Viva Cisitalia!

Being of Italian ancestry, I take great pride in that country's obsession with fine, fast automobiles. As mentioned in a previous post, I have a particular fondness for Alfa Romeo. But in addition to the famous marques such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Alfa, there have been other smaller Italian builders who were just as passionate about motoring excellence. One of those was Cisitalia. Like Fiat and Alfa Romeo, the name Cisitalia doesn't actually mean anything--it's an Italian acronym that stands for "Consorzio Industriale Sportive Italia" and was founded in the motoring hotbed of Turin in 1946.

The car you see here was the company's first serious foray into the world of international Grand Prix racing, the D46. Although not particularly successful as a racing car, to my eyes the D46 is a showcase of the innovation and attention to detail that made Italian automotive engineering of that era into a quasi-art form. The overall proportions are nearly perfect, with details like the tightly-faired front suspension only accentuating the graceful lines. It amazes me how a 60-year old car like this can still cause my eyes to bug out. It hearkens back to an era when engineering, art, and not a small dose of pure, intuitive genius combined to create machines that men pushed to the absolute limit...and sometimes beyond (note the lack of roll cage and seat belts on this car).

The car is for sale on Autotrader Classics here. Magnifico!