While it can take some time to feel connected to a car, there are others out there that have the ability to seek their way into your heart almost at first glance. The Cisitalia 202 is a machine that’s firmly in the latter, its beauty is intoxicating, encouraging onlookers to find out more. Even during the car’s humble beginnings in post-war Italy, a Cisitalia could have even the most well-versed car lovers scratching their heads at what exactly they were looking at. They may not have known the name, but they were utterly floored by its elegance and beauty. It is this passion for the brand and its deep roots in Italian automotive history that led our friends at Gulfblue.It to bring this icon back to its former glory, embarking on a true all-Italian adventure.
Founded in 1939 by Turinese textile industrialist Piero Dusio, Cisitalia initially earned its fortune making military uniforms during World War II. Alongside the business, Dusio loved speed and dabbled in the amateur racing scene, before securing a landmark class win at the 1937 Mille Miglia. With this historic accolade to his name, his dream of creating cars of his own now had the perfect foundations. After the creation of his D46, a small single seater which used a tubular steel space-frame chassis crafted at Cisitalia’s bicycle factory to support readily available Fiat mechanicals, Dusio and his team introduced a new model in1946, the 202 CMM, or Coupé Mille Miglia. Initially designed by Dante Giacosa and continued by Giovanni Savonuzzi, the 202 CMM was first built by Alfredo Vignale and later left in the capable hands of Battista Pinin Farina. It was this model that would allow the Cisitalia name to live on for decades to come as one of Italy’s most elegant car makers.
One of a mere 170 rumoured to have been produced over a five-year period, this example had lived a much loved, but well used life since day one. Enrico Rondinelli and his talented team at Gulfblue.It found that this Cisitalia 202A, VIN 110, was one of the latest of the A series produced in 1948. Produced by Torinese coachbuilder Vignale, reportedly taking over from Pininfarina who didn’t have enough capacity to produce all the Cisitalias, it was finished in Azzurro Chiaro Metallizzato and sold in 1949 in Napoli. During this time the elegant machine bounced from Italian regions before arriving in Sardinia, where it remained with a single owner for more than 20 years, who used it as a daily driver. Then, in the mid-1980s, the car received a partial restoration to ready it for competition in the 1989 edition of the 1000 Mille Miglia, before being passed to another Italian owner.
Enrico and his team chose this specific example due to the many testimonies of the past owners who certified its authenticity, something that is incredibly scarce in period-raced cars, let alone ones as rare as this Cisitalia. The team enlisted the help of Garage Levante, Vecchiatini Motorclassic, Tappezzeria Ferraresi, Classic Bodywork and Automotive Masterpieces, all of which are proud Italian companies.
The icing on the cake came with Delio Galassi, who brought a wealth of knowledge on these unique cars. He had previously worked on this very example while with its previous owners care, and was able to ensure mechanically the car was as good its freshly restored alluminum bodywork. The result is a true all-Italian restoration that allows this beautiful machine to live on for decades to come.
After more than three years of non-stop restoring, the team brought the car to Piazza Santo Stefano in Bologna, an area that Enrico rightly calls one of Italy’s most beautiful squares, embodying classicism and beauty. The life of this Cisitalia that spent 75 years in its home country will now carry on in America, bringing with it an important Italian legacy, and one that will no doubt be enjoyed by the thousands of car lovers on America’s West Coast.
Photos: Journey 24 - Alessandro Tomasi
Video: Tappezzeria