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Cisitalia 202 - The work of art

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Created on July 15, 2024

Text:

Karl Ludvigsen (Übersetzung: Paul Krüger)

Photos:

Ludvigsen Partners

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Archiv Zwischengas

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Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile Torino (Fondo Savonuzzi) / Ludvigsen Partners

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Ludvigsen Partners

37

Archiv Zwischengas

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Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile Torino (Fondo Savonuzzi) / Ludvigsen Partners

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Cisitalia 202 (1947) - Factory photo

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - Classic sports car proportions: large wheels, long hood

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - the "demonstration car", photographed in September 1947

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - The crease in the windshield is the only sharp-edged feature of the harmoniously smooth bodywork

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - outrageously modern: the radiator grille wider than it is high, the hood lower than the fenders

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - smooth flanks without any superfluous ornamentation

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - at the Paris Salon in September 1947

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - the production model refined by Pinin Farina makes its debut at the Concorso d'Eleganza at the Villa d'Este in September 1947

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1947) - the production model in its original form: no air outlets, but indicators in the fenders

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé (1948) - simple and beautiful

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Cisitalia 202 (1946) - the first two pre-series cars, built by Stabilimenti Farina

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Cisitalia 202 (1946) - the first two pre-series cars, built by Stabilimenti Farina. Quirky: the three windshield wipers

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1949) - built by Pinin Farina, still with split windshield, but already with the "portholes" in the fender

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Cisitalia 202 B (1949) - at the Turin Salon, now with one-piece windshield

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Cisitalia 202 (1949) - elegant rear with only a small storage compartment for the spare wheel

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Cisitalia 202 (1947) - Asymmetrical coat of arms with ibex. The design of the lettering varied over the years

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Cisitalia 202 C (1950) - a trunk lid provides additional storage space above the spare wheel

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Cisitalia 202 (1948) - Transparent drawing of the coupé with two carburetors

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Cisitalia D46 (1946) - View drawings of the tubular frame. An ingenious design of the differential allows the propshaft to be moved far down and thus a lower seating position

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Cisitalia 202 "Cassone" (1947) - Giacosa's "farewell gift" for Piero Dusio: the chassis of a two-seater sports car

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Cisitalia 202 Spider (1947) - the chassis. High side rails meant tiny doors

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Cisitalia 202 (1946) - 1:5 scale body plan by Stabilimenti Farina, dated July 1946

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Cisitalia 202 "Cassone" (1946) - experimental vehicle built by Savonuzzi with only rudimentary bodywork

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Cisitalia 202 "Cassone" (1946) - Giovanni Savonuzzi next to the first completed prototype

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Cisitalia 202 "Cassone" (1946) - Inico Bernabei and Tullio Pacini at the 1947 Mille Miglia, where they took third place in the rain

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Cisitalia 202 "Cassone" (1946) - Sergio Banti and Umberto Cagli at the 1950 Mille Miglia, where they were later disqualified.

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Cisitalia 202 Aero (1946) - the result of Savonuzzi's wind tunnel experiments and the first car from Carrozzeria Vignale

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Cisitalia 202 Aero (1946) - taken in April 1947. With only 61 hp, the streamliner reached 200 km/h

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Cisitalia 202 MM Barchetta (1947) - driven by Adolfo Macchieraldo and company boss Piero Dusio at the 1947 Mille Miglia

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Cisitalia 202 Barchetta (1947) - the "Spider Nuvolari", here Ken Denston's car at the SCCA race in Bridgehampton in 1953

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Cisitalia 202 Coupé Gran Sport (1946) - an early example that was still built by Stabilimenti Farina

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Cisitalia 202 (1947) - The frame consists of a combination of tubes and pressed steel parts

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Cisitalia 202 (1947) - Early models had only one carburetor. There is still space in the engine compartment for the fuel tank and water cooler

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Cisitalia 202 (1948) - From 1948 there were two Weber carburetors for at least 61 hp. The oil cooler is located in the left fender

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Cisitalia 202 (1947) - Not much remained of the original Fiat 1100 engine after Carlo Abarth's reworking

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Cisitalia 202 Cabriolet (1948) - Dashboard with spring-spoke steering wheel and two large instruments

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Dante Giacosa, ca. 1965

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The senior managers at Cisitalia: Piero Dusio, Carlo Dusio and Giovanni Savonuzzi (from left to right)

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Cisitalia D46 (1946) - At the wheel: designer Giovanni Savonuzzi

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Summary

Its simple bodywork was so revolutionary that it was even included in the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. However, the basic features of the shape had already been established before Pinin Farina was allowed to put his hand to it. This article sheds light on the genesis of the Cisitalia 202 and explains why its masterful lines have more than just one originator.

This article contains the following chapters

A villa as an office
Another former Fiat man
First successes in motorsport
Only touch-ups at Pinin Farina
Almost three times the power of the base model
More expensive than a Cadillac
The boss loses interest

Estimated reading time: 16min

Preview (beginning of the article)

At the age of 27, textile manufacturer Piero Dusio had become wealthy as the main supplier to the Italian army, which enabled him to pursue his love of motorsport. Dusio's racing career began in 1930 when he took part in the Mille Miglia in an OM Zagato Spider. He soon switched to Alfa Romeos and often bought used or even worn-out cars from other racing drivers. In 1937, Dusio won the "Sport 750" category at the Mille Miglia in a Siata-Fiat 500 with Zagato bodywork. In 1938, he founded the "Scuderia Torino" and equipped it with four 1.5-liter Maserati racing cars. In the same year, he took part in the Mille Miglia with an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 and finished an excellent third place behind the works cars. Later in 1938, he won the demanding Stelvio mountain race in an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900.

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