a powerful six-cylinder engine. Citroën had planned an air-cooled flat-6 engine for the car, but did not have the funds to put the prototype engine into production. The 1955 DS19 was 65% more expensive than the car it replaced, the Citroën Traction Avant. This did impact potential sales in a country still recovering economically from World War II, so a cheaper submodel, the Citroën ID, was introduced in 1957. The ID shared the DS’s body but was less powerful and luxurious. Although it shared the engine capacity of the DS engine (at this stage 1,911 cc), the ID provided a maximum power output of only 69 hp compared to the 75 hp claimed for the DS19. Power outputs were further differentiated in 1961 when the DS19 acquired a Weber-32 twin bodied carburettor, and the increasing availability of higher octane fuel enabled the manufacturer to increase the compression ratio from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1. A new DS19 now came with a promised 83 hp of power. The ID19 was also more traditional mechanically: it had no power steering and had conventional transmission and clutch instead of the DS’s hydraulically controlled set-up. Initially the basic ID19 was sold on the French market with a price saving of more than 25% against the DS, although the differential was reduced at the end of 1961 when the manufacturer quietly withdrew the entry level ID19 “Normale” from sale. An estate version was introduced in 1958. It was known by various names in different markets: Break in France, Safari and Estate in the UK, Wagon in the US, and Citroën Australia used the terms Safari and Station-Wagon. It had a steel roof to support the standard roof rack. ‘Familiales’ had a rear seat mounted further back in the cabin, with three folding seats between the front and rear squabs. The standard Break had two side-facing seats in the main load area at the back. During the 20 year production life, improvements were made on an ongoing basis. In September 1962, the DS was restyled with a more aerodynamically efficient nose, better ventilation and other improvements. It retained the open two headlamp appearance, but was available with an optional set of driving lights mounted on the front bumpers. A more luxurious Pallas trim came in for 1965 Named after the Greek goddess Pallas, this included comfort features such as better noise insulation, a more luxurious (and optional leather) upholstery and external trim embellishments. The cars were complex, and not always totally reliable, One of the issues that emerged during long term use was addressed with a change which came in for 1967. The original hydropneumatic system used a vegetable oil liquide hydraulique végétal (LHV), similar to that used in other cars at the time, but later switched to a synthetic fluid liquide hydraulique synthétique (LHS). Both of these had the disadvantage that they are hygroscopic, as is the case with most brake fluids. Disuse allows water to enter the hydraulic components causing deterioration and expensive maintenance work. The difficulty with hygroscopic hydraulic fluid was exacerbated in the DS/ID due to the extreme rise and fall in the fluid level in the reservoir, which went from nearly full to nearly empty when the suspension extended to maximum height and the six accumulators in the system filled with fluid. With every “inhalation” of fresh moisture- (and dust-) laden air, the fluid absorbed more water. For the 1967 model year, Citroën introduced a new mineral oil-based fluid liquide hydraulique minéral (LHM). This fluid was much less harsh on the system. LHM remained in use within Citroën until the Xantia was discontinued in 2001. LHM required completely different materials for the seals. Using either fluid in the incorrect system would completely destroy the hydraulic seals very quickly. To help avoid this problem, Citroën added a bright green dye to the LHM fluid and also painted all hydraulic elements bright green. The former LHS parts were painted black. All models, including the Safari and ID, were upgraded at the same time. The hydraulic fluid changed to the technically superior LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minéral) in all markets except the US and Canada, where the change did not take place until January 1969, due to local regulations. Rarest and most collectable of all DS variants, a convertible was offered from 1958 until 1973. The Cabriolet d’Usine (factory convertible) were built by French carrossier Henri Chapron, for the Citroën dealer network. It was an expensive car, so only 1,365 were sold. These DS convertibles used a special frame which was reinforced on the sidemembers and rear suspension swingarm bearing box, similar to, but not identical to the Break/Safari frame. The cars here included a nice DS23EFi, the top model in the range, which came with a fuel injected 2.3 litre engine, five speed gearbox as well as those iconic swivelling headlights which turned with the steering wheel.

1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint: Following the 1900 family, Alfa’s next new model range would be cheaper and aimed at capturing some of the market from middle class buyers. Known as Giulietta, the 750 and later 101 Series were a series of family-sized cars made from 1954 to 1965, and Alfa Romeo’s first, successful, foray into the 1.3-litre class. The first to be introduced was the Giulietta Sprint 2+2 coupé which was premiered at the 1954 Turin Motor Show. Designed by Franco Scaglione at Bertone, it was produced at the coachbuilder’s Grugliasco plant, near Turin. A year later, at the Turin Motor Show in April 1955, the Sprint was joined by the 4-door saloon Berlina. In mid 1955, the open two-seat Giulietta Spider, featuring convertible bodywork by Pininfarina arrived. The Giulietta used unibody construction and a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Front suspension was by control arms, with coaxial coil springs and hydraulic dampers. At the rear there was a solid axle on coil springs and hydraulic dampers. The axle was located by a longitudinal link on each side, and by a wishbone-shaped arm linking the top of the aluminium differential housing to the chassis. All Giuliettas (save for the last SZ examples) had hydraulic drum brakes on all four corners. The Giulietta used an Alfa Romeo Twin Cam straight-four of 1290 cc, with an aluminium alloy engine block and cast iron inserted sleeves. Bore and stroke measured 74.0 mm and 75.0 mm. The aluminium alloy cylinder head was of a crossflow design and featured hemispherical combustion chambers. The double overhead camshafts were driven by two timing chains, and acted on two valves per cylinder, angled 80°. In 1957 a more powerful Berlina version, called Giulietta T.I. (Turismo Internazionale) was presented with minor cosmetic changes to the bonnet, the dial lights and rear lamps. Carrozzeria Colli also made the Giulietta station wagon variant called Giulietta Promiscua. Ninety-one examples of this version were built. Carrozzeria Boneschi also made a few station wagon examples called Weekendina. A new version of the Giulietta Berlina debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1959. Mechanical changes were limited to shifting the fuel pump from the cylinder head to a lower position below the distributor, and moving the previously exposed fuel filler cap from the tail to the right rear wing, under a flap. The bodywork showed a revised front end, with more rounded wings, recessed head lights, and new grilles with chrome frames and two horizontal bars. The rear also showed changes, with new larger tail lights on vestigial fins, which replaced the earlier rounded rear wings. The interior was much more organised and upholstered in new cloth material; the redesigned dashboard included a strip speedometer flanked by two round bezels, that on the T.I. housed a tachometer and oil and water temperature gauges. The T.I. also received a front side repeater mounted in a small spear, unlike the Normale which kept the earlier small round lamp with no decorations. During 1959 the type designation for all models was changed from 750 and 753 to 101. In February 1961 the 100,001st Giulietta rolled out of the Portello factory, with a celebration sponsored by Italian actress Giulietta Masina. In Autumn 1961 the Giulietta was updated a second time. Both Normale and T.I. had revised engines and new exhaust systems; output rose to 61 bhp and 73 bhp. With this new engine the car could reach a speed of almost 100mph. At the front of the car square mesh side grilles were now pieced together with the centre shield, and at the rear there were larger tail lights. Inside the T.I. had individual instead of bench seats, with storage nets on the seatbacks. June 1962 saw the introduction of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which would eventually replace the Giulietta. As until 1964 the Giulia only had a larger 1.6-litre engine, production of the standard Berlina ended with 1963, whilst the T.I. continued for a full year more. A last T.I. was completed in 1965. The Giulietta sport models had a different fate: Sprint, Sprint Speciale and Spider were fitted with the new 1.6-litre engine, received some updates and continued to be sold under the Giulia name until they were replaced by all-new Giulia-based models during 1965. These days, the Berlina is the model you see the least often. A few of the model are used in historic racing where the car takes on the might of those with far larger engines. A total of 177,690 Giuliettas were made

Alfa Giulietta Sprint: This is a wooden bodywork mock-up for the prototypes of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupé, one of the models that best represents Italian style and automobile engineering. The mock-up itself is a work of art, the fruit of high-level craftsmanship and manual skills at a time when the computer was nowhere in the offing. It was used by Bertone to design the tools and equipment needed for its volume production of the coupé’s bodywork.

1956 Fiat 600 Multipla: This innovative design was based on the Fiat 600’s drivetrain, had independent front suspension for a good drive and accommodated six people in a footprint just 50 centimetres (19.7 in) longer than the original Mini Cooper. The driver’s compartment was moved forward over the front axle, effectively eliminating the boot but giving the body a very minivan-like “one-box” look. Two rows of rear bench seats were reconfigurable, allowing for a large, nearly flat cargo area. Until the 1970s, the Multipla was widely used as a taxi in many parts of Italy, and one of the cars here was in the livery as used in Rome in period. These days a good Multipla will command prices in excess of the £20,000 mark.

1962 Isetta 250: The Isetta is far more significant than many might realise, as without these cars, the modern BMW company simply would not exist. However, the car originated with the Italian firm of Iso SpA, and it is two of those models which were to be seen here. In the early 1950s the company was building refrigerators, motor scooters and small three-wheeled trucks. Iso’s owner, Renzo Rivolta, decided he would like to build a small car for mass distribution. By 1952 the engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi had designed a small car that used the motorcycle engine of the Iso Moto 200 and named it Isetta—an Italian diminutive meaning little ISO. The Isetta caused a sensation when it was introduced to the motoring press in Turin in November 1953, it was unlike anything seen before. Small (only 7.5 ft long by 4.5 ft wide) and egg-shaped, with bubble-type windows, the entire front end of the car hinged outwards to allow entry. In the event of a crash, the driver and passenger were to exit through the canvas sunroof. The steering wheel and instrument panel swung out with the single door, as this made access to the single bench seat simpler. The seat provided reasonable comfort for two occupants, and perhaps a small child. Behind the seat was a large parcel shelf with a spare wheel located below. A heater was optional, and ventilation was provided by opening the fabric sunroof. Power came from a 236 cc 9.5 hp split-single two-stroke motorcycle engine. The engine was started by a combination generator-starter known as Dynastart. A manual gearbox provided four forward speeds and reverse. A chain drive connected the gearbox to a solid rear axle with a pair of closely spaced 25 cm (10 in) rear wheels. The first prototypes had one wheel at the rear, but having a single rear wheel made the car prone to roll-overs,so the rear wheel layout was changed to two wheels set 19 in apart from each other. This narrow track eliminated the need for a differential. The front axle was a modified version of a Dubonnet independent front suspension. The Isetta took over 30 seconds to reach 50 km/h (31 mph) from rest. Top speed was only about 75 km/h (47 mph). The fuel tank held only 13 litres. However, the Isetta would get somewhere between 50 and 70 mpg depending on how it was driven. In 1954, Iso entered several Isettas in the legendary Mille Miglia where they took the top three spots in the economy classification. Over a distance of 1,600 km (1,000 mi) the drivers achieved an average speed of over 70 km/h (43 mph). In view of its maximum speed, which was just 15 km/h (9 mph) higher, this was an almost incredible figure. However, despite its initial success, the Isetta was beginning to slip in popularity at home. This was mainly due to renewed competition from Fiat with its 500C model. Renzo Rivolta wanted to concentrate on his new Iso Rivolta sports car, and was extremely interested in doing licensing deals. Plants in Spain and Belgium were already assembling Isettas and Autocarros using Italian made Iso components. BMW began talking with Rivolta in mid-1954 and bought not just a license but the complete Isetta body tooling as well. Rivolta did not stop with licensing the Isetta to BMW. He negotiated similar deals with companies in France and Brazil. After constructing some 1,000 units, production of the Italian built cars ceased in 1955, although Iso continued to build the Isetta in Spain until 1958. In addition to the Turismo, Iso in Spain also built the Autocarro, a commercial version with full-width rear axle. The Autocarro was offered in several body styles, a flatbed pickup, enclosed truck, a tilt-bed, or even a fire engine, although some of these might not have been sold. The Autocarro was an extremely popular type of vehicle in Italy, and numerous manufacturers produced some variant of the type. Iso had previously produced a motorcycle-type Isocarro. The Iso Autocarro was larger than most, with its four-wheel layout, conventional rear axle with differential and leaf springs, and a large tubular frame. It could carry a 500 kg load. It is thought that more than 4,000 Autocarros were built. Seen here was a Turismo

1958 Fiat 1900B Gran Luce: Introduced at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show, the 1400 was the first unibody Fiat and had a 1.4 litre engine which generated a heady 44 bhp, giving it a maximum speed of 75 mph. In 1953 the Fiat 1400 also became the SEAT 1400, the first model produced by SEAT, and the first passenger car produced by Crvena Zastava in FNRY, the Zastava 1400 BJ. Equipped with a 2.0 litre Steyr engine, it was produced as “Steyr 2000” by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG in Austria from 1953. The Fiat 1900, introduced in 1952, was an upmarket model that used the same body as the 1400, but came with a 1.9 litre engine and more standard features. The petrol-engined Fiat 1900 A, introduced in 1954, offered a claimed 70 bhp. It also featured a hydraulically operated clutch and, unusually for that time, a five speed column shifted manual transmission, as well as a radio and a rudimentary “trip computer” that showed the average speed. In 1953 the introduction of a diesel version with a 1900 cc engine marked another Fiat first, although the diesel version was known as the 1400 Diesel. The Motor magazine tested one in 1954 and recorded a top speed of 63.8 mph (102.7 km/h), acceleration from 0-60 mph in 45.2 seconds and a fuel consumption of 33.9 mpg. The car was not at the time available on the UK market but a price in Italy of 1,545,000 Lire was quoted which they worked out as equivalent to £909.The subsequent Gran Luce version was endowed with elegance and refinement. The two-door bodywork displayed several distinguishing features: the shape of the roof and large wrap-round rear window, no uprights between the side windows, the design of the radiator grille, and the two-colour paintwork. About 179.000 1400s and 19.000 1900s were built.

During the 1950s, more people could afford a car, but there was still demand for vehicles that were cheap to buy and to run. Manufacturers large and small tried to tap into this demand and at was at this point that we saw lots of innovation and some fondly remembered icons from every car producing nation, as evidenced by some of the cars grouped together here

1958 Vespa 400: The Vespa 400 is a rear-engined microcar, produced by ACMA in Fourchambault, France, from 1957 to 1961 to the designs of the Italian Piaggio company. Three different versions were sold, the “Luxe” , “Tourisme” and “GT”. The car made its high-profile public debut on 26 September 1957 at a press presentation staged in Monaco. The ACMA directors ensured a good attendance from members of the press by also inviting three celebrity racing drivers to the Vespa 400 launch. The 400 was a two seater with room behind the seats to accommodate luggage or two small children on an optional cushion. The front seats were simple tubular metal frames with cloth upholstery on elastic “springs” and between the seats were the handbrake, starter and choke. The gear change was centrally floor mounted. The rear hinged doors were coated on the inside with only a thin plastic lining attached to the metal door panel skin allowing valuable extra internal space. On the early cars the main door windows did not open which attracted criticism, but increased the usable width for the driver and passenger. Instrumentation was very basic with only a speedometer and warning lights for low fuel, main beam, dynamo charging and indicators. The cabriolet fabric roof could be rolled back from the windscreen header rail to the top of the rear engine cover leaving conventional metal sides above the doors. The 12 volt battery was located at the front of the car, behind the dummy front grill, on a shelf that could be slid out. The spare wheel was stowed in a well under the passenger seat. The high-profile launch paid off, with 12,130 cars produced in 1958. That turned out to be the high point, however, and output fell to 8,717 in 1959 despite a price reduction for the entry level 2-seater “normal” coupé from 345,000 francs to 319,500 francs between October 1957 and October 1958. Commentators suggested that the chic image created at the time of the launch was not always matched by the car itself, with its awkward gear change, poor sound-proofing and, especially before a modification to the carburettor specification, high fuel consumption. The car’s origins, developed by a leading world producer of motor scooters, Italy’s Piaggio Company, makers of the Vespa since 1946, was reflected in the installation, in the Vespa 400, of a two stroke (motorbike style) engine which required oil to be added to the petrol/gasoline whenever the car was refuelled. During the summer of 1958 the cars were fitted with a semi-automatic device for adding oil to the fuel, but a fully automatic fuel mixing device was not included until two years later.

1955 Fiat 600: Codenamed Progetto 100 (“Project 100”), the Fiat 600 mirrored the layout of the Volkswagen Beetle and Renault 4CV of its era. Aimed at being an economical but capable vehicle, its design parameters stipulated a weight of around 450 kg with the ability to carry 4 people and luggage plus a cruising speed of no less than 85 km/h. A total of 5 prototypes were built between 1952 and 1954, which all differed from one another. Chassis number 000001 with engine number 000002 is believed to be the sole remaining example. It was powered by an innovative single-cam V2-cylinder engine designed to simplify maintenance and did not feature a clutch pedal. At the official launch in 1955, FIAT engineer, Dante Giacosa declared that the aim had been to create something new, both in the interest of progress and simplification. This prototype, however, did not become the chosen design. When the car made it to production, with a launch at the 1955 Geneva Show, it was christened the 600. It had hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels. Suspension was a unique single double-mounted leafspring—which acts as a stabiliser—between the front wheels coupled to gas-charged shock absorbers, and an independent coil-over-shock absorber setup coupled to semi-trailing arms at the rear. All 600 models had 3-synchro (no synchro on 1st) 4-speed transaxles. Unlike the Volkswagen Beetle or Fiat 500, the Fiat 600 was water-cooled with an ample cabin heater and, while cooling is generally adequate, for high-power modified versions a front-mounted radiator or oil cooler is needed to complement the rear-mounted radiator. All models of the 600 had generators with mechanical external regulators. The first cars had a 633 cc inline-four cylinder engine which max-ed out at 59 mph. Sales were brisk, as it was just the right size for a market still recovering from the war of the previous decade. A year after its debut, in 1956, a soft-top version was introduced, and it was followed by a six-seater variant—the Fiat 600 Multipla, the very definite precursor of current multi-purpose vehicles. By 1957, assembly started in Spain, where the car would go on to become a legend, and where you can still see large numbers of them certainly at classic car events. Production was also undertaken by Steyr Puch in Austria, and in Yugoslavia and Argentina. The millionth 600 was produced in February 1961, less than six years after the car’s launch, and at the time when the millionth car was produced, the manufacturer reported it was producing the car at the then remarkable rate of 1,000 a day. Italian production ceased in 1969, but the model continued to made in other countries, and a grand total of nearly 3 million examples were eventually made.

Austin Mini Countryman

By the 1960s, life was much better for most people, with increased prosperity allowing more people to buy a car or in an increasing number of cases, their first second car. Leisure pursuits were becoming more popular with increasing mechanisation and the introduction of labour-saving devices in the home. And the motor industry responded with a much wider array of models.

1969 Jaguar E Type: The Jaguar E Type was presented at the 1961 Geneva Automobile Show in both the coupé and open version, and was a worldwide success for the British maker. It featured independent rear suspensions, rack and pinion steering and disk brakes. This piece of greased lightning was to take the place of the renowned XK. It was powered by a straight-six, 3.8 litre engine until 1971, when its capacity was stepped up to 4.2 litres. A total of 72,520 Jaguar Es were built between 1961 and 1975. The car seen here is a Series 2.

1955 Citroen 2CV AZ: The Citroën 2CV (French: “deux chevaux” i.e. “deux chevaux-vapeur [fiscaux]”, literally “two tax horsepower”) was an economy car produced by the French car manufacturer Citroën between 1948 and 1990. The index mark in the name designates engine rating (French CV, chevaux vapeur) estimated by its capacity, imposed by a tax on (French chevaux fiscaux, cheval fiscal — a transport tax, literally a horse tax) cars in the then France, while the real power of the original variant is 9 hp. This automobile played the same role in France as Ford T in the USA or Volkswagen Beetle in Germany: “to make the nation drive”. Many original and progressive decisions are realized in its construction, for example, the front drive, which was unusual for the cars of the prewar design. The car had an easy-to-maintain engine, adjusting torsion suspension and a relatively large clearance. The detachable fabric top made possible to transport an oversize cargo. Similar to the Beetle the 2CV was produce in many countries and for not one decade. From 1948 through 1990 3, 872, 583 2CV itself were produced plus 1, 246, 306 small trucks on its base, plus several millions of later modifications (Diana, Mehari and others) — the total production amounted to 8, 756, 688 items. The major manufacture of the original 2CV was moved from France to Portugal in 1988.

1982 Ferrari 208 GTB Turbo: In the wake of the success brought by its 308 GTB and GTS during the first half of 1980, Ferrari started producing a series of cars fitted with a V8, 2-litre engine, partly supercharged, like the one on display. As with all others Ferraris of this capacity, the 208 GTB was solely produced for the Italian market: 450 cars were built between 1981 and 1985.

1972 Iso Lele: The Lele was launched in 1969. It had a body designed by Bertone and was intended as the successor to the IR 300. At the start of 1973 the Rivolta family ceded the business to an Italian American financier named Ivo Pera who promised to bring American management know-how to the firm. The business was again renamed to Iso Motors, just before fading rapidly into obscurity, going bankrupt in 1974, only 1700 Iso Gran Turismos having been built in those ten years. That meant that the Lele was the last new design offered. Styled by Bertone, there was little wrong with the looks of the car, but build quality was patchy and the large V8 engine was thirsty so when the fuel crisis of 1974 made such cars a liability, sales reduced to next to none, and this proved the death knell for the marque.

1967 NSU Ro80: in 1967 NSU launched the rotary powered Ro80. This featured a 113 bhp, 995 cc twin-rotor Wankel engine driving the front wheels through a semi-automatic transmission with an innovative vacuum operated clutch system. Other technological features of the Ro 80, aside from the powertrain, were the four wheel ATE Dunlop disc brakes, which for some time were generally only featured on expensive sports or luxury saloon cars. The front brakes were mounted inboard, reducing the unsprung weight. The suspension was independent on all four wheels, with MacPherson struts at the front and semi-trailing arm suspension at the rear, both of which are space-saving designs commonly used today. Power assisted ZF rack and pinion steering was used, again foreshadowing more recent designs. The car featured an automatic clutch which was commonly described as a three-speed semi-automatic gearbox: there was no clutch pedal, but instead, touching the gear lever knob operated an internal electric switch that operated a vacuum system which disengaged the clutch. The gear lever itself then could be moved through a standard ‘H pattern’ gate. The styling, by Claus Luthe who was head of design at NSU and later BMW, was considered very modern at the time; the Ro 80 has been part of many gallery exhibits of modern industrial design. The large glass area foreshadowed 1970s designs such as Citroën’s. The shape was also slippery, with a drag coefficient of 0.355 (very good for the era). This allowed for a top speed of 112 mph. The company’s limited resources focused on improving the reliability of the rotary engine, with much attention given to the material used for the three rotor tips (apex seals) for the oval-like epitrochoid-shaped rotor housing that sealed the combustion chambers. A feature of the engine was its willingness to rev quickly and quietly to damagingly high engine speeds, but it was precisely at these high speeds that damage to key engine components occurred: all Ro 80s came with a rev counter, but cars produced after 1971 also came with an “acoustical signal” that warned the driver when the engine was rotating too fast. The Ro 80 remained largely unchanged over its ten year production. From September 1969 the rectangular headlights were replaced with twin halogen units, and air extractor vents appeared on the C-pillar behind the doors. In August 1970 a slightly reshaped plastic grill replaced the metal grill of the early cars, and a minimal facelift in May 1975 saw the final cars getting enlarged rear lights and rubber inserts in the bumpers which increased the car’s overall length by 15 mm to 4795 mm. Series production began in October 1967 and the last examples came off the production line in April 1977. During 1968, the first full year of production, 5,986 cars were produced, increasing to 7,811 in 1969 and falling slightly to 7,200 in 1970. After this output declined, to about 3,000 – 4,000 per year for the next three years. The relative thirst of the rotary engine told against the car after the savage fuel price rises accompanying the oil crisis of 1973, and between 1974 and 1976 annual production came in well below 2,000 units. In total 37,398 Ro80s were produced during the ten-year production run. Ultimately, it was the contrasting success of the similarly sized Audi 100 that sealed both the fate of the Ro80, and the NSU brand as a whole within the Auto Union-NSU combine, as parent company Volkswagen began nurturing Audi as its performance-luxury brand in the late 1970s. After the discontinuation of the Ro80 in 1977, the Neckarsulm plant was switched over entirely to producing Audi’s C- and D- platform vehicles (the 100/200, and later the Audi A6 and A8), and the NSU brand disappeared from the public eye.

1987 Trabant 601: The Trabant was the result of a planning process which had intended to design a three-wheeled motorcycle. In German, a trabant is an astronomical term for a moon (or other natural satellite) of a celestial body. The first of the Trabants left the VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau factory in Saxony on 7 November 1957. It was a relatively advanced car when it was formally introduced the following year, with front wheel drive, unitary construction and independent suspension. The Trabant’s greatest shortcoming was its engine. By the late 1950s many small Western cars (such as the Renault) had cleaner, more-efficient four-stroke engines, but budgetary constraints and raw-materials shortages mandated an outdated (but inexpensive) two-stroke engine in the Trabant. It was technically equivalent to the West German Lloyd automobile, a similarly sized car with an air-cooled, two-cylinder four-stroke engine. The Trabant had a front, transversely-mounted engine and front-wheel drive in an era when many European cars were using rear-mounted engines or front-mounted engines with rear-wheel drive. Its greatest drawback was its largely unchanged production; the car’s two-stroke engine made it obsolete by the 1970s, limiting exports to Western Europe. The Trabant’s air-cooled, 500 cc engine—upgraded to 600cc in 1962–63—was derived from a pre-war DKW design with minor alterations during its production run. The first Saab car had a larger (764cc), water-cooled, two-cylinder two-stroke engine. Wartburg, an East German manufacturer of larger sedans, also used a water-cooled, three-cylinder, 1,000 cc two-stroke DKW engine. The original Trabant, introduced in 1958, was the P50. Trabant’s base model, it shared a large number of interchangeable parts with the latest 1.1s. The 500 cc, 18 hp P50 evolved into a 20 hp version with a fully synchronized gearbox in 1960, and received a 23 hp, 600 cc engine in 1962 as the P60. The updated P601 was introduced in 1964. It was essentially a facelift of the P60, with a different front fascia, bonnet, roof and rear and the original P50 underpinnings. The model remained nearly unchanged until the end of its production except for the addition of 12V electricity, rear coil springs and an updated dashboard for later models. The Trabant’s designers expected production to extend until 1967 at the latest, and East German designers and engineers created a series of more-sophisticated prototypes intended to replace the P601; several are on display at the Dresden Transport Museum. Each proposal for a new model was rejected by the East German government due to shortages of the raw materials required in larger quantities for the more-advanced designs. As a result, the Trabant remained largely unchanged for more than a quarter-century. Also unchanged was its production method, which was extremely labour-intensive. The Trabant 1100 (also known as the P1100) was a 601 with a better-performing 1.05-litre, 45HP VW Polo engine. With a more-modern look (including a floor-mounted gearshift), it was quieter and cleaner than its predecessor. The 1100 had front disc brakes, and its wheel assembly was borrowed from Volkswagen. It was produced between from 1989 to 1991, in parallel with the two-stroke P601. Except for the engine and transmission, many parts from older P50s, P60s and 601s were compatible with the 1100. In mid-1989, thousands of East Germans began loading their Trabants with as much as they could carry and drove to Hungary or Czechoslovakia en route to West Germany on the “Trabi Trail”. Many had to get special permission to drive their Trabants into West Germany, since the cars did not meet West German emissions standards and polluted the air at four times the European average. A licensed version of the Volkswagen Polo engine replaced the Trabant’s two-stroke engine in 1989, the result of a trade agreement between East and West Germany. The model, the Trabant 1.1, also had minor improvements to its brake and signal lights, a renovated grille, and MacPherson struts instead of a leaf-spring-suspended chassis. When the 1.1 began production in May 1990, the two German states had already agreed to reunification. By April 1991 3.7 million vehicles had been produced. However, it soon became apparent that there was no place for the Trabant in a reunified German economy; its inefficient, labour-intensive production line survived on government subsidies. The Trabant ceased production in 1991, and the Zwickau factory in Mosel (where the Trabant 1.1 was manufactured) was sold to Volkswagen AG.

1957 GAZ M20 Pobeda: The GAZ-M20 “Pobeda” (Russian: ГАЗ-М20 Победа; Победа, Victory) was a passenger car produced in the Soviet Union by GAZ from 1946 until 1958. It was also licensed to Polish Passenger Automobile Factory, as FSO Warszawa. Although usually known as the GAZ-M20, an original car’s designation at that time was just M-20, for “Molotovets” (GAZ factory bore a name of Vyacheslav Molotov). The first sketches of similar-looking cars were completed by Valentin Brodsky in 1938 and by Vladimir Aryamov in 1940, which revealed a growing tendency towards streamline car design in the Soviet Union, and also that western, chiefly U.S., automotive journals and brochures were available to Soviet designers. Aryamov’s two-door coupe GAZ-11-80, designed in 1940, greatly resembled the later Pobeda and was in many ways identical to it. However, after the German invasion of 1941 military priorities delayed the work on the new car and the factory was switched to military production. The first Pobeda was developed in the Soviet Union under chief engineer Andrei A. Liphart. Originally intended to be called “Rodina” (Homeland), the name “Pobeda” (Victory) was a back-up, but was preferred by Joseph Stalin. The name was chosen because the works started in 1943 at Gorky Avto Zavod (GAZ, “Gorky Car Plant”), when victory in World War II began to seem likely, and the car was to be a model for post-war times. The plant was later heavily bombarded, but work was unaffected. Styling was done by “the imaginative and talented Veniamin Samoilov”. The GAZ-M20 Pobeda was one of the first Soviet cars of original design and moreover introduced a new vogue in automobile design; only the front suspension and, partially, the unitized body were influenced by the 1938 Opel Kapitän. It was one of the first cars to introduce ponton styling with slab sides, preceding many Western manufacturers. The M20 was the first Soviet car using entirely domestic body dies; it was designed against wooden bucks, which suffered warping, requiring last-minute tuning by GAZ factory employees. The first prototype was ready on November 6, 1944 (for an anniversary of the October Revolution). The first production model rolled off the assembly line on June 21, 1946. It was also the first Soviet automobile to have turn signals, two electric windshield wipers (rather than mechanical- or vacuum-operated ones), four-wheel hydraulic brakes, an electric heater, and a factory-installed AM radio. The car came to be a symbol of postwar Soviet life and is today a popular collector’s item. During the design process, GAZ had to choose between a 62 PS 2,700 cc inline six and a 50 PS 2,112 cc inline four; Stalin preferred the four, so it was used. The same M-20 engine was later used on the ASU-57 light assault gun. In addition, the headlights were covered by an American patent. Production started in 1946, only a year after the end of the world war, and was difficult due to serious economic and technical hardships caused by the war; by the end of 1946, only twenty-three cars were completed, virtually by hand. Truly mass production had to wait until 28 April 1947, and even then, only 700 were built before October 1948. During that period the Soviet Union was unable to produce steel sheets large enough for body panels, so strips had to be welded together, which led to countless leaks and 20 kg (44 lb) of solder in the body, as well as an increase in weight of 200 kg (440 lb).[Steel quality was below average, up to 60% was rejected, and the overall quality of the first cars was so low that production was actually stopped by order of the government and the company’s director was fired. On August 31, 1948, the government issued a decree requiring the immediate improvement of quality and thorough testing of the new automobiles. The cars and their integral parts were subjected to detailed laboratory and on-road testing, opinions of the cars’ drivers were carefully studied and taken into account. After a reorganisation, solving the initial build quality issues, making 346 improvements and adding two thousand new tools, the Pobeda was restored to production. It had a new carburettor, different final drive ratio (5.125:1 rather than 4.7:1), strengthened rear springs, improved heater, and the ability to run on the low-grade 66 octane fuel typical in the Soviet Union. (Among the changes was a 5 cm (2.0 in) lower rear seat, enabling military and police officers to ride without removing their caps). The improvements enabled the new Pobeda to reach 50 km/h (31 mph) in 12 seconds, half the previous model’s time. In January 1949, the state commission issued a report after testing the new model and its parts, where it noted the significant improvement of build quality, ruggedness and durability of the car, good fuel consumption and on-road performance, especially on poor roads. The improved Pobeda was placed in production on 1 November 1949, and the techniques needed to develop and manufacture it effectively created the Soviet automobile industry. In 1952, improved airflow in the engine increased power from 50 to 52 PS; it climbed to 55 PS, along with the new grille, upholstery, steering wheel, radio, and radiator badge, as the M20V (Russian: М-20В), 1955.

1973 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2: This four-seater luxury grand tourer boasted excellent mechanic components in true Ferrari style. In fact, its 12-cylinder 60° V engine – initially used exclusively in racing events – was later applied to road models. The engine was mounted longitudinally, which explains its flat and wide bonnet. Its most noticeable characteristic was its 4-shaft timing system. The mechanicals were those of the 365 GTC, but the rear seating was more comfortable. Pininfarina conferred both élan and harmony on this automobile. The flank carries a tip-to-tail motif and the roof is both large and extraordinarly elegant. It was powered by a 4390cc V12 engine which generated 310 bhp. A total of 520 GT4s had been made when production came to an end in 1976 when the car was replaced by the visually similar 400GT. While its design appealed to overseas tastes, it was never sold in America. Furthermore, it was never popular in Europe, even though its mechanics offered very high performance.

2000 Fiat Ecobasic: In the late 1990s, Fiat set out to prove cheap and eco-friendly weren’t mutually exclusive. It argued a car could be both with an innovative, opinion-cleaving concept named Ecobasic built to preview the econobox of the future. Fiat quietly presented the Ecobasic at the 1999 edition of the Bologna auto show, which was still a big deal 21 years ago, and it displayed it again at the following year’s Geneva show. Its high-top Converse-shaped silhouette turned heads everywhere it went, and that was only the beginning. Looking closer revealed its front end received a transparent panel that let users add oil, coolant, wiper fluid, or give the battery a jump. Audi adopted a similar solution for its A2. It had one door on the driver’s side, two on the passenger’s side, and a transparent hatch underlined by a pair of horizontal lights. It stretched 137.7 inches long, 67.3 inches wide, and 57.8 inches tall, dimensions that made it about two inches taller, three inches wider, and an inch lower than a modern-day 500. Keeping manufacturing costs in check was a priority, so Fiat used plastic body panels dyed with colour during the production process and mounted them to a steel structure, a configuration not unlike the Smart ForTwo’s. They were designed to be recycled at the end of the car’s life cycle. Inside, the passengers were treated to a marvellous exercise in simple, back-to-the-basics design. The driver sat in front of a four-spoke steering wheel, while a speedometer and a fuel gauge were integrated into a pod that sprouted from the centre of the dashboard. The automatic transmission’s gear selector, a handful of buttons, and the HVAC controls were aligned below it. The domed, bolted-down hood covered a 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel developed specifically for the Ecobasic. It showcased Fiat’s Multijet common-rail technology, which promised improve fuel economy without compromising power. On paper, that’s exactly what it achieved. The four developed 61 horsepower at 3,500 rpm and 118 lb/ft of torque at 1,800 rpm, which were reasonably respectable figures for an Italian city car made in the late 1990s, and it returned nearly 80 miles per gallon. Fiat quoted a 13-second 0-62-mph time. The company apparently did not blush when it hinted it could build 200,000 units of the Ecobasic annually and sell each one for approximately 5,000 euros, a price which would have made it one of the cheapest new cars sold in Europe. Executives backpedalled, the Ecobasic remained at the concept stage, but some of its innovations reached production. It cost five million euros to develop, so it’d have been a shame to consign it to the attic. Taking advantage of its short-lived tie-up with General Motors, Fiat fine-tuned the prototype’s Multijet technology and fitted it to a 1.3-litre turbodiesel that, in an odd twist of fate, made its debut in the 2003 Opel Eco Speedster concept. It reached production the following year under the hood of the face-lifted Punto (a Ford Fiesta-sized hatchback) and spread across the company’s range during the 2000s. General Motors used it, too. The overall design ultimately didn’t progress beyond the drawing board. Credible rumours claimed it would influence the second-generation Panda finally due out in the early 2000s and the Seicento’s successor expected to arrive at about the same time. The former shared no more than a very vague, passing resemblance with the Ecobasic, for better or worse. The second project was delayed, and the Seicento’s successor didn’t arrive until 2007. It looked nothing like the Ecobasic; it was the modern-day 500 still sold across Europe in 2020.

Idra: The idea for H2politO began in 2007 as a student initiative to build an alternative energy vehicle based on hydrogen propulsion. Massimiliana Carello, an Assistant Professor at the Politecnico, was appointed faculty advisor to monitor the team’s activities and support the technological and educational aspects of the project. Dean Francesco Profumo then approved the project and the first H2politO team created in 2007 it was composed of 15 students who designed, assembled and tested the first prototype. Within the team, students have assigned precise roles, tasks and responsibilities as if they worked for a vehicle company. Students are also in charge of the organizational and decision-making aspects of the project. A group of professors at the university and company experts now advise H2politO, forming a steering committee that monitors team activities and serving as thesis supervisors for student experiments. The Politecnico di Torino is the first Italian university to officially recognize a project of this kind. H2politO has experienced a number of successes. Its IDRA08 hydrogen propulsion vehicle participates in the Shell Eco-marathon and the Formula Electric & Hybrid Italy competitions. In 2008, the IDRA08 was named the Politecnico di Torino’s Project of the Year. The Politecnico is the main backer of H2politO’s finances and facilities, providing laboratories and equipment to assemble and test prototypes. Several major companies are involved as sponsors, forming technical partnerships between students and firms to develop vehicles and, in some cases, financially contributing to the project. The headquarters and laboratory for H2politO are within the Politecnico’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department (address: Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin, Italy). The Idra 11 is a hydrogen propelled vehicle weighing just 38 kg. It has disc brakes with separated hydraulic circuits and a direct engaging transmission. The steering system is a kinematic mechanism acting on front wheels. The body is made from Carbon Fibre and is self-supporting. The result is 3000 mm long, 750 mm wide and 600 mm tall. It seats one. The Hydrogen Fuel Cells combined with one high efficiency brushed electric motor with an output of 1KW allow it reach 35 km/h and consumption is 2344 km/litre. To the left of Idra 11 in the picture is Idra 08 which was produced three years earlier. The concept is very similar but this one weights 60kg.

1993 Fiat Downtown: The Fiat Downtown is a concept car originally shown in 1993 at the Turin Motor Show. Designed by Chris Bangle, the Downtown is a plastic bodied car on an aluminium chassis, resulting in a low kerb weight of 700kg. It is powered by a 9.5hp motor integrated in each rear wheel, with rear-mounted sodium-sulphur batteries that can achieve a claimed top speed of 62mph, or a range of 186 miles at 30mph.

There are a trio of supercars here, too.

Lamborghini Diablo VT: At a time when the company was financed by the Swiss-based Mimran brothers, Lamborghini began development of what was codenamed Project 132 in June 1985 as a replacement for the Countach model. The brief stated that its top speed had to be at least 315 km/h (196 mph). The design of the car was contracted to Marcello Gandini, who had designed its two predecessors. When Chrysler bought the company in 1987, providing money to complete its development, its management was uncomfortable with Gandini’s designs and commissioned its design team in Detroit to execute a third extensive redesign, smoothing out the trademark’s sharp edges and corners of Gandini’s original design, and leaving him famously unimpressed. In fact, Gandini was so disappointed with the “softened” shape that he would later realise his original design in the Cizeta-Moroder V16T. The car became known as the Diablo, carrying on Lamborghini’s tradition of naming its cars after breeds of fighting bulls. The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with ‘El Chicorro’ in Madrid on July 11, 1869 In the words of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the Diablo was designed “solely to be the biggest head-turner in the world.” The Diablo was presented to the public for sale on January 21, 1990. Its power came from a 5.7 litre 48-valve version of the existing Lamborghini V12 featuring dual overhead cams and computer-controlled multi-point fuel injection, producing a maximum output of 499 PS and 580 N·m (428 lb/ft) of torque. The vehicle could reach 100 km/h in about 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 202 mph. The Diablo was rear-wheel drive and the engine was mid-mounted to aid its weight balance. The Diablo came better equipped than the Countach; standard features included fully adjustable seats and steering wheel, electric windows, an Alpine stereo system, and power steering from 1993 onwards. Anti-lock brakes were not initially available, although they would eventually be used. A few options were available, including a custom-moulded driver’s seat, remote CD changer and subwoofer, rear spoiler, factory fitted luggage set and an exclusive Breguet clock for the dash. The Diablo VT was introduced in 1993. Although the VT differed from the standard Diablo in a number of ways, by far the most notable change was the addition of all wheel drive, which made use of a viscous centre differential (a modified version of LM002’s 4WD system). This provided the new nomenclature for the car (VT stands for viscous traction). The new drivetrain could direct up to 25% of the torque to the front wheels to aid traction during rear wheel slip, thus significantly improving the handling characteristics of the car. Other improvements debuting on the VT included front air intakes below the driving lamps to improve brake cooling, larger intakes in the rear arches, a more ergonomic interior with a revised dashboard, electronically adjustable dampers, four-piston brake calipers, power steering, and minor engine refinements. Many of these improvements, save the four-wheel drive system, soon transferred to the base Diablo, making the cars visually nearly identical. Further updates would follow before the car gave way to the Murcielago in 2001. The Diablo sold in greater numbers than its predecessor with 2898 examples being made during its 11 year production life.  There were several here, including the VT and the SV, a few of them were the late model cars with their faired-in headlights.

Lamborghini Murcielago: In its turn, the Diablo gave way to the Murcielago in 2001. Taking its name from the Spanish for “bat”, this was Lamborghini’s first new design in eleven years and more importantly, the brand’s first new model under the ownership of German parent company Audi, which was manifest in a much higher level of quality and reliability. The Murcielago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini’s head of design from 1998 to 2005. Initially it was only available as a Coupe. The Murciélago was an all-wheel drive, mid-engined supersports car. With an angular design and an exceptionally low slung body, the highest point of the roof is just under 4 feet above the ground. One of the vehicle’s most distinguishing features are its scissor doors. which lends to the extreme image. First-generation Murciélagos, produced between 2001 and 2006, were powered by a Lamborghini V12 that traces its roots back to the company’s beginnings in the 1960s. The rear differential is integrated with the engine itself, with a viscous coupling centre differential providing drive to the front wheels. Power is delivered through a 6-speed manual transmission. The Murciélago suspension uses an independent double-wishbone design, and bodywork features carbon fiber, steel and aluminium parts. The rear spoiler and the active air intakes integrated into the car’s shoulders are electromechanically controlled, deploying automatically only at high speeds in an effort to maximise both aerodynamic and cooling efficiency. The first generation cars were produced between 2001 and 2006, and known simply as Murciélago, sometimes Murciélago VT. Their V12 engines produced just under 580 PS (572 hp), and powered the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds. Subsequent versions incorporated an alphanumeric designation to the name Murciélago, which indicated their engine configuration and output. However, the original cars are never referred to as “LP 580s”. The Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004. Primarily designed to be an open top car, it employed a manually attached soft roof as cover from adverse weather, but a warning on the windshield header advised the driver not to exceed 100 mph (160 km/h) with the top in place. The designer used the B-2 stealth bomber, the Wally 118 WallyPower yacht, and architect Santiago Calatrava’s Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, Spain as his inspiration for the roadster’s revised rear pillars and engine cover. In March 2006, Lamborghini unveiled a new version of its halo car at the Geneva Motor Show: the Murciélago LP 640. The new title incorporated the car’s name, along with an alphanumeric designation which indicated the engine’s orientation (Longitudinale Posteriore), along with the newly updated power output. With displacement now increased to 6.5 litres, the new car made 640 PS ( 631 hp) at 8000 rpm. The Murciélago’s exterior received a minor facelift. Front and rear details were revised, and side air intakes were now asymmetrical with the left side feeding an oil cooler. A new single outlet exhaust system incorporated into the rear diffuser, modified suspension tuning, revised programming and upgraded clutch for the 6-speed “e-Gear” automated sequential transmission with launch control rounded out the performance modifications. Interior seating was also re-shaped to provide greater headroom, and a new stereo system formed part of the updated dashboard. Optional equipment included Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brakes, chrome paddle shifters and a glass engine cover. At the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show, Lamborghini announced that the roadster version of the Murciélago would also be updated to LP 640 status. At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the ultimate version of the Murciélago, the LP 670–4 SuperVeloce. The SV moniker had previously appeared on the Diablo SV, and Miura. SV variants are more extreme and track-oriented, and are released at the end of each model’s production run. The SuperVeloce’s V12 produced 670 PS (661 hp) at 8000 rpm and 660 N·m (490 lbf·ft) of torque at 6500 rpm, thanks to revised valve timing and upgraded intake system. The car’s weight was also reduced by 100 kg (220 lb) through extensive use of carbon fibre inside and out. A new lighter exhaust system was also used. As a result of the extensive weight loss, the SV had a power-to-weight ratio of 429 bhp/ton. Also standard were the LP 640’s optional 15-inch carbon-ceramic disc brakes with 6 piston calipers. The original production plan for the SV was limited to 350 cars, but in fact only 186 LP 670-4s were produced before the factory had to make room for the new Aventador production line. Numbered cars 1–350 do not represent the order in which cars were manufactured. Only 5-6 were made with manual transmission. Production of the Murciélago ended on November 5, 2010, with a total run of 4,099 cars. Its successor, the Aventador, was released at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

Pagani Alisea: The Pagani Alisea is a concept car, a tribute to the Pagani Zonda’s 25th anniversary, designed by students at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Turin in collaboration with Pagani Automobili. Unveiled in April 2024, the Alisea is a 1:1 scale model that reimagines the Zonda for the year 2049, blending classic Zonda elements with a futuristic and sporty design.

“AUTORINO”

Turin, city of the motor car: this is a cliché that for many people means just that the Fiat company originated in Turin, but in fact it signifies a much more complex and variegated situation. Over 70 car companies started up in Turin in the twentieth century, as well as over 80 bodywork manufacturers and Turin is still today the headquarters of centres of excellence in the project and design fields. A map imprinted on the floor will allow you to reconstruct this extraordinary role of the motor car “capital”.

1909 STAE Electric: In 1905, the French marque Krieger, which specialised in the construction of electric and petrol-electric vehicles, set up a branch in Turin that later changed its style to Società Torinese Automobili Elettriche (STAE), but continued to make use of Krieger’s patents. It met with little success, however, and wound up in 1913. This vehicle has cardan shaft drive and its centrally mounted electric engine runs off a battery hidden under the imitation bonnet. It resulted in 10bhp, a maximum speed of 30 km/h and a range of 80 – 90 km.

1914 Storero A 25/35HP: Luigi Storero, an automobile pioneer and a member of Fiat’s first racing team along with Felice Nazzaro and Vincenzo Lancia, set up on his own in Turin in 1912. This model was brought out in 1914 and embodied several unusual features, such as the integral engine, clutch and transmission, direct-drive third and stepped-up fourth gears, and foot and hand brakes acting on the rear wheels. This car had a 4 cylinder 4480 cc engine, which put out 35 bhp at 2000 rpm, with a top speed of 80 km/h.

1926 Scat Ceirano 150S: A light vehicle built by Società Ceirano Automobili Torino (SCAT), the name taken by the company that came into being after the merger with S.A. Giovanni Ceirano, another firm of the same type established by the prolific Ceirano brothers. Also known as the Ceiranina, the original 150 was endowed with overhead timing gear in the S version to enhance its performance. Five series were produced down to 1931. This one has 4 cylinders and a 1458 cc engine which generated 35 bhp at 3000 rpm, endowing the car with a top speed of 110 km/h.

1929 Fiat 509A: Fiat’s utility passenger car, with its four-cylinder 990cc engine with overhead timing which generated 22 bhp at 3400rpm and a top speed of 78 km’h enjoyed significant success from 1925 to 1929. The 509 A model appeared in 1926 and was an improved version of the original model. The saloon on display has a Weymann body (invented by the Frenchman Charles Torres Weymann) with a wooden shell covered with imitation leather that provided a certain amount of “give”and noise reduction. The 509 was the first Fiat car that could be bought on hire purchase through the SAVA company.

1926 FOD 18HP: An example of the only model made by Società Fonderie Officine De Benedetti of Turin in its very short life (1925-27). It was a nimble two-seater runabout produced as a spider and a saloon with some highly innovative features, such its single-piece, cast aluminium alloy frame with steel longitudinals. There was also a small van with a 150 kg payload constructed on a longer chassis. Powering it was a 4 cylinder 565 cc engine which generated 18 bhp, giving this 450kg car a top speed of 75 km/h.

UNDER THE SKIN

The cars in this part of the exhibitions were displayed so you could see what lies beneath their (generally attractive) bodywork.

1922 Chiribini: Founded in Turin in 1910 by Antonio Chiribiri, a Venetian who had learnt his trade at Florentia, Zust and Isotta Fraschini, this firm began with small runabouts before moving on to more ambitious projects in 1919. These consisted of a line of prestige models, including a sports car (it was on a Chiribiri that Tazio Nuvolari began his racing career). The Milano (shown here as the chassis) was the most successful and renowned for its precision engineering. It had a 4 cylinder 1593 cc engine which generated just 12 bhp at 2200 rpm giving the car a top speed of 100 km/h.

1924 San Giusto 750: San Giusto Fabbrica Automobili was a short-lived firm (1924-26) founded in Trieste, whereas its workshop were in Milan. The small car whose chassis is on display was designed by Cesare Beltrami and presented at the 1924 Milan Motor Show. Its many front-runner engineering innovations included the single, central rail frame, independent all-wheel suspension and the rear-mounted, 4-cylinder 748cc engine with forced-airflow cooling via a turbine fan driven by the engine itself. It put out 16 bhp at 2200rpm and gave the car a top speed of 70 km/h.

1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Mille Miglia: This is the chassis of one of Alfa Romeo’s most classic models. Designed by Vittorio Jano, one of Italy’s leading automotive engineers, this six-cylinder 1.5-litre was produced both for touring and as a sports car with Alfa’s typical twin overhead camshaft. A Roots blower was installed on 12 units as on this example, and a similarly supercharged version carried Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi to victory in the 1928 Mille Miglia. The engine was soon upgraded to the better known 1750cc version in 1929 but this 1487cc unit put out a healthy 76 bhp at 4800rpm, giving it a top speed of 140 km/h.

SIGNIFICANT CARS

Ford Model T: The Model T is one of history’s most famous cars. Simple, sturdy and inexpensive to run, it was the answer to Henry Ford’s wish to offer a mass-produced vehicle that would cost little to buy. It had a number of way-ahead features: pressed steel chassis, two-speed plus reverse transmission with epicyclic gears, and transverse, single-leaf front suspension. Quickly the favourite of all ranks of America society, Ford’s masterpiece remained in production from 1908 until 1927. This example is one of the 15 million that rolled off the assembly lines during those twenty years. At the end of 1999, a jury of specialised journalist chose the Ford T as the “Car of the Century” from a list of 500 models. The model had a 4 cylinder engine of 2863 cc, which generated 20 bhp at 1600 rpm and a top speed of 70 km/h.

1952 VW 1200 Beetle: Volkswagen produced 20,710,000 of its famous Beetle (Maggiolino in Italian) cars between 1945 and 1987: a record that will be hard to beat. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche before World War II as a car for the general public to be built in a new factory at Wolfsburg, it only started to roll off the assembly lines when peace returned. Within a few years, it was the world’s bestseller thanks to its proverbial ruggedness, reliability and low running cost. This one as the 1133cc 4 cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled rear engine which put out just 25 bhp at 3300rpm giving it a top speed of just 100 km/h.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette: The first generation of Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year. Originally designed as a show car for the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, it generated enough interest to induce GM to make a production version to sell to the public. First production was on June 30, 1953. This generation was often referred to as the “solid-axle” models (the independent rear suspension was not introduced until the second generation).Three hundred hand-built polo white Corvette convertibles were produced for the 1953 model year. The 1954 model year vehicles could be ordered in Pennant Blue, Sportsman Red, Black, or Polo White. 3,640 were built, and sold slowly. The 1955 model offered a 265 cu in (4.34 litre) V8 engine as an option. With a large inventory of unsold 1954 models, GM limited production to 700 for 1955. With the new V8, the 0-60 mph time improved by 1.5 seconds. A new body was introduced for the 1956 model featuring a new “face” and side coves; the taillamp fins were also gone. An optional fuel injection system was made available in the middle of the 1957 model year. It was one of the first mass-produced engines in history to reach 1 bhp per cubic inch (16.4 cc) and Chevrolet’s advertising agency used a “one hp per cubic inch” slogan for advertising the 283 bhp 283 cu in (4.64 litre) Small-Block engine. Other options included power windows (1956), hydraulically operated power convertible top (1956), heavy duty brakes and suspension (1957), and four speed manual transmission (late 1957). Delco Radio transistorised signal-seeking “hybrid” car radio, which used both vacuum tubes and transistors in its radio’s circuitry (1956 option). The 1958 Corvette received a body and interior freshening which included a longer front end with quad headlamps, bumper exiting exhaust tips, a new steering wheel, and a dashboard with all gauges mounted directly in front of the driver. Exclusive to the 1958 model were bonnet louvres and twin trunk spears. The 1959–60 model years had few changes except a decreased amount of body chrome and more powerful engine offerings. In 1961, the rear of the car was completely redesigned with the addition of a “duck tail” with four round lights. The light treatment would continue for all following model year Corvettes until 2014. In 1962, the Chevrolet 283 cu in (4.64 litre) Small-Block was enlarged to 327 cu in (5.36 litre). In standard form it produced 250 bhp. For an extra 12% over list price, the fuel-injected version produced 360 bhp, making it the fastest of the C1 generation. 1962 was also the last year for the wrap around windshield, solid rear axle, and convertible-only body style. The boot lid and exposed headlamps did not reappear for many decades. An all-new C2 generation model was launched for 1963.

Fiat 850: Following the success of the 500 and 600 models, Fiat introduced a slightly larger and more expensive variant, the 850 in 1964. The regular 2 door saloon was soon joined in the range by other models and they are the ones you see more often these days, not that they are exactly common now. The 850 Coupe, early and later versions of which were to be seen here was seen for the first time at the 1965 Geneva Show. As was generally the case at the time, the body looked completely different from the saloon on which it was based, but underneath it shared the same mechanicals including the the original 843 cc engine producing 47 hp, which gave it a maximum speed of 84 mph. A Spider model was launched at the same time. In order to separate the sportier variants, equipment levels were raised, with both models getting sport seats, a sport steering wheel and round speedometer; The Spider even received a completely rearranged instrument panel. The front drum brakes were replaced with disc brakes, although drum brakes remained on the rear wheels. In 1968, Fiat revised both the Spider and Coupé and gave them a stronger engine with 903 cc and 52 hp. They were called Sport Spider and Sport Coupé. The Sport Spider body stayed essentially the same, but with a restyled front, whereas the Coupe gained twin headlights at the front and a revised tail with a slight lip on the trailing edge of the engine cover. Despite its popularity, the Coupe was the first model to cease production, being deleted in 1971.

1968 Fiat 500F: Known as project 110, the brief for the Nuova 500 was to create a micro-car that would not only carry on the tradition of the earlier Topolino, but which would also take sales away from the ever popular Lambretta and Vespa scooters of the day. It clearly needed to be smaller than the 600 which had been released with a conventional 4 cylinder engine. Not an easy task, but development started in 1953 and by August 1954, two designs were ready to be shown to Fiat management. They selected one, and serious development began. At first the car was referred to as the 400, as it was going to have a 400cc engine, but it was soon realised that this was just too small, so a larger 500cc air-cooled engine was developed. It was signed off in January 1956, with production starting in March 1957 in advance of a June launch. Fiat’s marketing department got busy, with hundreds of the new car taking to the streets of Turin, each with a pretty girl standing through the open sunroof that was a feature of all the early cars. The press loved it. 50 units were shipped to Britain, where the car made its debut at Brands Hatch, and again the reception was enthusiastic. But the orders just did not come in. Fiat went for a hasty rethink, relaunching the car at the Turin Show later that year. power was increased from 13 to 15 bhp, and the poverty spec was lessened a little, with headlight bezels, brightwork on the side and chrome hubcaps, a Nuova500 badge on the engine cover, winding side windows (the launch cars just had opening quarterlights) and the option of a heater fan. It was enough to get sales moving. The original car was still offered, at a lower price, called the Economy. In the first year of production, 28,452 Fiat 500s were made. Over the next 19 years, the car changed little in overall appearance, but there were a number of updates with more power and equipment added. A 500 Sport was launched in August 1958, with a more powerful version of the 499cc engine. It lost the soft top, having a ridged steel roof, to increase strength of the body. It was only available in grey with a red side flash. The first major changes came in 1960 with the 500D. This looks very similar to the Nuova, but with two key differences. One is the engine size: the D features an uprated 499 cc engine producing 17 bhp as standard, an engine which would be used right through until the end of the L in 1973; and the other is the roof: the standard D roof does not fold back as far as the roof on the Nuova, though it was also available as the “Transformable” with the same roof as the Nuova. The D still featured “suicide doors”. There were larger rear light clusters, more space in the front boot thanks to a redesign of the fuel tank and new indicators under the headlights. A year later, Fiat added a light on the rear-view mirrors and a windscreen washer, but the car still lacked a fuel gauge. Sales increased from 20,900 in 1960 to 87.000 in 1961, 132,000 in 1962 and by 1964, the last year of production, they hit 194,000 units. The D was replaced in 1965 by the 500F, which finally moved the door hinges from back to the front, owing to changes in Italian safety laws. There was a deeper windscreen and thinner door pillars, which increased the height of the car by 10mm, improving visibility for the driver. The 500F ran through to 1975, from 1968 alongside the more luxurious 500L which was added to the range in 1968. The L is easy to tell apart, with its bumper overriders. The final updates created the 500R, which incorporated many changes from the 126 under the skin of the classic shape, and in this form production continued alongside the newer 126 until 1976. There were examples of the 500D, 500F. and 500L, and they attracted lots of attention all day – everyone, it seems, has a soft spot for them.

Autobianchi Primula: Manufactured between 1964 and 1970, the Primula was Fiat’s first model with rack and pinion steering and is widely known for its innovative Dante Giacosa-designed front-wheel drive, transverse engine layout — that would be later popularised by the Fiat 128 to ultimately become an industry-standard front drive layout. The Primula was originally available with two or four doors, with or without a rear hatchback, referred to in Italian as “berlina”. Beginning in 1965, Autobianchi offered a coupé model, a more spacious 2-door fastback designed by Carrozzeria Touring. Prior to the Primula, all Fiat Group passenger cars were rear-wheel drive; the larger models followed the classic front engine powering the rear axle, and small cars were rear-engined. Meanwhile, a practical concept emerged, namely the front-wheel drive layout with the engine mounted transversely, which allowed for very efficient space utilisation. This arrangement had been popularised by the British Motor Corporation’s Mini, launched in 1959. That car had its transmission integrated into the engine’s oil sump, producing a very compact drivetrain for use on a small car. However the Mini had significant transmission problems early in its production run and the arrangement had poor refinement, high noise levels and was awkward to service. The early issues were resolved and the concept spread to larger BMC products, notably the 1100/1300 series built in Italy by Innocenti. These larger models did not require the transmission-in-sump arrangement for the purposes of space utilisation (as on the Mini) but retained it for design and parts commonality. Fiat’s chief designer, Dante Giacosa, recognised the potential of the concept and sought ways to improve on it – namely by removing the transmission from the sump. This would produce a larger overall powertrain unit but this was not essential in the type of cars Giacosa proposed. In return such cars would be easier to service and repair and benefit from greater refinement and lower noise levels. Fiat was cautiously accepting of Giacosa’s proposal and decided to experiment without risking damage to the image of its popular Fiat-branded cars. Thus the Autobianchi Primula emerged—a car marketed under a less crucial nameplate, for which it was an entry into a whole new class of vehicles. The key to Giacosa’s design was a compact concentric clutch release mechanism using a hydraulic piston mounted inside a hollow gearbox input shaft, thus doing away with the traditional external clutch lever and release arm and the internal clutch thrust bearing. This allowed the powertrain to be short enough to fit across the Primula’s engine bay while allowing for the required steering angles and the determined overall width. With the transmission mounted end-on to the engine and the final drive therefore offset from the car’s centre line, the Primula had unequal-length driveshafts. Initially, the Primula was fitted with the 1221 cc engine from the Fiat 1100 D (for the coupé it was uprated to 65 hp, but in 1968 it was replaced with Fiat 124 engines—the berlinas received the 1197 cc 60 hp engine from the standard versions, while the coupé was fitted with the more powerful 1438 cc 70 hp unit. All engines used in the Primula had overhead valves (OHV)—the later twin cam derivative of the 1438 cc unit was not used in any Autobianchi (Fiat did use it later in the Lancia Beta- the issue at the time in a transverse installation of a twin-cam head being the arrangement of the exhaust manifold of the necessarily cross-flow head). Unlike contemporaneous BMC and Peugeot models, which had the transmission in the oil sump, the Primula had its manual transmission placed end-on, above the differential. The Primula also featured disc brakes on all four wheels, uncommon in small cars of the time. The Primula’s particular configuration of front wheel drive and transverse engine, but with a gearbox on the end of the engine, ingenious Fiat-designed clutch release mechanism and unequal length drive shafts, rather than a gearbox in the sump like the Mini, has become universal among front-wheel-drive cars. Suspension was a single wishbone and upper transverse leaf spring in the front and a “dead” rear axle. The Primula is thus a car design of far greater significance than is often realised, as its design influence spread, far beyond even the mainstream high volume Fiats such as the 128 and the 127 of the late 1960s which used its driveline layout combined with MacPherson struts; to every front wheel drive transverse engined car in production today. Production reached approximately 75,000 before ending in 1970.

Lloyd Alexander TS: The TS was the top of the range version of the Alexander, the runabout passenger car manufactured by Lloyd, a member of the German Borgward group of automakers. The Alexander TS was produced from September 1958 to the end of 1961 when Borgward began to slide into the financial difficulties that led to its final disappearance from the market in 1964. The TS was a 4-seater saloon. Its characteristic features are the timing system with the camshaft in the cylinder heads, central beam chassis with platform, and independent front suspensions. It had a 2 cylinders in line 600 cc air-cooled engine which generated 50 bhp at 3250 rpm. It could reach 110 km/h and delivered a fuel consumption of 6,2 l/100 km

Autobianchi Bianchina: The Bianchina cars were the first Autobianchi models to be produced. Based on the Fiat 500, they were available in various configurations: Berlina (saloon), Cabriolet, Trasformabile (convertible), Panoramica (station wagon), and Furgoncino (van). The car was presented to the public on 16 September 1957 at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. Initially, the car was equipped with the smallest Fiat engine, air-cooled 479 cc producing 15 PS. In 1959, the engine power was increased to 17 PS and in 1960, the cabriolet version was launched. In the same year, the Trasformabile, whose engine cylinder capacity was increased to 499 cc (18 hp), was made available in a Special version with bicolour paint and an engine enhanced to 21 PS. The Trasformabile featured fixed B-pillar and partial roof, as the rest of the opening was covered with foldable fabric hood. Cabriolet version had no B-pillar. Also this was the only version to feature suicide doors. In 1962, the Trasformabile was replaced by a four-seat saloon. The engine and chassis were the same as in the Trasformabile. In 1965, a minor facelift was made. In France, the models were sold under different names: the Berlina became the Lutèce, the Familiare the Texane, and the Trasformabile was marketed as the Eden Roc. Production ceased in 1970.

The current Fiat 500 was launched – in a big way – in Torino in July 2007 and remains in production, with sales still rising every year. A special display of the model featured.

MOTOR SPORT

A separate gallery comprised a mouth-watering display of historic race cars. Like the rest of this museum, there was a mix of familiar and the more unusual.

1920 Temperino 8/10HP: In 1919, three brothers, Maurizio, Giacomo and Carlo Temperino, set up a factory in Turin to build small, two-seater runabouts powered by a two-cylinder 1010cc 20 bhp air-cooled engine. The 8/10 HP was the firm’s first model and enjoyed a certain measure of success, both in Italy and abroad, on account of its easy handling and low running cost. A sports car version, too, chalked up a number of victories, including the Sassi-Superga (Turin) hill climb in 1919, and the 256-km Sestrières Tour in the following year at an average speed of 52.325 km/h.

1924 Fiat 501 S: The 501 was the popular post-war car par excellence. In fact, undoubtedly, it was one of those that formed the backbone of Italian motoring for almost a decade. In 1922, the 501 model was followed by the sporty 501 S and 501 SS models. As compared to the basic version with a 23 HP engine, the 501 S version had an upgraded engine with 26.5 HP, a more compressed engine, a different camshaft, longer axle ratios, and a higher speed. It was followed by many other versions built by skilled and attentive bodywork mechanics, who recognized the 501 S as a car that was able to combine sporty characteristics with low costs

1932 Monaco Nardi Chichibio: Monaco’s project was aimed at demonstrating two technical principles, both of which – many decades later – were widely adopted by the global automotive industry: air-cooling of the engine and front-wheel drive. For the engine he chose a J.A.P. twin- cylinder featuring 80 x 99 mm, 998 cc total displacement, and two overhead valves for each cylinder. The engine was lubricated by three pumps: the first pump sent oil to the crankshaft, another to the right-hand cylinder, and the third to the timing components as well as valve guides

Fiat 508 Ballila Sport

1975 Alfa Romeo 33 TT/12: The 33/TT 12 (Telaio Tubolare, tubular chassis) appeared in 1973 with the Carlo Chiti-designed 12 cylinder 3.0L flat engine (500 bhp). The 1973 season was more or less development time and in 1974 the car won at Monza 1000 km and finished the season with second place in the championship. It wasn’t until 1975 that, after years of trying, Alfa Romeo won the 1975 World Championship for Makes. The season was one of almost total domination with seven wins in eight races., Winning drivers were: Arturo Merzario, Vittorio Brambilla, Jacques Laffite, Henri Pescarolo, Derek Bell and Jochen Mass. For 1976 Autodelta was concentrating on other things and the car was rarely used in competitions.

1948 TARF: A record-breaking vehicle with a twin-torpedo body composed of two separate chassis in steel tubes and hanging coverings. The one on the left was occupied by the driver, the other housed the motorcycle engine and transmission, and the fuel tank. Other features included all-independent suspensions and chain transmission to the rear wheels. Designed and driven by Piero Taruffi, the Tarf was initially equipped with a Guzzi 500 two-cylinder engine, and then with Gilera’s 350 cc, 500cc and 550 cc four-cylinder models. It set 22 international speed records between 1948 and 1957, and others records were established by a second version built in 1951.

1955 Nibbio II: A special record-breaker built by Giovanni Lurani, it had independent 4-wheel suspensions and was fitted with a Guzzi one-cylinder 350cc motorcycle engine, generating 39 bhp at 7500pm which allowed it reach 185 km/h. It had Ghia bodywork. Between 1956 and 1958, the Nibbio 2 set up some international 350 cc class speed records at Monza in the hands of Giovanni Lurani, Piero Campanella and Angelo Poggio.

1965 Dragster The Hawaiian: Dragsters were built to take part in the standing quarter-mile (402.25 metre) acceleration races that were all the rage in the United States for many years. The big and powerful engine and driver’s seat are placed at the rear to ensure the maximum grip for the driving wheels, while the chassis is reduced to a bare minimum to make the vehicle as light as possible. The braking system consists of a parachute housed in the rear of the car. The dragster on show, called The Hawaian by its maker, mounts a 7-litre V8 Chrysler Marine engine with blower, generating 1200 bhp allowing it to reach 320 km/h.

1954 Lancia D50: A Formula One racing car, it was designed by Vittorio Jano for Lancia in 1954. The car’s design made use of many innovative features, such as the use of the engine as a stressed chassis member, the off-centre positioning of the engine to allow a lower overall height, and pannier fuel cells for better weight distribution and aerodynamics. The D50 made its race debut toward the end of the 1954 Formula One season in the hands of two-time and reigning World Champion, Italian driver Alberto Ascari. In its very first event Ascari took both pole position in qualifying and fastest race lap, although his car’s clutch failed after only ten laps. Following Ascari’s death, and in increasing financial trouble, the Lancia family sold their controlling share in the Lancia company, and the assets of Scuderia Lancia were given to Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari continued to develop the car, although they removed many of Jano’s most innovative designs, and the car was rebadged as the Lancia-Ferrari D50 and later simply the Ferrari D50. Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1956 World Championship of Drivers with this car modified by Ferrari. During their competition lifespan D50s were entered into 14 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, winning five. Just six D50s were built and two of them are displayed in Italian museums.

1958 Ferrari 246 F1: In 1958 the Formula 1 car was developed from the Dino 156 Ferrari model of 1957. The chassis structure was composed of two main tubes and other tubes of smaller diameter. The V6 engine was 2417cc and generated 280 bhp at 8500 rpm, giving a top speed of 270 km/h. Initially it had drum brakes and De Dion rear axle, multiple-disk clutch, 4-speed transmission and integral differential. This 1960 version, however, has disc brakes. It was in a 246 F1 that Mike Hawthorn won the World Championship in 1958. During 2001, the Ferrari company and the Museum restored this vehicle’s mechanicals and exterior from its original drawings and with original materials.

1963 Ferrari 156 F1: Changes in the Formula 1 championship regulations in 1961 (free-induction 1500 cc engines and 450 kg minimum weight) induced Ferrari to adopt F2 engines. At the same time, the single-seater was greatly altered when the engine was moved to the rear. These developments led to numerous variants of the basic V engine(first at 65° then at 120°). Cylinder heads with 4 valves and a version with a very short stroke were experimented. The Bosch injection system, with high pressure mechanical pump and in-cylinder injectors were the most noteworthy addition. The 1477cc engine generated 200 bhp at 10,200 rpm, giving a top speed of 240 km/h. The 156 F1 won Phil Hill the world title in 1961, and carried John Surtees to victory in the German and Mediterranean Grands Prix in 1963.

Three recent Ferrari Formula 1 cars were the Ferrari F2003, Ferrari F2011 and Ferrari F399

1965 Formula Monza 750

Alfa Romeo 159: This is an example of the renowned Alfetta racing car that started life as the 158 in 1937 and then had its power gradually stepped up after the war to become the 159. It won a multitude of races as well as the World Championship for Nino Farina in 1950 and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951. This admirable example of refined engineering had a straight-eight supercharged engine with a positive-displacement blower, single at first and then double-stage, while its power output was boosted to 225, 254, 310, 350 and 425 bhp, this being equivalent to a specific 283 hp/litre, a figure that was only outstripped many years later when Formula 1 engines began to be equipped with turbochargers. The model on display is a 159 with the 158 bodywork.

Maserati 250F: The 250 F was one of the most famous Formula 1 cars. It was designed by Gioachino Colombo and Vittorio Bellentani, and perfected by Giulio Alfieri. It featured a 6 cylinder 2493cc engine putting out 240 bhp at 7200rpm. This model was a leading Grand Prix star from 1954 to 1960 and won countless victories in the four corners of the world. Its most successful season was in 1957, when it carried off the Argentina, Munich, France and Germany Grands Prix, and won the World Drivers’ Championship for Manuel Fangio and the Constructors’ World Championship.

1926 Maserati Tipo 26B: The Maserati brothers’ second racing car built at their Bologna factory, this model is derived from the 26 which made its debut when it came third in the 1927 Targa Florio driven by Alfieri Maserati. The 26 B has a straight-eight 1980cc 155 bhp engine, supercharged with a Roots blower and twin overhead camshaft timing. In 1928 the car won the Italian Makes Championship thanks to the skill of drivers such as Ernesto Maserati, Baconin Borzacchini, Ajmo Maggi and others.

1925 Itala 11: Designed by Giulio Cesare Cappa, this small racing car made its debut in 1925 and was one of the first single-seaters. Its leading-edge specifications included a just over 1-litre, V12 engine with Roots positive-displacement supercharger which generated 60 bhp at 7000 rpm, all-independent suspension, reinforced wooden chassis and integral engine, transmission and differential. A 1500 cc version known as the 15 was also designed.

1912 Acquila Italiana 25/30 HP: Aquila Italiana was founded in Turin in 1906 and remained in business until 1917. Its sound reputation rested on the avant-garde ideas of Giulio Cesare Cappa, one of the leading designers of the day, and its subsequent successes on the racetrack. A distinctive feature of the sports model is its compact 6 cylinder 3921cc engine with overhead inlet and lateral exhaust valves. The 25/30 HP was also one of the first cars to be fitted with hydraulic front dampers. It put out 60 bhp at 3600 rpm and could reach 130 km/h.

1914 Fiat S57/14B: This is one of the three vehicles Fiat prepared for the Automobile Club de France Grand Prix raced on the Lyon track just before World War I ( 5 July 1914) and won by Christian Lautenschlager’s Mercedes. The S 57/14 B came back to racing when peace returned and chalked up several successes. It was driven to victory in the 1919 Parma-Poggio di Berceto by Antonio Ascari, and in the 1921 Targa Florio by Guido Masetti. It had a 4 cylinder 4492 cc engine, generating 135 bhp at 3500 rpm, giving it a top speed of 145 km/h.

1907 Fiat 130 HP: This racing car mounts a mighty over-16-litre engine with overhead V at 90° valve timing. It puts out 130 bhp at 1600 rpm, an impressive figure for the time, and could reach 160 km/h. In 1907, three 130s driven by Felice Nazzaro, Vincenzo Lancia and Louis Wagner took part in the Automobile Club de France Grand Prix on the Dieppe circuit. Nazzaro came first at the extraordinary average speed of 113.612 km/h.

1903 Fiat 16/20HP: This model was produced from 1903 to 1906 with three wheelbase (2.120, 2.585 and 2.830 mm) to accommodate different kinds of coachwork. The example on display is a sports two-seater version on a short chassis with coachwork by Alessio of Turin. It had a 4 cylinder bi-block engine of 4179 cc, with a max power output: 20 bhp at 1200 rpm giving a top speed of 70 km/h. A total of 690 16/20s were manufactured.

1930 Alfa Romeo P2: This is a modified version of the P2 racing car, designed by Vittorio Jano, which on its debut in 1924 won the 200 Miles of the II Circuito di Cremona, driven by Antonio Ascari. It was the first of a series of victories, including the Italian Grand Prix with Ascari, two European Grands Prix with Giuseppe Campari and Ascari, the first World Championship with Gastone Brilli Peri, the Monza Grand Prix and the seventh Circuito di Alessandria (also called Circuito Pietro Bordino) with Achille Varzi. The model was modified in 1930 and it too made a name for itself in various races, including the Circuito di Alessabdria and the Targa Florio, once again in the hands of Achille Varzi. The P2 model is considered the grandsire of all Alfa Romeo’s famous racing cars. It featured an 8 cylinder supercharged engine of 1987 cc which generated 175 bhp at 5500 rpm with a top speed of 225 km/h.

1954 Mercedes W196: In its day, this was the most innovative Formula 1 car on account of its straight-eight motor equipped with positive-drive valve timing (i.e. without return springs), two plugs per cylinder and direct injection. The RW 196 mounted two kinds of bodywork: conventional with uncovered wheels, and fully flaired for very high speed racing. This model’s first victory coincided with its debut in the Grand Prix of France held at Rheims in 1954, when Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling came first and second. It also carried Fangio to the world title in the same year and the next. It featured an 8 cylinder 2496 cc engine with a max power output of 290 bhp at 8000 rpm and could hit 290 km/h.

1980 Ferrari 312 T5: After Jody Scheckter became World Champion Driver in 1979, Ferrari presented the T5 version in 1980 while preparing to launch the 126C fitted with a turbocharged power plant. The car bearing the number 2 (number 1 had been assigned to Schekter) was driven by Gilles Villeneuve, the driver who tragically lost his life in 1982 during the practice runs for the Belgian Grand Prix. The 312 T5 is another example of Ferrari’s series with the transverse transmission (hence the T) favoured by its design philosophy. The body is fitted with miniskirts to obtain the ground effect. its engine contains 12 cylinders at 180° with a capacity of 2992 cc and a max power output: 515 bhp at 12,300 rpm.

2005 Ferrari F2005

Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti: The Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI was a FIA Class 1 touring car that Alfa Corse raced from 1993 to 1996 in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and the subsequent International Touring Car Championship. A high revving 2.5 L 60° V6 engine was coupled to a four wheel drive system, rated at 426 PS (420 bhp) at 11,500 rpm. Alfa Corse entered two 155 V6 TIs for works drivers Alessandro Nannini and Nicola Larini; the 1993 season was dominated by Larini winning 11 of 22 races. In 1994, the rivals from Mercedes seemed to have the advantage, but Alfa did manage to win a further eleven races. A more consistent performance from the Germans gave them the title. Since the 1995 season, the team got new sponsorship livery from Martini Racing. The 1996 version had a 2.5 L 90° V6 engine based loosely on the PRV engine rated at 490 PS (483 bhp) at 11,900 rpm. The car has a top speed of around 300 km/h (190 mph) and weighed 1,060 kilograms (2,340 lb). The Alfa 155 V6 TI has a record of 38 wins (plus 3 other non championship races). The victories were obtained by seven different drivers: 17 (+1) Nicola Larini, 13 (+1) Alessandro Nannini, 2 Stefano Modena, 2 (+1) Christian Danner, 2 Michael Bartels, 1 Kris Nissen and 1 Gabriele Tarquini.

1914 Bedelia: One of the “cyclecars” which were popular in France in period, this rather curious automobile, where the driver sits behind the passenger, was manufactured by the Bourbeau et Devaux Co. of Paris between 1910 to 1925 to a design by Robert Bourbeau. Rather than scaling down existing motor-car designs, Bourbeau chose to adapt mainly motor-cycle practice for his design, giving rise to the cyclecar designation. The low and light car carried its two passengers in tandem with the passenger seated at the front, while in the rear was the person doing the steering. Single-cylinder or 10 hp V-twin engines were used. Drive was to the rear wheels through a belt which could be moved between pulleys to give a two speed transmission. The front axle was centre pivotted with suspension by a single mid mounted coil spring and the steering was by a cable and bobbin. Elliptic leaf springs were used at the rear. The method of changing gear was unusual. The rear driver had to operate a lever which slackened the belt by moving the rear axle forwards and then the passenger had to move the belt between pulleys by means of a separate lever. Quite how the car was driven without a passenger is not clear. On later cars the levers were moved so that the driver could steer the car for himself. The car’s launch coincided with a “Petroleum/gasoline War” involving the competing commercial interests of the United States, Romania and other countries. France, having no indigenous oil supplies of its own, and the Algerian reserves not yet discovered, was particularly badly hit, and the government exacerbated the challenge for the infant auto-industry with new car taxes. The light-weight Bedélia cyclecar’s introduction was therefore timely, and the marque gained a further impetus as a result of a Bédélia winning the 1913 Cyclecar Grand Prix held at Amiens. In fact, a Morgan came in first, Morgan enthusiasts have claimed it as a win to the present day and it was largely on publicity from this success that Morgan broke into the French market, resulting in the creation of the Darmont company and, tangentially, Sandford, an example of which was also to be seen here. Despite Morgan’s claims, the second placed French car was subsequently awarded the victory. Before World War I, Bédélia cyclecars sold very well, even in Britain. Manufacturing rights were obtained by a dealer, a Monsieur Binet in 1920 and he had an updated version of the cars made for him by Mahieux of Levallois-Perret, Seine. The body design was modified to let the driver and passengers sit and a conventional three speed gearbox was fitted. Engines of up to 990 cc were offered. But by the mid 1920s, the cyclecar boom was over, with affordable “proper” cars, such as the Austin Seven and Citroen 5CV, seen as infinitely preferable to these small machines, and in 1925, the Bédélia Company collapsed.

ITALIAN ICONS

1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante: The Alfa Romeo 1900 C52 “Disco Volante”,commonly known simply as Alfa Romeo Disco Volante (Italian for “Flying Saucer”), is a series of experimental sports racing cars produced between 1952 and 1953 by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo in collaboration with Milanese coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. The car was distinguished by streamlined, wind tunnel tested bodywork. Three spiders were made in 1952, with a 2-litre all-alloy four-cylinder engine; a year later one was modified into a coupé, and another one into a more conventional-looking spider. Two more examples were built fitted with a six-cylinder 3.5-litre engine from the Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM racing car. Four of the five cars built in total survive today. The 1900 C52 was originally developed in 1952 to take part to Sport category races. Its fully enveloping aerodynamic bodywork was developed and built together with Carrozzeria Touring, and wind tunnel tested. Studied to achieve a low drag coefficient even in crosswinds, the body featured a lenticular cross-section both viewed from the front and from the side; the underbody was faired-in. According to some the design of the Jaguar E-type has some design cues similar to the Disco Volante. Built around an all-new tubular space frame, the Disco Volante used lightened components from the Alfa Romeo 1900. As on the 1900, the engine was an inline-four with double chain-driven overhead camshafts, but used an aluminium block and inserted sleeves instead of the 1900s cast iron one. While the 1900s 88 mm stroke was retained, cylinder bore had grown from 82.55 mm to 85 mm, bringing total displacement to 1,997.4 cc; compression ratio was raised to 8.73:1. So configured, fed by two twin-choke sidedraught carburettors, the engine produced 158 PS (156 bhp) at 6,500 rpm. The transmission was 4-speed gearbox with synchronised forwards speeds and a multi plate dry clutch. Suspension was, as on other Alfa Romeos of the time, by double wishbones at the front and solid axle linked to the chassis by an upper triangle and two lower longitudinal reaction arms. The brakes were drums on all four corners, and the 6.0×16″ tyres were fitted to wire wheels with duralumin rims. Thanks to its aerodynamic shape the car could attain a top speed of 220 km/h (140 mph). Three examples of the two-litre Disco Volante were built in total. In 1953 two of them were modified to carry out further aerodynamic tests. One was given a fixed roof, becoming an enclosed coupé; the other, doing away with the characteristic bulging wings in favour of more conventional ones, became the so-called “fianchi stretti” (Italian for “narrow hips”) spider. The latter car was the only Disco Volante to be raced in period—being fielded in some competitions during 1953—since the program did not progress past the experimental stage. Two more cars with the original spider body style were built fitted with a 3,495 cc, cast iron block, double overhead camshaft straight-six engine from the contemporary Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM racing car in place of the all-alloy four-cylinder; one was dismantled soon after its construction. Thanks to an output of 230 PS (227 bhp) at 6,000 rpm, the 3.5-litre Disco Volante could reach a top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph). The spider and coupé 2.0-litre prototypes are preserved in the Museum here, and are regularly used in classic car races. Estimated value of each is between 1 and 2 million Euro. The fianchi stretti spider is part of the Schlumpf collection, on display in the Musée national de l’automobile in Mulhouse, France. This is the unique remaining six-cylinder 3.5-litre spider.

Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider: The 2600, or 106 Series, were an evolution of the model first seen in 1958 as a replacement for the 1900, and called the 2000 and known internally as the 102 Series. This was the time when Alfa was still in transition from being a maker of exclusive coachbuilt and racing cars to one that offered volume production models. The 102 Series were never likely to be big sellers, in a world that was still recovering economically from the ravages of the Second World War, but the range was an important flagship, nonetheless. The 2000 models ran for 4 years, from 1958 to 1962, at which point they were updated, taking on the name of 106 Series, with minor styling changes being accompanied by a larger 2600cc engine under the bonnet. As with the 2000 models, the new 2600 cars were sold in Berlina (Saloon), Sprint (Coupe) and Spider (Convertible) versions, along with a dramatically styled SZ Coupe from Italian styling house Zagato and a rebodied Berlina from OSI, all of them with an inline twin overhead cam six cylinder engine of 2.6 litres, the last Alfas to offer this configuration. Just 6999 of the Sprint models were made and 2255 Spiders, very few of which were sold new in the UK where they were exceedingly expensive thanks to the dreaded Import Duty which made them much more costly than an E Type. Many of the parts were unique to these cars, so owning one now is far harder than the more plentiful 4 cylinder Alfas of the era. Whilst the rather square styling of the Berlina, which won it relatively few friends when new and not a lot more in recent times means that there are few of these versions to be seen, the Sprint and Spider models do appear from time to time, and market interest in the cars is now starting to accelerate, with values rise accordingly.

1972 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider Junior”Duetto”: Famous for being the car featured in the 1967 film The Graduate, Alfa Romeo’s spider par excellence has been a success since its presentation at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. Its original and elegant line was created by the coachbuilder Pininfarina, who designed a two-seat-er spider that was hither to unusual in its kind, with the lenticular shape of the front and convex sides with deep longitudinal indentation and streamlined Plexiglas headlights.

Ferrari 308 GTB: The 308 GTB was launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1975 as a direct replacement for the Dino 246. Designed by Pininfarina with sweeping curves and aggressive lines, the 308 has gone on to become one of the most recognised Ferraris of all time. Fitted with a 2.9 litre DOHC V8 engine fed by four Webber 40DCNF Carburettors, the power output of 255bhp was sufficient to propel the 308 from 0 to 60mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 159 mph.Tougher emissions standards in the 1980s challenged Ferrari more than many other marques. In 1980, fuel injection was adopted for the first time on the 308 GTB and GTS models, and power dropped quite noticeably fro 240 bhp to 214bhp. Two years later, at the 1982 Paris Motor Show, Ferrari launched the 308 quattrovalvole, in GTB and GTS form. The main change from the 308 GTBi/GTSi it succeeded were the 4-valves per cylinder—hence its name, which pushed output back up to 240 hp restoring some of the performance lost to the emission control equipment. The new model could be recognised by the addition of a slim louvred panel in the front lid to aid radiator exhaust air exit, power operated mirrors carrying a small enamel Ferrari badge, a redesigned radiator grille with rectangular driving lights on each side, and rectangular (in place of round) side repeaters. The interior also received some minor updates, such as a satin black three spoke steering wheel with triangular centre; cloth seat centres became available as an option to the standard full leather. Available included metallic paint, a deep front spoiler, air conditioning, wider wheels, 16-inch Speedline wheels with Pirelli P7 tyres, and a satin black roof aerofoil (standard on Japanese market models). Apart from the 32-valve cylinder heads, the V8 engine was essentially of the same design as that used in the 308 GTSi model. The gear and final drive ratios were altered to suit the revised characteristics of the four valves per cylinder engine. One other significant benefit of the QV four valve heads was the replacement of the non-QV models sodium valves which have been known to fail at the joint between the head and the stem. Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and Marelli Digiplex electronic ignition were carried over from the GTBi/GTSi. The car was produced in this form until the launch of the 328 models in the autumn of 1985 which had larger 3.2 litre engines and a number of styling changes. 308 GTB models are becoming increasingly sought after, with prices rising steadily and quite steeply.

Ferrari Testarossa:

A replacement for the BB512i, the final iteration of Ferrari’s first ever mid-engined road car, the Testarossa was launched at the Paris Show in October 1984. The Pininfarina-designed car was produced until 1991, with the same basic design then going through two model revisions, with the  512 TR and later F512 M which were produced from 1992 to 1996 before the model was replaced by the front-engined 550 Maranello. Almost 10,000 Testarossas, 512 TRs, and F512 Ms were produced, making it one of the most-produced Ferrari models, despite its high price and exotic design. The Testarossa followed the same concept as the BB512, but was intended to fix some of the criticisms of the earlier car, such as a cabin that got increasingly hot from the indoor plumbing that ran between the front-mounted radiator and the midships-mounted engine and a lack of luggage space. This resulted in a car that was larger, and at 1,976 millimetres (78 in) wide the Testarossa was half a foot wider than the Boxer and immediately condemned for being too wide, though these days it does not appear anything like as wide as it did when new. This resulted in an increased wheelbase that stretched about 64 mm (2.5 in) to 2,550 mm (100 in) which was used to accommodate luggage in a carpeted storage space under the front forward-opening lid. The increase in length created extra storage space behind the seats in the cabin. Headroom was also increased with a roofline half an inch taller than the Boxer. The design came from Pininfarina with a team of designers led by design chief Leonardo Fioravanti, the designer of many contemporary Ferraris. The design was originated by Nicosia, but the guidance of Fioravanti was equally important. Being a trained aerodynamicist, Fioravanti applied his know-how to set the aerodynamics layout of the car. This meant the large side intakes were not only a statement of style but actually functional – they drew clean air to cool the side radiators and then went upward and left the car through the ventilation holes located at the engine lid and the tail. As a result, the Testarossa did not need a rear spoiler like Lamborghini’s Countach yet produced zero lift at its rear axle. The aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.36 was also significantly better than the Lamborghini’s 0.42. Pininfarina’s body was a departure from the curvaceous boxer—one which caused some controversy. The side strakes sometimes referred to as “cheese graters” or “egg slicers,” that spanned from the doors to the rear wings were needed for rules in several countries outlawing large openings on cars. The Testarossa had twin radiators in the back with the engine instead of a single radiator up-front.  In conjunction the strakes provided cool air to the rear-mounted side radiators, thus keeping the engine from overheating. The strakes also made the Testarossa wider at the rear than in the front, thus increasing stability and handling. One last unique addition to the new design was a single high mounted rear view mirror on the driver’s side. On US based cars, the mirror was lowered to a more normal placement in 1987 and quickly joined by a passenger side rear view mirror for the driver to be able to make safe easy lane changes. Like its predecessor, the Testarossa used double wishbone front and rear suspension systems. Ferrari improved traction by adding 10-inch-wide alloy rear wheels. The Testarossa drivetrain was also an evolution of the BB 512i. Its engine used near identical displacement and compression ratio, but unlike the BB 512i had four-valve cylinder heads that were finished in red. The capacity was 4,943 cc, in a flat-12 engine mid mounted. Each cylinder had four valves,  lubricated via a dry sump system, and a compression ratio of 9.20:1. These combined to provide a maximum torque of 490 Nm (361 lb/ft) at 4500 rpm and a maximum power of 390 hp at 6300 rpm. That was enough to allow the Testarossa to accelerate from 0–60 mph in 5.2 seconds and on to 100 mph. The original Testarossa was re-engineered for 1992 and released as the 512 TR, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, effectively as a completely new car, with an improved weight distribution of 41% front: 59% rear. The F512 M was introduced at the 1994 Paris Auto Show, with the M standing for “modificata”.  That car is easy to spot as it lost the pop-up headlights and gained awkward glazed in units.

Ferrari F430:

Effectively a mid-life update to the 360 Modena, the F430 debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Designed by Pininfarina, under the guidance of Frank Stephenson, the body styling of the F430 was revised from the  360 Modena, to improve its aerodynamic efficiency. Although the drag coefficient remained the same, downforce was greatly enhanced. Despite sharing the same basic Alcoa Aluminium chassis, roof line, doors and glass, the car looked significantly different from the 360. A great deal of Ferrari heritage was included in the exterior design. At the rear, the Enzo’s tail lights and interior vents were added. The car’s name was etched into the Testarossa-styled driver’s side mirror. The large oval openings in the front bumper are reminiscent of Ferrari racing models from the 60s, specifically the 156 “sharknose” Formula One car and 250 TR61 Le Mans cars of Phil Hill. Designed with soft-top-convertible. The F430 featured a 4.3 litre V8 petrol engine of the “Ferrari-Maserati” F136 family. This new power plant was a significant departure for Ferrari, as all previous Ferrari V8’s were descendants of the Dino racing program of the 1950s. This fifty-year development cycle came to an end with the entirely new unit. The engine’s output was 490 hp at 8500 rpm and 343 lb/ft of torque at 5250 rpm, 80% of which was available below 3500rpm. Despite a 20% increase in displacement, engine weight grew by only 4 kg and engine dimensions were decreased, for easier packaging. The connecting rods, pistons and crankshaft were all entirely new, while the four-valve cylinder head, valves and intake trumpets were copied directly from Formula 1 engines, for ideal volumetric efficiency. The F430 has a top speed in excess of 196 mph and could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, 0.6 seconds quicker than the old model. The brakes on the F430 were designed in close cooperation with Brembo (who did the calipers and discs) and Bosch (who did the electronics package),resulting in a new cast-iron alloy for the discs. The new alloy includes molybdenum which has better heat dissipation performance. The F430 was also available with the optional Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brake package. Ferrari claims the carbon ceramic brakes will not fade even after 300-360 laps at their test track. The F430 featured the E-Diff, a computer-controlled limited slip active differential which can vary the distribution of torque based on inputs such as steering angle and lateral acceleration. Other notable features include the first application of Ferrari’s manettino steering wheel-mounted control knob. Drivers can select from five different settings which modify the vehicle’s ESC system, “Skyhook” electronic suspension, transmission behaviour, throttle response, and E-Diff. The feature is similar to Land Rover’s “Terrain Response” system. The Ferrari F430 was also released with exclusive Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT tyres, which have a V-shaped tread design, run-flat capability, and OneTRED technology. The F430 Spider, Ferrari’s 21st road going convertible, made its world premiere at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. The car was designed by Pininfarina with aerodynamic simulation programs also used for Formula 1 cars. The roof panel automatically folds away inside a space above the engine bay. The conversion from a closed top to an open-air convertible is a two-stage folding-action. The interior of the Spider is identical to that of the coupé. Serving as the successor to the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia was unveiled by Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Aimed to compete with cars like the Porsche RS-models and the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera it was lighter by 100 kg/220 lb and more powerful (510 PS) than the standard F430. Increased power came from a revised intake, exhaust, and an ion-sensing knock-detection system that allows for a higher compression ratio. Thus the weight-to-power ratio was reduced from 2.96 kg/hp to 2.5 kg/hp. In addition to the weight saving measures, the Scuderia semi-automatic transmission gained improved “Superfast”, known as “Superfast2”, software for faster 60 millisecond shift-times. A new traction control system combined the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 202 miles per hour. Ferrari claimed that around their test track, Fiorano Circuit, it matched the Ferrari Enzo, and the Ferrari F430’s successor, the Ferrari 458. To commemorate Ferrari’s 16th victory in the Formula 1 Constructor’s World Championship in 2008, Ferrari unveiled the Scuderia Spider 16M at World Finals in Mugello. It is effectively a convertible version of the 430 Scuderia. The engine produces 510 PS at 8500 rpm. The car has a dry weight of 1,340 kg, making it 80 kg lighter than the F430 Spider, at a curb weight of 1,440 kg (3,175 lb). The chassis was stiffened to cope with the extra performance available and the car featured many carbon fibre parts as standard. Specially lightened front and rear bumpers (compared to the 430 Scuderia) were a further sign of the efforts Ferrari was putting into this convertible track car for the road. Unique 5-spoke forged wheels were produced for the 16M’s launch and helped to considerably reduce unsprung weight with larger front brakes and callipers added for extra stopping power (also featured on 430 Scuderia). It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 315 km/h (196 mph). 499 vehicles were released beginning early 2009 and all were pre-sold to select clients

Lancia Flaminia Sport: Replacing the Aurelia was the Flaminia, which although superficially similar to its illustrious predecessor and materially “better” in just about every respect, never managed to capture buyers’ imaginations in the same way when new, and even now, it has to play second fiddle to the older car. The first model in the range was the Berlina, which was launched at the 1957 Geneva Show. It had a Pininfarina styled body which took much inspiration from the Florida concept car that had been shown in the previous year. Much was new under the skin. Its larger 2.5 litre 100 bhp V6 engine was new in detail, and was designed to allow for further increases in capacity, which would come in time. I was smoother than the Aurelia engines and had more torque, and with better cylinder head design and revised cooling, it was more robust, as well. There was synchromesh on all four gears. Lancia’s famous sliding pillar suspension was banished in favour of unequal length wishbones and coil springs which required less maintenance and were more refined. But the car was heavy, and complex, and exceedingly expensive. Lancia thought that their customers would pay a premium for “the best”, but tastes were changing, and the Berlina was never a strong seller, with fewer than 3000 of them being constructed, most of them being the first series cars. Just 549 of the later second series model with 110 bhp and disc brakes were made between 1961 and 1963, hardly surprising when the car cost more than a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, as it did in the UK. The later cars had a 2.8 litre engine and 125 bhp, and just 599 of these were made between 1963 and 1968. There was more success with the coachbuilt two door variants which joined the range. The most successful of these, the Pininfarina Coupe, was the first to appear. This was made between 1959 and 1967, during which time 5284 of these mostly steel-bodied cars were constructed. In many ways they were very like the Berlina, just a bit smaller, though there was a floor mounted gear lever, and the cars had more power. The first 3200 of them had a 119 bhp single carb engine with a sport camshaft. Later 3Bs had a triple choke Solex from 1962 and the power went up to 136 bhp. It was only a year after the Pininfarina car’s debut when Touring of Milan announced their Flaminia models. These aluminium bodied cars were sold in three distinct variants between 1960 and 1965. The single carburettor GT was followed by a Convertible in 1960, both of them uprated to 140 bhp triple Weber 3C spec in 1961. The 2.8 litre 3C took over in 1963 and were supplemented by a new 2+2 version called the GTL, with a taller roofline, front-hinged bonnet, longer doors and more substantial seats. It is the rarest of all Flaminia models, with just 300 made. The  styling house to offer a car was Zagato, with their Sports and SuperSports. Only 526 were made and there is a complicated production history which probably shows the sort of chaotic thinking that was going on at Lancia and which would lead to is bankruptcy and take over by Fiat in 1969. The first 99 Sports had faired-in headlights and the 119 bhp engine. From 1960 another 100 cars were built with expose lights until the introduction of the Sport 3C with the 140 bhp triple carb. Zagato made 174 of those in 1962 and 1963, still with the exposed lights. The faired-in lights returned in 1964 on the SuperSport, which also had a Kamm tail, and with DCN Webers this one put out 150 bhp. 150 of these were made between 1964 and 1967. Many of the earlier cars were upgraded early in their life, so if you see one now, you cannot be totally sure of is true origin. Production of the car ceased in 1970, with fewer than 13,000 Flaminia of all types having been built. These days, the cost to restore them properly – and it is a huge job – exceeds the value of most of them, by some margin, as Berlina and Coupe models tend not to sell for more than £30k. The Zagato cars are a different matter, and when they come up for sale, routinely go for over £300k. The Touring cars – considered by most to be the prettiest tend to be around £100k for the GT and another 50 – 80k for a convertible – a long way from the value of an Aston Martin DB4 Volante, which cost roughly the same when new.

Lancia Flaminia Presidential: The Flaminia saloon was introduced in 1957 and quickly made its mark as one of the most luxurious and refined cars of those days with its high-class interior finish and an undreamt-of ride comfort. There were several special versions, such as the 4-seater Pininfarina coupé, the Touring coupé and cabriolet, and the Zagato coupé. The Presidential model is a cabriolet-landaulet with an extra-long wheelbase made for the President of the Republic by Pininfarina in 1960 and 1961. The only four produced were restored by Fiat Auto in 2001 and returned to President Ciampi, who generously donated one to the Turin Museum. In addition to the elongated chassis and some technical modifications, the Presidential has a special set of gear ration to suit the speed required during parades and processions.

A series of panels on one of the walls of this gallery celebrated the lives and creativity of a number of legendary designers.

SPECIAL DISPLAYS

The Museum regularly houses a special display and these tend to include cars which are brought in from elsewhere to create something truly remarkable. There were two different exhibitions running at the time of my visit in June 2024, both of which will remain in place for much of the year.

A MILLIE MIGLIA LONG JOURNEY

On the occasion of the first stage finish in Turin of the 42nd edition of the Mille Miglia, MAUTO celebrates the world’s most beautiful race with the exhibition A MILLE MIGLIA LONG JOURNEY. The Exhibition-created in collaboration with the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia is open to visitors in MAUTO’s project room from June 12 to Sept. 29-tells the story of the legendary race, an epopee that lasted for three decades-from 1927 to 1957-and for which the most famous champions of the period competed on a “1000 Miglia” course. The exhibition recounts the three decades of the race, with a special focus on the most significant years. 1927, the date of the first edition; the revival after the war in 1947; and 1957, the year of Taruffi’s triumph and tragic epilogue. Each of these year corresponds to a fundamental stage in the history of the Mille Miglia: Brescia, the place where it all began; Turin, the symbol of the postwar recovery; Rome, the stage that unites Italy from North to South and the city of Taruffi’s bitter victory.  A selection of photographic portraits taken by Rodolfo Mailander, photojournalist and later head of international relations for FIAT. Drivers, team managers, engineers, journalists, technicians: Enzo Ferrari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Alberto Ascari, driver Gilberte Thirion are just some of the faces immortalized in the many moments of the race, both during the competition and behind the scenes. The Exhibition is part of a project carried out by four of Italy’s leading auto museum hubs – Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia, Museo Nicolis in Villafranca di Verona, Museo Fratelli Cozzi in Legnano and Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile – with the Fondazione Gino Macaluso per l’Auto Storica. First result of this unprecedented partnership, the exhibition will offer in each museum a selection of images that Rodolfo “Rudy” Mailander took with his Leica at the “most beautiful race in the world”. High-quality shots, exceptionally granted by the prestigious Revs Institute in Florida, to bring to life a historical and cultural cross-section in which the 1000 Miglia is both protagonist and context.

1948 Cisitalia 202 SMM: For the upcoming 1947 season, Giovanni Savonuzzi, who had designed most of the 202, sketched a coupe for Cisitalia’s competition car. The design was executed by Stabilimenti Farina upon both chassis #101 and #102. After two coupes had been finished, a spider version, called the SMM for Spider Mille Miglia, was manufactured, adorning all subsequent competition cars bearing the MM designation. At the 1947 Mille Miglia, the Cisitalia spider driven by Nuvolari led most of the race until troubles ensued with heavy rain falling. In the end, the Cisitalia finished second overall and first in class. To acknowledge Nuvolari’s efforts, all subsequent competition spiders became known as 202 SMM Nuvolaris. Stabilimenti Farina continued production of the design for several customers. In total about 20 cars were made very similar to Nuvolari’s winning car.

1953 Lancia D24: The last of a series built by Lancia for sports car competition, the D 24 carried Manuel Fangio, Piero Taruffi and Eugenio Castellotti to the first three places in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana. The following year it won the Sicily Tour and the Targa Florio for Taruffi, the Mille Miglia for Alberto Ascari and the Oporto Grand Prix for Luigi Villoresi. Designed by Vittorio Jano’s technicians, the D 24 is a magnificent example of car engineering in keeping with Lancia’s long-standing tradition, with a V6 3284cc engine generating 245 bhp at 6500 rpm and a top speed of 250 km/h.

AYRTON SENNA FOREVER

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna, for much of 2024, the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile is dedicating a large exhibition to the Brazilian driver to delve into two aspects of his life: the champion’s sports history and the private history of a man who has conquered the hearts of millions of fans around the world. From early kart experiences to Formula 1 single-seaters, the “Ayrton Senna Forever” exhibition collects the most significant cars driven by Senna throughout his career, from the first Formula Ford to the last Williams. The cars are accompanied by documents, publications and memorabilia: among these, the most complete collection of racing suits and helmets of the driver and the widest selection of all publications published, in the world, on Ayrton Senna. To accompany the story, an important visual apparatus will be articulated along the entire path: spectacular images (some previously unpublished), Super8 films, audio-visual installations, and a multi-projection on a large screen. Among the many photographs on display, taken by the greatest photographers of the time, a wide selection of shots by Angelo Orsi, a great friend and official photographer of Senna. As a corollary of the exhibition – the largest and most complete ever made – five moments of meeting and debate: pilots, journalists, designers, testers and friends, the loved ones and rivals of all time will help to draw a complete portrait of the unforgettable champion. Many testimonies from those who knew him and – in various ways – influenced his amazing career.

Born on 21 March 1960 in Sao Paulo, Senna da Silva grew up in a rather affluent family in Brazil. From his earliest years, the boy developed an interest in the automobile. Long before his early teens, Ayrton’s father built him an artisanal kart around a mower engine. After his first competition at the age of 13, Senna won the South American Karting Championship in 1977 before entering the World Championship the following season. He even finished in second place two consecutive years, in 1979 and 1980. Two karts of the DAP brand, dated 1978 and 1982, are on display.

In 1981, he moved to the English town of Eaton to move towards a new discipline: the car. It was the Van Diemen stable who trusted him and took him under his wing in Formula Ford. At the wheel of the RF81 (here, the chassis 528), he unveiled his full potential and pocketed the title with twelve races in twenty in total won.

The Brazilian continued his momentum by winning the British and European Ford Formula Ford Championships in 1982 in the colours of the Rushen Green Team. To illustrate this, there is a 1982  Van Diemen RF82 here.

There was an incursion into Formula 3 aboard an equally successful Ralt RT3,

That success meant that the doors of Formula One opened naturally for the 1984 season. The start in the queen category was with the British team Toleman. Alongside Johnny Cecotto, Stefan Johansson and Pierluigi Martini, Ayrton did better than figuration since he finished on the podium three times. The most spectacular was certainly the one obtained at the Monaco Grand Prix when he tamed his TG184 turbocharged developing around 600 hp in a heavy rain in the narrow streets and with a mastery worthy of the greatest. He finished second that day only a handful of seconds of a certain … Alain Prost.

From 1985, the Brazilian wrote one of the most beautiful pages of his history with the Lotus adventure. Motorized by Renault and painted in John Player Special’s iconic black/yellow colours, the Lotus 97T and 98T allowed him to finish in fourth place in the championship two consecutive seasons. In 1987, the 99T now in Camel colours and powered by a Honda engine also achieved first-rate performance, so Senna rose to the third position of the drivers. For the Ayrton Senna Forever exhibition, the museum brought together the 97T chassis No. 2, winning Estoril in 1985 (the first victory of Senna in F1), and the 99T chassis No. 4, winning in Monaco in 1987.

Following his Lotus adventure, Ayrton Senna joined McLaren on the 1988 season and stayed there for six seasons. While the MP4 and its many iconic variants of Marlboro are inseparable from the legend of Formula One, it is above all the confrontation with his teammate Alain Prost that remain in memory today. Between their exceptional piloting and Trafalgar’s many shots, the Senna-Prost rivalry marked the end of the eighties. Senna pocketed her first title in 1988 before losing to Prost the following year in 1989. Although French joined Ferrari from 1990 onwards, the Brazilian remained at McLaren. A good decision obviously since Senna became a triple world champion thanks to her titles in 1990 and 1991. Two McLarens are part of the Ayrton Senna Forever exhibition: the MP4/7A winner of the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix and a model of MP4/4.

For the 1994 season, Senna decided to join Williams. After an ultra-competitive FW15C, the manufacturer developed its downhill, the FW16. As a result of decisions taken by the FIA, it was decreed that electronic assistance systems and active suspensions were now banned. Williams peted to make the FW16 powerless without help, and the drivers were dissatisfied with the overall feeling at the beginning of the season. Senna felt uncomfortable behind his steering wheel and did not hesitate to express a negative opinion about him. It was with a desire to improve road handling that Williams hired the FW16 to San Marino, the third race of the season. However, after trial and nightmare qualifying sessions marked by the accidents of Rubens Barrichello and Roland Ratzenberger, the race was still scheduled for Sunday. In the seventh round, Senna’s FW16 approached Tamburello’s turn at full speed before suddenly deporting to the right and struck the wall. Despite a rapid intervention by the medical team, Ayrton Senna was pronounced dead due to the severity of his injuries. The FW16 chassis No. 04 marks the end of the Ayrton Senna Forever exhibition.

This is the amazing Mercedes 190E 2.3-16, number 11, with which Senna won the Race of Champions in 1984 ahead of Lauda. The idea of 20 identical road-going Mercedes-Benz sedans racing together doesn’t sound all that interesting, even if was part of the inauguration of the newly opened Nürburgring GP Circuit in 1984. But with most of the living F1 world champions behind the wheel of said sedans, at least the first competitive event on the new circuit would be a high-profile PR exercise for the Stuttgart marque’s 190E 2.3-16. The ’72 and ’74 F1 champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, couldn’t fill the seat with his name on it though, so a fellow Brazilian—just three races into his debut F1 season—was drafted in at the last minute to take over. Without a single podium to his name at the time, let alone a championship title, Senna had even failed to qualify at the previous GP in San Marion. In essence, for the 190E demonstration race, Senna was brought onboard mostly to pad out the number of drivers. The absolute legends of the previous thirty years such as Alain Prost, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg, and Jody Scheckter were the ones the crowd had come to see. But as many of you know, what actually happened on that soggy spring day in 1984 was a masterful display of car control in which a young Ayrton Senna out-drove an entire field of multiple and veteran world champion F1 talents. Three of those 190Es from Mercedes are known to exist today, with a question mark over a fourth. John Watson’s car was converted back to a showroom-spec road car (the ones in the race were lightly modified production spec cars), while the second-place-finishing car driven by Lauda has survived in a nearly original state thanks to its private owners. The prime example though is Senna’s winning car, which was retained by the factory

The Ducati 916 Senna was a limited-edition version of the iconic 916 superbike, produced in collaboration with Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna and his charity, the Instituto Ayrton Senna. It was released in 1995 and featured a unique paint scheme inspired by Senna’s private jet, with a predominantly dark grey colour scheme, 916SPS chassis and running gear, and Pankl con-rods inside the engine. The series was a tribute to Senna, with profits going to his charity

Impressive not least as the display is so comprehensive are all the overalls, helmets, under helmets, hats and gloves he wore in karting, F3 and F1 races. Assembling all the helmets was no mean as the vast array of them span from 1964 to 1994, were sourced from all over the world and were lent by collectors who keep them. Many of the helmets are in Brazilian colours with the dominant yellow that became a model for other drivers to follow.

There is even a very full looking bookcase containing all the books published about Senna.

This is an excellent museum, well worth a visit. Although the lighting is a bit gloomy in places – as evidenced by the photos – you can get a good view of an interesting array of cars, that really tell the story with a mix of familiar and less familiar models. As with most museums, the collection of cars exceeds the space to display them all, and there are regular changes to the special displays, so I certainly plan to return again.

More details can be found on the museum’s own website: https://www.museoauto.com/en/