Ansaldo 1919-1936 - from weapons production to racing victories with Tazio Nuvolari
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Summary
There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Ansaldo, which produced vehicles from 1919 to 1936. Like many other car brands, Ansaldo had its origins in the arms manufacturing industry. In order to diversify, car production was started and aimed at exclusive brands such as Lancia. Special technical features such as the overhead camshaft appealed to discerning customers. With the economic crisis, SA Automobili Ansaldo fell deep into the red and had to be restructured. The end came in 1936.
Estimated reading time: 3min
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A striking number of car brands had their origins in the modest bicycle trade. A number of others, however, were created as part of a diversification of arms factories. These included FN in Belgium, Hotchkiss in France, Martini in Switzerland, Simson in Germany, Steyr in Austria and Ansaldo in Italy. The Ansaldo industrial group in Genoa had founded its own automobile factory in Turin in 1919. However, it did not compete with the mass manufacturer Fiat, but rather with the exclusive Lancia brand. Like Lancia, Ansaldo offered special technical features, such as an overhead camshaft, and appealed to a discerning clientele. The four-cylinder engines were joined by six-cylinder engines from 1923, but they too remained under 2 liters in displacement until 1927. In this class, the brand with the crossed cannon barrels in its logo achieved highly acclaimed racing victories, and its drivers included none other than the famous Tazio Nuvolari.
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