Asa 1962-1968 - the Ferrari for the smaller purse
Summary
There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Asa, which was supposed to build a kind of baby Ferrari (Ferrarina). The small fastback coupé designed by Bertone was pretty to look at and the technology, conceived by Giotto Bizzarini among others, was right. Nevertheless, the venture, for which a special company was founded, was not a success and production was discontinued after a few years and 100 cars.
Estimated reading time: 3min
Preview (beginning of the article)
The prototype of a "Ferrarina" had already aroused speculation in 1960: Enzo Ferrari tested an 850 cc four-cylinder high-performance engine in a Fiat 1200. When asked by AR's editor-in-chief, the great Commendatore explained that he had given the manufacturing rights for this "baby Ferrari" to another company and that the project was being managed by Nucchio Bertone. At the 1961 Turin Motor Show, Carrozzeria Bertone then presented the prototype of a beautiful little fastback coupé known as the Mille. Initially there was talk of Innocenti as a possible licensee, but then it was announced that the Milanese electrochemical industrialist Dr. Oronzio de Nora would build the "Ferrarina". In 1962, he founded the company Autocostruzioni Società per Azioni = ASA, whose management was taken over by his son Niccolo.
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