Cisitalia’s founder Piero Dusio was not only an influential design visionary but also a gifted racing driver, finishing 1st in Class at the 1000 Miglia in 1937 and 4th Overall in 1938. By that time, he had created Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia (Cisitalia) and postwar, the company built the D46 Monoposto, the first race car to use a full space-frame chassis. At the 1000 Miglia in 1947, Cisitalia debuted the stunning, streamlined 202 SMM sports-racing car and Tazio Nuvolari piloted it to one of the most legendary drives in history, finishing 2nd to Clemente Biondetti’s mighty Alfa Romeo 8C 2900.

Cisitalia next created an advanced, road-going sports car based on the spaceframe design of its race cars. The resulting 202 SC Coupe debuted in 1947 and was immediately hailed as a design masterpiece. New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) famously exhibited an example in 1951, and a 202 remains in MoMA’s permanent collection to this day, along with only one other car, a Jaguar E-Type. Cabriolet versions of the 202 SC were even rarer than the coupes, and marque authority Nino Balestra believes only about 60 were built.

According to a summary of the car’s history on file, this gorgeous Stabilimenti Farina-bodied example, chassis 183 SC, was originally delivered to Bruno de Cillia of Austria. The Cisitalia eventually made its way to Belgium, and by the 2010s was owned by an enthusiast who wanted to enter it in the 1000 Miglia. He had noted Italian-car specialist Gipimotor of Belgium carry out substantial mechanical work in preparation, and the Cisitalia went on to participate in three runnings of the famous event. The 202 SC was sold into current family ownership in 2013, joining an impressive stable of some of the rarest coachbuilt Italian cars. After being treated to further restoration work, the Cisitalia was shown at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, the 2015 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, and the 2015 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este – a testament to its quality and enduring historical significance.

In addition to its impressive exhibition history, this 202 SC has incredible visual appeal, with its Stabilimenti Farina coachwork finished in an elegant shade of gray over a stunning red interior. Importantly, the Cisitalia retains its matching-numbers engine per its original data tag, which has been carefully preserved in the car’s accompanying file. Further documentation includes extensive records, correspondence, photos, and a FIVA identity card.

Having participated multiple times in one of the world’s most challenging rallies and exhibited at the most exclusive concours d’elegance, this Gran Sport Cabriolet is a truly outstanding example of the groundbreaking Cisitalia 202 SC – one of the most influential automobiles of the 20th century.