An intimate exploration of Cisitalia's profound impact on the automotive world, crafted by two of the brand’s most renowned historians. Shedding light on the enduring legacy and how Cisitalia's journey shaped Porsche's destiny. For the first time ever, the three most iconic Cisitalia 202 models – the Coupé Gran Sport, "C" Cabriolet, and Spyder Mille Miglia – are captured together in an exclusive shoot. Text by Mario Simoni, with the contribution of Nino Balestra
Photography by Jeroen Vink, Mario Simoni Archive
Video by Andrea Ruggeri
Part 1: THE CISITALIA MYSTERY
Three iconic car brands – Porsche, Abarth, and Alfa Romeo – might not exist today in the way we know them if it hadn’t been for the remarkable adventure of Cisitalia, a now largely forgotten company founded in Turin in 1946. Though the company lasted a mere three years, Cisitalia left an indelible mark on the car world, with the potential to change the fate of giants such as Fiat and Ferrari.
Picture yourself standing on a motorway bridge, and imagine that, as if by magic, every Porsche, Abarth and Alfa Romeo passing beneath you suddenly disappears into thin air because, in this alternate reality, they never existed at all. Wouldn’t that be incredible!
Yet, if 80 years ago, in the midst of World War II, a bold Turin entrepreneur named Piero Dusio had not decided to set up a new car company, Cisitalia, the history of these brands would have very different, or perhaps they might not have existed at all.
The stories, projects, people, and above all the twists of fate in that brief three-year period – 1946 to 1948 – truly changed the course of automotive history. Yet, what is truly astonishing is that almost no one remembers the brand anymore. Cisitalia’s ‘Rampant Ibex’ and the events that made it so significant have faded into obscurity.
However, two cars remain etched in memory, securing Cisitalia's place in automotive history: the 202 Coupé, designed by Pinin Farina and regarded as one of the most beautiful cars in the world, and the F1 360 Grand Prix, engineered by Porsche. Technologically speaking, the 360 Grand Prix was at least 20 years ahead of the single-seaters dominating the Grand Prix circuits at the tim.
So let’s unravel the "mystery" of Cisitalia. What made the 202 the most coveted sports car of the 1940s, how were the dreams of glory and fortune burned out in just three years, and why did the fate of these iconic automotive brands become inextricably linked to that of Cisitalia?
In 1944, Piero Dusio, a wealthy Turin industrialist, accomplished racing driver and, at the time, chairman of the Juventus football club, decided to set up a new car company to manufacture sportscars intended not only for racing but also for everyday use.
To bring this vision to life, Dusio enlisted one of the greatest automotive engineers in history, Dante Giacosa, the man who went on to become the father of the Fiat 500 and all Fiat's production until the 1970s. Thanks to his friendship with Gianni Agnelli, Fiat "loaned" Giacosa to Cisitalia, even as the tragedies of war loomed over Turin and much of Italy.
This collaboration led to the development of the first tubular chassis in car history, repurposing chromium-molybdenum tubular elements originally developed for Fiat fighter planes..
The first car built on this innovative chassis was the D46 single-seater, followed shortly after by a series of coupés and spiders bearing the project code 202.
At that time, in early 1946, the course of Fiat’s history and its entire future production could have been different. Piero Dusio offered Dante Giacosa the position of Cisitalia’s technical director, asking him to oversee the design of all upcoming models, starting with a new Formula 1 car.
Although Giacosa had not yet reached the pinnacle of prestige and influence he would later enjoy at Fiat, he turned Dusio’s tempting offer down, seeing it as fraught with uncertainties. Instead, he recommended a young engineer who had already made a name for himself in Fiat’s aeronautics division: Giovanni Savonuzzi. Unwittingly, Dusio had drawn the lucky straw. Savonuzzi, who would soon become Cisitalia’s technical director, was one of the leading aerodynamics experts at a time when this science had been applied little to the automotive industry. He was also one of the most talented designers of his era, and his brilliance extended beyond Cisitalia to include some of Ghia’s most celebrated creations until the mid-1950s.
Savonuzzi’s genius shaped the final development of the D46’s bodywork and the design of all Cisitalia tubular-chassis sports cars. His crowning achievements include the 202 Spider, which Tazio Nuvolari drove to near-victory in the 1947 Mille Miglia, and the 202 Aerodinamica Savonuzzi, which introduced groundbreaking innovations including the flat underbody and the streamlined bodywork with large rear fins.
However, the model that truly defined Cisitalia's legacy, indeed earning a place in New York's Museum of Modern Art, is the 202 Gran Sport, officially credited as a masterpiece by Pinin Farina, who crafted the first examples of the coupé. In fact, the Turin coachbuilder merely refined a few elements – especially the rear section – of the stunning coupé originally designed by Savonuzzi.
A Journey Through Time: The Incredible Legacy of this Cisitalia 202 Gran Sport, Chassis #035 (...Read more)
It took over fifty years for the truth about the true author of that masterpiece to emerge. While Pinin Farina's signature was certainly more prestigious than that of the relatively unknown designer from Ferrara, Giovanni Savonuzzi’s name was actually "forgotten" because, in the autumn of 1947, just as the 202 Coupé Gran Sport was making its début, Savonuzzi left Cisitalia following a series of disagreements with Dusio. The main source of their conflict was the "mad" idea of building the most advanced and sophisticated single-seater ever, designed by Porsche, the same team that had produced the Auto Union cars that dominated the Grand Prix circuit in the 1930s.
The main source of their conflict was the "mad" idea of building the most advanced and sophisticated single-seater ever, designed by Porsche, the same team that had produced the Auto Union cars that dominated the Grand Prix circuit in the 1930s.
Dusio was introduced to the Porsche family, who had fled to Austria in the aftermath of the devastation of World War II, by Tazio Nuvolari, who had been approached in September 1946 by Carlo Abarth and Rudolf Hruschka to find a buyer for Porsche's new Formula 1 project.
Late 1946 was a pivotal moment that changed the fate of Cisitalia, Porsche, Abarth and even Alfa Romeo forever. Enthusiastic about the project, Dusio made a significant financial investment a few months later, purchasing the plans for the 360 Grand Prix and a series of other designs, including the 370 Sport coupé, a prototype that would shape the future of Porsche’s models for decades to come.
With this capital, the Porsche family was able to secure the release of Ferdinand Porsche, who had been imprisoned in France for collaborating with the Nazi regime, and to begin production of the first 356 – a car that might otherwise never have been built – in 1948.
Meanwhile, Carlo Abarth and Rudolf Hruschka, hired by Cisitalia to develop the 360 Grand Prix in Turin, rose to the top of the technical and sporting divisions of the company after Savonuzzi’s departure. They held key roles in the brand's many racing victories, first with the D46 and the 202, and later with the 204, in the late 1940s.
Cisitalia’s sporting and commercial successes were widely celebrated in the press of the time. The brand’s prestigious patrons and clients included Roberto Rossellini, Prince Rainier of Monaco and Henry Ford II. However, the biggest headlines in the automotive world focused on the development of the 360 Grand Prix, a technological marvel equipped with a supercharged 1.5-litre, 12-cylinder boxer engine delivering 400 hp, mounted centrally in the rear. It featured a five-speed sequential gearbox, manually selectable all-wheel drive and Porsche’s signature independent suspension. This engineering masterpiece was poised to leave the victorious Alfa Romeos from the 1950 and 1951 World Championships in the dust.
Cisitalia, a dominant force both on the racetrack and in the sports car market, seemed destined to become what Ferrari would later become, as both brands were taking their first steps during the same period. But fate had other plans…
A Masterpiece Reborn: The Story of the Cisitalia 202 “C” Cabriolet, Chassis NO. 0180 SC (...Read more)
The 370 Grand Prix project, sold by Porsche, largely based on designs developed for Auto Union before the war, proved to be practically unworkable when it was attempted in 1947 in Turin.
The lack of skilled labour and the necessary equipment, logistical challenges in coordinating with Porsche designers stationed in Gmünd, Austria, and difficulties sourcing the expensive materials needed, as well as some design miscalculations – particularly regarding the engine and all-wheel drive – made the development of the 360 Grand Prix an endless ordeal, despite the fact that the car's strongest advocate and promoter was none other than Tazio Nuvolari himself.
All of Dusio and Cisitalia's resources were consumed by the ambitious Formula 1 project, while production of the 202 slowed significantly due to financial and organisational issues. Furthermore, the 202's rather modest four-cylinder engine, derived from the Fiat 1100 and capable of producing over 60 horsepower, lacked the allure and roar of Alfa Romeo's six-cylinder or Ferrari's twelve-cylinder engines.
By 1948, these factors pushed Cisitalia into a deep financial crisis. The company was forced to suspend the 360 Grand Prix project, with only one single-seater completed and a second in progress. Dusio filed bankruptcy proceedings for the company and moved the Grand Prix car, along with parts of the equipment, to Argentina, where he set up a new company, Autoar. It wasn’t until 1953 that the F1 car finally hit the track in Buenos Aires for a series of tests, which were soon halted due to emerging reliability issues.
Carlo Abarth & C was born from Cisitalia's financial ruin in 1949, acquiring some of its equipment, designs and inventory. A key addition to Abarth’s roster was the 204 Spider, which became the first of many models to bear the iconic Scorpion badge, a symbol that would soon become famous worldwide.
Cisitalia continued to produce sports cars until the mid-1960s, but the feverish and exhilarating pace of the first three years was never matched again.
The Legendary 202 Spyder Mille Miglia Chassis no. 021 SMM: An Icon of Italian Racing (...Read more)
One individual who left a lasting mark on the Italian car industry at that time was Rudolf Hruschka. His skill, determination, firmness and typical German precision were decisive in saving Alfa Romeo in the early 1950s. After leaving Cisitalia, Hruschka was significantly involved in the industrialisation of the Alfa 1900, followed shortly by the Giulietta. Years later, he was fully credited for the development of the Alfasud, a car whose success was due to his vision in every aspect.
Part 2: CISITALIA THROUGH THE EYES OF MARIO SIMONI AND NINO BALESTRA
We are here with Nino Balestra, a leading expert on Cisitalia and a lifelong car enthusiast. Let's begin by asking: what sparked your love for Cisitalia, a passion that has lasted for over half a century?
Balestra: Right after the war – and unfortunately, I’m quite old now – there was a lot of excitement in our house. My father, uncle, cousins and older brother were all thrilled because the 1947 Mille Miglia, the first post-war race, was about to begin. The big news was that Nuvolari would be racing in a Cisitalia, an unknown brand at the time. The Mille Miglia route that year passed through Vicenza on the return leg, as the course had been reversed. So, we stood on the road in Vicenza, and if I remember well, the cars began to arrive around 3 pm. At one point, the crowd started cheering, and I could hear the roar getting closer, but I couldn’t understand why. A Topolino passed by, then perhaps an Aprilia, and I thought the cheers were for local drivers. But in fact, the crowd was shouting for him… Nuvolari was approaching. I saw this red blur pass by and had no idea what it was. Then my brother, who was equally excited, told me it was Nuvolari in a Cisitalia. That really struck me. Even the name "Cisitalia" felt like something ethereal, almost like a breeze, a word that just slips through your mind. And then, there was the allure of Nuvolari. In September, we went to see him race in the D46 single-seater at the Idroscalo circuit, and I think he finished second or third in his class. He was already in poor health, with bandages on his face, but to me, he was a hero. That was the moment when I fell in love with Cisitalia, and if someone had offered me three Ferraris or two Maseratis, I wouldn’t have taken them, because Cisitalia had won me over.
And that love led you to write several books about Cisitalia and meet the figures who shaped its incredible history.
Balestra: Yes, it did. There’s a bit of both fortune and misfortune in that. The misfortune is that I am old enough to have met these people, but they are no longer with us, which saddens me. But I was very lucky to get to know them: Carlo Dusio, Giovanni Savonuzzi, Corrado Millanta, Rudolf Hruschka, Piero Taruffi. I never met Nuvolari, of course, he had already passed away, but I did meet his widow, Carolina Nuvolari, and many other important people. One afternoon, Carlo Dusio called me and said, “I’ve heard my father is back in Italy from Argentina. He’ll be in Turin for dinner tonight and would love to meet you. Can you make it?” I jumped in the car and was in Turin in about four hours. We went to a charming restaurant in the hills called "Il Cumpilot," where the food was excellent. It was just me, Carlo and Piero Dusio, who was quite old, tired, and frail by then. He passed away about six months later.
Did they not want to recall the history of Cisitalia?
Balestra: No, quite the opposite. He thanked me deeply for reviving it and rekindling enthusiasm for the brand..
What has Cisitalia represented in automotive history, and despite its significant role, why do so few people remember the name today?
Balestra: Yes, it was certainly made history, both mechanically and aesthetically. Take the D46 single-seater, for example, with its tubular chassis. This was the first mass-produced car with this type of chassis.
They made about 45 of them. It was lighter and much stiffer than the traditional longitudinal chassis beams. Ferrari, by comparison, was a step behind. Born around the same time, but their chassis were two longitudinal tubes with some cross members, which naturally caused torsion. The Cisitalia chassis on the other hand were incredibly rigid, a huge leap forward. From there, they moved on to the 202 Sport, the Nuvolari Spyder, and then the Berlinetta. This was Pinin Farina’s true masterpiece, marking a complete break with the past. In the period immediately after the war, cars were still being made with heavily chromed designs of the late '30s. But with the Berlinetta, Pinin Farina presented a sleek, minimalist line.
A line…
Balestra: … that was perfect. Sixty or seventy years later, you wouldn’t change a thing. If you handed the 202 Berlinetta to Giugiaro today and asked him what he would change, he’d say it’s impossible—he wouldn’t change a single part.
Although much of the technical and aesthetic development of Cisitalia’s production, particularly the 202, can be attributed to Giovanni Savonuzzi, one of the brand’s brilliant engineers, alongside Dante Giacosa.
Balestra: Giacosa had the intuition, but Savonuzzi perfected it. Savonuzzi was a genius. I was lucky to know him well. He was the kind of man who could sit down at a piano and play like a professional concert pianist, then dive into technical problems, set them aside, and design a car. He worked for Ghia and many other coachbuilders, solving both technical and design challenges. Let’s not forget his aerodynamics work, including the 202 with fins. Two cars were built, and they were stunning. The 202 Aerodinamica, the one with the fins, wasn’t just beautiful, it was functional too. In tests on the Turin-Milan motorway, with a 1100cc engine producing 60 hp, it reached 201 km/h, thanks entirely to its aerodynamics.
The 202 was Cisitalia’s most prestigious model and was incredibly successful. At first, everyone wanted one: actors, directors, even Henry Ford. But it was practically forgotten in just two years. What were the great strengths and weaknesses of the 202? We know its design was stunning.
Balestra: The 202 was a huge success. The cabriolet was coveted by figures like director Roberto Rossellini, and Henry Ford ordered two, one to drive and one to put on display in the Ford Museum.
Its main drawback, however, was the engine, which wasn’t powerful enough. Savonuzzi, ever the genius, believed that the car deserved at least a 1500cc engine, so he designed a twin-cam 1500cc engine with either two or four valves per cylinder, also for the racing version. But when he suggested it to Dusio, he was told that it was out of the question, and they had to remain focused on the Grand Prix project. Yet that engine could have saved Cisitalia. The 202’s success came from its design – sensational and innovative for the time – so much so that it was put on show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York as a "moving sculpture." Its initial success was also due to its nimble engine. With 60 horsepower, the car was incredibly light, and compared to a Fiat 1100, it was leagues apart. Nuvolari kept up with Biondetti in the Alfa Romeo 2.9 until the last stretch of the 1947 Mille Miglia.
Sure. But the issue was that Dusio channelled all their resources into the Grand Prix project, built in Turin between 1947 and 1949. The story of the Grand Prix is as fascinating as that of the 202 and Cisitalia itself, especially as the design came from Porsche. How did the contact between Dusio and Porsche come about? What events led to the founding of Porsche, thanks to Cisitalia?
Balestra: It was through Corrado Millanta, who we could call the press officer, even though he didn’t have an official title. Millanta was a jack of all trades, a powerhouse of ideas, and a brilliant photographer (most of the pictures in Cisitalia books are Millanta’s). He told Taruffi that the D46 had been a success, the Nuvolari Spyder was a success, and the 202 cabriolet and the Berlinetta had been successes. Accustomed to nothing but triumphs, Dusio didn’t give much thought to the potential difficulties a project as ambitious as a Grand Prix car might entail. Millanta suggested that the only person capable of designing a Grand Prix car was Ferdinand Porsche. At the time, Porsche was imprisoned by the Allies in France, accused of collaboration with the Nazi regime. Dusio made some inquiries and managed to pay a hefty ransom to free Porsche, who, in fact, had done nothing wrong, he was simply an engineer who designed engines, tanks, planes, and so forth. That’s how they met. Porsche’s sons were in Austria, in Gmünd. Dusio and Millanta travelled there in Dusio’s Packard, impeccably dressed by Turin’s finest tailor. They arrived to find Porsche’s sons, who had been eating ham sandwiches on the train. Dusio and Millanta took them to a fine restaurant, where they let them eat for two hours before getting down to business. The Porsches already had a Grand Prix car design in the works – one of the small 1500cc models. When their father came home, they sealed a deal in which Porsche would provide plans for the Grand Prix car, a rear-engine Gran Turismo coupé with a flat-six engine (which would become the Porsche 911), a tractor, a water pump, and other inventions, in exchange for a substantial amount. Today, Dusio’s heirs could walk up to Porsche’s headquarters in Stuttgart, ring the bell, and say, "Excuse me, but this factory is ours."
Exactly, because that’s where the funds to build Porsche’s empire came from.
Balestra: Dusio bought the designs for the Grand Prix and the Gran Turismo two-seater Berlinetta, with a rear-mounted 2000cc flat-six engine. That’s the Porsche. So, they could rightfully claim, "No, Porsche is ours, not yours."
Who exactly was Piero Dusio, the founder of Cisitalia? A great industrialist? An unlucky genius? Or perhaps a reckless entrepreneur who took too many risks and lost it all? Some say that Dusio practically owned half of Turin, and just months earlier, he had been president of Juventus football club. Who was the real Piero Dusio?
Balestra: He was a force of nature, a dreamer, someone who, perhaps "unfortunately" for him, had been good at anything he did from the age of 20. He was always lucky. Before the war, he started out in oilcloth manufacturing, which had nothing to do with mechanics, but it was a huge success. That oilcloth was used for everything, even for the army. He made a fortune from that. Before the war, he already had a racing team with a couple of Alfa Romeo 6C and 8C cars.
He raced many drivers, and even raced himself, finishing third in the 1938 Mille Miglia. I believe he even beat Nuvolari in a race on the Stelvio. He was a skilled driver, someone who knew how to handle a car well. So yes, Piero Dusio was all of those things you mentioned. In Turin dads used to tell their children, “So here we are in Piazza San Carlo, the centre of the city. Everything over here belongs to Agnelli, and everything over there to Dusio”.
Unfortunately, due to the huge costs of developing the futuristic 12-cylinder, all-wheel-drive 360 Grand Prix, everything essentially went up in smoke. Cisitalia lasted until the 1960s, but it was a completely different company by then. Another car company that took inspiration from Cisitalia and went on to become one of the most famous brands in the world was Abarth. Carlo Abarth came to Turin precisely to work on the Porsche-designed F1 car and inherited much of Cisitalia’s equipment, including the Abarth exhaust systems, which were actually…
Balestra: ... Savonuzzi’s exhausts.
… and the Abarth manifolds were also designed by Savonuzzi at Cisitalia. Let’s not forget that Abarth’s first racing cars were, in essence, Cisitalias.
Balestra: Abarth arrived at just the right moment, saw the opportunity, and capitalised on the good things that were still left. He based his success on this. I didn’t know Abarth personally, I met his wife, but not him. He certainly had a very different mindset and approach from Piero Dusio. Dusio was all imagination and adventure, "Let’s do it! Is there a risk? So what? We’ll do it!", while Abarth was far more cautious, carefully putting one foot in front of the other.
And he managed to…
Balestra: … build a legend in his own right.
We mentioned that Ferrari and Cisitalia débuted around the same time. Yet Ferrari went on to become the most prestigious car brand in the world, while Cisitalia, which had all it took to be just as important, faded into obscurity, remembered only by enthusiasts. Why? Was it only a question of the huge costs of the Grand Prix project, or was it also Dusio’s tendency to juggle too many things at once?
Balestra: Even without the Grand Prix project, I don’t think Cisitalia would have achieved the same level of success as Ferrari, given Dusio’s character. Ferrari had a completely different personality. He took risks too, but with a different mindset: "I’ll take the risk, but I know there’s a safety net, so if I fall, I’ll be fine”. Dusio, on the other hand, took risks thinking, "If I fall, there’s nothing but rocks beneath me. Oh well, so be it.".
It’s a shame, though, it would have been great if Cisitalia had continued to exist because it had a wonderful spirit, which still lives on in the surviving cars. About 200 202 models were built, and I think around 150 are still out there, as they occasionally resurface for restoration.
Balestra: Yes, in fact there’s one just a few miles from here, and it’s about to be restored. This goes to show that I wasn’t the only one to be bowled over by it, when I was seven. The car was intrinsically innovative; otherwise, most of the 202s would have been destroyed. Instead, very few were lost. I think Cisitalia has a survival rate that no other car brand can boast.
But the excellent 202 wasn’t enough to save Cisitalia. One of the most important reasons behind its downfall was probably the severe credit crunch of 1947, which slashed financing, raised interest rates, and caused rampant inflation. Even Fiat struggled, as it had to finance its recovery at a time when funding was being cut across the board. And that was the time when Dusio had spent everything, much of it on Porsche and the Grand Prix project.
Balestra: Yes, that was certainly a tough time for everyone. Dusio found himself in trouble for the first time in his life, overwhelmed by such huge problems that he didn’t know what to do next. Unfortunately, that financial crisis was a painful but crucial turning point..
He made another mistake when he invested his last remaining funds in Argentina, relying on promises of substantial funding from Perón to build an automotive industry there. Instead of concentrating his remaining resources on the 202 and Cisitalia in Italy, he bet everything on Argentina.
Balestra: That’s right. If he had listened to Savonuzzi and hadn’t stubbornly insisted on finishing the Grand Prix project, which he knew would bankrupt him, things might have been different. Savonuzzi had told him that they needed to focus on the 202 because they had plenty of orders and could have produced 150–200 units a year if they were properly organised. But the Grand Prix was a sinkhole. Dusio said, "Engineer, it’ll ruin me, but I will finish the Grand Prix." And it did ruin him. If he had listened to Savonuzzi and built that 1500cc twin-cam engine, it could have turned things around. Instead, he was lured by the illusion of major investments from Perón and ended up with nothing.
So the Grand Prix, which Nuvolari fought so hard to get on the track, ended up in Argentina, where it was tested in 1951 but never fully developed.
Balestra: Yes, I had the chance to speak with a guy called Rossi, an Italian engineer who taught at the University of Buenos Aires. He had been tasked with getting Cisitalia back up and running in 1950–51 for a Grand Prix and to attempt a record. He sent me a package with photocopies of all the notes: every day, every hour, every minute, they recorded everything. They disassembled and reassembled the pistons, but the connecting rod bearings kept failing – first the third, then the fifth. It was an impossible situation. At one point, a top Argentine driver was asked to test the Grand Prix. When he reached 150 km/h, he thought, "Now I’ll engage the all-wheel drive”, but the car spun out immediately. They couldn’t figure out what had happened, but luckily the F1 car wasn’t damaged. When they took it back to the lab, they discovered that the front and rear axles had different gear ratios, things like that.
The project was so advanced that even Porsche’s engineers couldn’t solve all the problems it had.
Balestra: Yes, it was proof that they had truly pushed the limits, and even gone beyond them. There’s a story linked to the 360 Grand Prix that might be a legend, but Carlo Dusio swore it was true. When his father left for Argentina and lost interest in Cisitalia, what remained in Italy was left in the hands of his son, Carlo, who was just 25 years old at the time. The young man, who had been living in luxury until then, had to come up with something. He patched things together, built some prototypes, and even spoke with Ford, hoping to build a sports car with American mechanics, something like a Mustang for Ford or a Corvette for Chevrolet, but nothing came of it. In the end, he became a small-scale tuner of Fiat 600s, increasing their engine size to 750cc – a small, almost Abarth-like operation. He sold a few dozen, maybe a hundred, before being forced to shut down. He didn’t go bankrupt, though, he settled all his debts. But the day he closed the office, he took the crankshaft from the 360 Grand Prix, which was in pieces, planning to take it home as a souvenir of the adventure. As he crossed the Po River, he decided to get rid of it because it felt like bad luck. He opened the car door, walked over to the parapet and tossed the crankshaft into the river. When he got home, he tore down the curtains embroidered with Cisitalia’s Rampant Ibex symbol, one by one, and refused to hear the name Cisitalia mentioned again.
And so, the story of Cisitalia came to an end, a story that you’ve revived in this conversation and in your books.
Balestra: Yes, it was by chance that I stumbled upon a Cisitalia and didn’t know what it was. I called the museum in Turin, and the director at the time, who had gone to school with Carlo Dusio, said he didn’t know either. He asked if I had spoken with Dusio and gave me his number. I called him, and at first he was rather offhand, but half an hour later, he called me back asking for more details. I had found a Cisitalia with a BPM engine, the last 202 built, so I was confused about what it was. After another half-hour, he called again and said, "Can you book me a room at the Belvedere hotel in Bassano? I stayed there a few times when I used to sell my Fiat 600s to the local dealer. Book me a room there, I’ll be coming with my wife. We can have dinner and talk”. That’s when the story came back to life.
Did he tell you everything he knew?
Balestra: Yes, we talked until 1 in the morning. We decided to have one last drink. There was me, Carlo Dusio, his wife Nanda, my wife, and two other car enthusiasts I had invited to help figure out how to approach Carlo. And at that moment, the floodgates opened and Carlo talked until 4 am.
Thank you again, it’s been a fascinating conversation.
Credits and Acknowledgments
The author, Mario Simoni: Born in Imola in 1954, Mario Simoni has been immersed in the world of cars and racing since childhood. Growing up close to racing circuits, Simoni nurtured a deep passion for engines, which led him to a brief career as a driver in the Renault 5 Alpine Cup. However, he soon decided to leave the racetrack to pursue "real" professions, without ever straying far from his love for automobiles. Determined to combine his passion with journalism, Simoni began by publishing articles for a minor magazine. The turning point in his career came when he had the opportunity to collaborate with Autosprint, Italy's most prestigious motorsport weekly. In 1985, Simoni became part of the editorial team that launched the magazine Auto, a monthly reference for enthusiasts, where he became head of the service. In parallel, he continued writing for Autosprint, AM magazine, and contributed to the TV show Tg2 Motori on RAI. In 2001, Simoni encountered the legendary Cisitalia, a meeting that marked a turning point in his career. Fascinated by the numerous aspects of this historic car manufacturer, he dedicated himself to uncovering the brand’s still-hidden secrets, culminating in the publication of his book "Un sogno chiamato Cisitalia", an important work that sheds new light on the history of one of Italy’s most iconic car manufacturers.
The co-author, Nino Balestra: Nino Balestra, a jeweler by profession, is also a historian, collector, and former race car driver. He is one of the founders of the A.S.I. (Italian Classic Car Association), the second president of the C.V.A.E. (Veneto Historic Auto-Moto Club), and the former director of La Manovella. He is the author of numerous books and essays and a contributing journalist. He was also a founder and President of the Bonfanti-VIMAR Automobile Museum until 2014. Today, he is responsible for the permanent section called the "Galleria del Motorismo, Mobilità e Ingegno Veneto-Giannino Marzotto". Additionally, he serves as the President of the Cisitalia International Club. A passionate scholar of Cisitalia, Balestra has dedicated part of his life to researching and promoting the history of this iconic car manufacturer. He has published several books on Cisitalia, including the well-known "Un Sogno chiamato Cisitalia", a work that unveiled the secrets, innovations, and historical events related to the brand. Thanks to his writings, Cisitalia has received renewed attention and has found a place in the hearts of classic car enthusiasts.
The photographer, Jeroen Vink: Jeroen Vink is a highly skilled professional photographer residing near Amsterdam, Netherlands. With a broad range of interests and talents, he is not only an accomplished photographer but also an engineer with a deep passion for vintage cars and fine watches. His expertise lies in automotive and product photography, particularly in the fascinating fields of jewelry and watches. Throughout his career, he has built an impressive portfolio, collaborating with prestigious clients such as Stellantis, Renault, Fiat Professional, Watchtime magazine, and Hodinkee.
VSOC (Very Superior Old Cars): Founded in 1992 by two mechanical engineering students from Delft University, Alex von Mózer and Peter, VSOC (Very Superior Old Cars) was born from their desire to turn a hobby into a profession. The name, a reference to the prestigious cognac term "Very Superior Old Pale", reflects their ambition to provide top-quality service in the world of classic cars. After thorough market research, Alex and Peter identified a need for assistance in purchasing cars, and quickly expanded their offerings to include car sales as well. In 1997, Alex von Mózer took full ownership of the company. Based in Sassenheim, Netherlands, VSOC has earned an international reputation over the years as a reliable and discreet partner, appreciated by the most discerning classic car collectors. Alex von Mózer, MsC, is often present at major international events dedicated to classic automobiles, where he continues to share his passion and expertise.
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