To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the little-known Diatto marque, two keen collectors have commissioned Milanese coachbuilders Zagato to design a svelte two-seater coupe that will be debuted at the Geneva Salon next month.

Diatto was a Torinese car manaufacturer formed in 1905. Having originally built two and four cylinder cars based on the French Clément, by the 1920s Diatto was making quality cars of its own design, including race cars with supercharged eight-cylinder engines. The company also supplied chassis to Bugatti which used them for their own race cars. Some Diatto racers were prepared and raced by Alfieri Maserati who left Diatto in 1926 to establish his own marque; Maserati.

The company's cars were known for their advanced engineering and as early as the 1920s they were equipped with four-wheel brakes and four-speed gearboxes. Diatto ceased production in 1929.

Way back in 1921, Ugo Zagato designed a lightweight and aerodynamic body for the Diatto 25 4DS chassis. Full details of this elegant new car will be announced at Geneva. A recent, highly-acclaimed car from Zagato was the specially-commissioned Ferrari 575 GTZ.

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Zagato