“Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia,” or Cisitalia, was a post-war Italian sports and racing car founded in 1946. Based in Torino, the brand was led by the wealthy sportsman and industrialist, Piero Dusio.
The first Cisitalia was assembled in 1946 as a single-seater monoposto designated the D46. It made its racing debut in the legendary Coppa Brezzi. The Coppa Brezzi was a massively competitive event held in Torino, in which the most famous racing drivers in the world competed. In this race, the famous photo of Tazio Nuvolari was captured, maneuvering the car to success with the steering wheel in his hand. The D46’s performance and success made a relatively huge impression on the automotive world instantly.
Cisitalia was also the first manufacturer to invent one-make car races. The single-make Cisitalia race took place on March 9, 1947 just outside Cairo, in El Guezireh, Egypt. The event was such an importance that King Farouk himself personally presented the winner with a golden trophy.
The Cisitalia 202 Series was born in 1947 and quickly coined the phrase “rolling sculpture” by period press. Dusio commissioned Pininfarina to sculpt voluptuous bodies and the first cars were shown at the Villa d’Este Gold Cup in Como, as well as the 1947 Paris Motor Show to resounding success. It was such a captivating design that MoMA purchased a 202 for their permanent collection. The small but talented group at Cisitalia, which included Carlo Abarth, Giovanni Savonuzzi, and Dante Giacosa, continued to develop the model even further.