With a couple of Mille Miglias under its belt, its original engine, and a complete history – not to mention simply being one of the limited-production SMM competition versions patterned after a car driven to prominence by Tazio Nuvolari – it’s probably okay that this 1947 Cisitalia 202 SMM Spyder for sale on Hemmings.com doesn’t still have its original body, rather a hand-built replacement that still looks as sleek as the original. From the seller’s description:
This particular example, s/n 003S is a matching-numbers 202 with fascinating history. While the original Italian paperwork designated this as a 1947 production vehicle, the car was first sold officially on 6 October 1948, with engine 031MM (still present in the car) to the Turinese business owner, Luigi Bedosti. It is possible that this car was sold to Bedosti as a result of having been displayed at the Salone Internazionale dell’Automobile (in Turin) that ran from 15 to 26 September of 1948. The car was first registered 12 October in Turin with engine “031” and there is no indication that Bedosti did any racing with it.
The car was then sold 14 April 1949, to Mario Bortolotti of Bologna, “just in time” for Bortolotti to race it in the 1949 Mille Miglia (24 April 1949), where it did not finish. Photos and other research tell us that it got at least as far as Florence, still wearing Bedosti’s plates from Turin.
The car was re-registered in Bologna on 6 September 1949, just before being sold to Aldo Medri of Cesena, where the car was re-registered on Forli’ plates. The car passed almost immediately to Armando Bevilacqua in Bologna and was re-registered in Bologna on 22 September 1949. Armando Bevilacqua raced also chassis 004S (a special 202S called “Il Razzo”) during August of 1949, and it is very likely that “003S” was also used by Bevilacqua on the Bologna – Raticosa Hillclimb of 17 September 1950, where he was 20th overall and 10th in the Sport 1100 category.
This car was then sold on 2 May 1951, to Mario De Boni of Trieste and was re-registered on Trieste plates, and De Boni raced 003S in at least four events during 1951. For the Mille Miglia of 1952, the car appeared with the body in raw aluminum with an engine-turned finish and with a custom, Perspex bubble roof that was quite amazing visually. Following the Mille Miglia (where the car failed to finish) and at least one more event in “closed” form, the car was returned to its former “spyder” form and De Boni continued to race it no less than eight times from 1952 to 1957, most frequently on the local “Trieste – Opicina” hillclimb. The car also made period appearances at the Rallye Nuvolari, the Supercortemaggiore, the Coppa d’Oro Dolomiti, among others, often placing or winning its class.
In summary, chassis number 003S it very likely the most raced 202 Cisitalia extant, having been highly active in international events from 1948 well into the late 1950’s.
The car was sold 1958 to the next owner, also in Trieste. By the time the car turned up again in the 1980’s, the body was fragile and tired due to over a decade of hard, competitive use and was removed, although the chassis and mechanical package were still together and quite complete.
The car then passed to Nino Balestra, author of what is probably the first definitive book about Cisitalia cars, and the holder of most of the remaining Cisitalia archives. The restoration project was sold to a new owner and Nino continued to consult on the restoration. A new body was made by Dino Cognolato’s “Carrozzeria Nova Rinascente.” That work was finished by May of 1999 and the fully restored car was sold later that year to Japan. The car came to a new owner in the USA during 2011 and is now being offered here.
Of five 202 “Sport” chassis known to have been built, only three of which were truly in the form known later as “Spyder Nuvolari” … all three examples exist. This is evidence of how special these cars have always been to their owners. We do not yet know how many additional “Nuvolari” examples were built, but only fourteen seem to be numbered in what might be thought of as an independent “202SMM” series numeration while perhaps another four examples are known to have been numbered among the normal 202 production. This count implies that roughly 21 similarly configured cars were built, although the total number might grow as a few cars turn up over time. In any event, this model is exceedingly rare and each example can easily be thought of as unique given the hand-built nature combined with the specific racing history.
Cosmetically, the car is beautifully presented. While clearly not enjoyed solely on the concours lawn, s/n 003S remains sharp enough in its restoration details and would likely garner considerable attention based on its rarity and dynamic visual characteristics.
The body, paint, and brightwork and all nearly unmarked, and are generally outstanding. The Spartan but functional and ergonomically pleasant interior shows just the slightest signs of age and use, as would be expected of an open cockpit event car. The rear storage area is also very nice, showing just a few signs of light use on road rally events. The engine bay is beautifully detailed and has a crisp and purposeful appearance. The polished Cisitalia valve cover is very cool and in very good shape. The underside is well restored and in good order, but is perhaps a step away from the cosmetic presentation achieved by the interior and exterior of the car.
It is fantastically documented in several history books and comes with some rare period photos, as an extremely rare, original Cisitalia 202 owner’s manual, an original Cisitalia brochure, and two original bronze Mille Miglia participant medals.
See more cars for sale on Hemmings.com.
More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com
