A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a

front-engine, rear-wheel-drive In automotive design, a FR, or front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is one where the engine is located at the front of the vehicle and driven wheels are located at the rear via a drive shaft. This was the traditional automobile layout for mos ...

two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of

luxury Luxury may refer to: * Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises *Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars **Luxury tax (sports), surcharge pu ...

saloons or sedans. The term is a near-

calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language w ...

from the

Italian language Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about ...

phrase ''gran turismo'' which became popular in the English language from the 1950s, evolving from fast

touring car Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. Th ...

s and

streamlined Streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are field lines in a fluid flow. They differ only when the flow changes with time, that is, when the flow is not steady. Considering a velocity vector field in three-dimensional space in the framework of ...

closed sports cars during the 1930s.

Origin in Europe

The grand touring car concept originated in Europe in the early 1950s, especially with the 1951 introduction of the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT, and features notable luminaries of Italian automotive history such as

Vittorio Jano Vittorio Jano ( hu, János Viktor; 22 April 1891 – 13 March 1965) was an Italians, Italian automobile designer of Hungarian people, Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s. Jano was born ''Viktor János'' in San Giorgio Canavese, in ...

Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; 20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobil ...

and Johnny Lurani. Motorsports became important in the evolution of the grand touring concept, and grand touring entries are important in endurance sports-car racing. The grand touring definition implies material differences in performance, speed, comfort, and amenities between elite cars and those of ordinary motorists. In the post-war United States, manufacturers were less inclined to adopt the "ethos of the GT car", preferring to build cars "suited to their long, straight, smooth roads and labor-saving lifestyles" with wide availability of powerful straight-six and

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and u ...

s in all price-ranges like the 1955-1965

Chrysler 300 The Chrysler 300 is a full-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by Stellantis North America (and its predecessor companies) as a four-door sedan and station wagon in its first generation (model years 2005–2010) and solely as a four-d ...

. Despite this, the United States, enjoying early post-war economic expansion, became the largest market for European grand-touring cars, supplying transportation for movie stars, celebrities and the

jet set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...

; notably the

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (chassis code W 198) is a two-seat sports car which was produced by Mercedes-Benz as a gullwinged coupe (1954–1957) and roadster (1957–1963).Werner Oswald: ''Mercedes-Benz Personenwagen 1945–1985''. Motorbuch Ve ...

(imported by

Max Hoffman Maximilian Edwin Hoffman (12 November 1904 in Vienna, Austria – 9 August 1981), was an Austrian-born, New York-based importer of luxury European automobiles into the United States during the 1950s. Known equally for his acumen and influe ...

), the

Jaguar XK120 The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since SS 100 production ended in 1939. The XK120 is a highly desirable model. In 2016, Bonhams sold a matching numbers left-hand- ...

, and the Ferrari ''

berlinetta A berlinetta (from it, berlinetta; ) is a sports coupé, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars. The original meaning for ''berlinetta'' in Italian is “little saloon”. Introduced in the 1930s, the term was popularised by Fe ...

s'' (imported by

Luigi Chinetti Luigi Chinetti (July 17, 1901 – August 17, 1994) was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II. He drove in 12 consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans races, taking three outright wins there and taking two m ...

). Classic grand-touring cars from the

post-war era In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

especially, have since become valuable cars among wealthy collectors. Within ten years, grand touring cars found success penetrating the new American

personal luxury car Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance. The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and ma ...

market,

Characteristics

The terms "grand tourer", "''gran turismo''", "''grande routière''", and "GT" are among the most misused terms in motoring. The grand touring designation generally "means motoring at speed, in style, safety, and comfort". "Purists define "''gran turismo''" as the enjoyment, excitement and comfort of open-road touring." According to Sam Dawson, news editor of ''

Classic Cars A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.While other languages, such as German and Dutch, may refer to classic cars as "oldtimers", this usage is unknown in English, where "old-timer" refers to an elder ...

'', "the ideal is of a car with the ability to cross a continent at speed and in comfort yet provide driving thrills when demanded" and it should exhibit the following: * The engines "should be able to cope with cruising comfortably at the upper limits on all continental roads without drawbacks or loss of usable power". * "Ideally, the GT car should have been devised by its progenitors as a Grand Tourer, with all associated considerations in mind." * "It should be able to transport at least two in comfort with their luggage and have room to spare — probably in the form of a two plus two seating arrangement." * The design, both "inside and out, should be geared toward complete control by the driver". * Its "chassis and

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...

provide suitable handling and roadholding on all routes" during travels. Grand tourers emphasize comfort and handling over straight-out high performance or ascetic, spartan accommodations. In comparison,

sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

s (also a "much abused and confused term") are typically more "crude" compared to "sophisticated Grand Touring machinery". However, the popularity of using GT for marketing purposes has meant that it has become a "much misused term, eventually signifying no more than a slightly tuned version of a family car with trendy wheels and a go-faster stripe on the side". Historically, most GTs have been front-engined with rear-wheel drive, which creates more space for the cabin than mid-mounted engine layouts. Softer suspensions, greater storage, and more luxurious appointments add to their appeal. File:Jaguar E-Type series 1 coupé 1964.jpg, Front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe: 1964 Jaguar E-Type.

Automotive design Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance (and to some extent the ergonomics) of motor vehicles - including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. The functional design and development of a modern m ...

ers call the position of the driver's hip close to the rear axle "close-coupled". File:Jaguar XJ-S rear seats.jpg, Rear seats of a 1982

Jaguar XJ-S The Jaguar XJ-S (later called XJS) is a luxury grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British car manufacturer Jaguar Cars from 1975 to 1996, in coupé, fixed-profile and full convertible bodystyles. There were three distinct iterations, w ...

HE coupe, showing the 2+2 seating layout

''GT'' abbreviation in marketing

The ''GT'' abbreviation—and variations thereof—are often used as model names. However, some cars with GT in the model name are not actually grand touring cars. Among the many variations of GT are: * GTA: ''Gran turismo alleggerita'' - the Italian word for ''lightweight''. ''GTAm'' indicates a modified version. GTA is also sometimes used for

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...

models. * GTB: ''Gran turismo berlinetta'' * GTC: Various uses including "''gran turismo compressore''" for supercharged engines, "''gran turismo

cabriolet A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

''", "''gran turismo'' compact", "''gran turismo'' crossover" and "''gran turismo corsa''" - the Italian word for "racing". * GTD: "''Gran turismo'' diesel" * GT/E: "''Gran turismo Einspritzung''" - the German word for " fuel injection" * GTE: "Grand touring estate" * GTi or GTI: "Grand touring

injection Injection or injected may refer to: Science and technology * Injective function, a mathematical function mapping distinct arguments to distinct values * Injection (medicine), insertion of liquid into the body with a syringe * Injection, in broadca ...

", mostly used for hot hatches following the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf GTi * GTO: "''Gran turismo omologato''" - the Italian word for " homologation" * GTR or GT-R: "''Gran turismo'' racing" * GTS: sometimes "Gran turismo spider" for

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

models. However, GTS has also been used for

saloons Saloon may refer to: Buildings and businesses * One of the bars in a traditional British pub * An alternative name for a bar (establishment) * Western saloon, a historical style of American bar * The Saloon, a bar and music venue in San Francisc ...

and other body styles. * GT-T: "''Gran turismo''

turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...

" * GTV: "''Gran turismo veloce''" - the Italian word for "fast" * GTX: "Grand ''tourisme'' extreme" * HGT: "High ''gran turismo''" File:Ford Cortina GT MkI (1962-64) arriving at Schaffen-Diest (2014).JPG, 1962–1964

Ford Cortina The Ford Cortina is a medium-sized family car that was built initially by Ford of Britain, and then Ford of Europe in various guises from 1962 to 1982, and was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s. The Cortina was produced in fiv ...

GT: a

sports saloon A sports sedan (also known as sports saloon in British English) is a subjective term for a sedan car that is designed to have sporting performance or handling characteristics. History The term was originally introduced in the 1930s an ...

File:Volkswagen Golf Mk I GTI 001.jpg, 1982

Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...

GTI: a

hot hatch A hot hatch (shortened from hot hatchback) is a high-performance hatchback car. The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, factory high-performance versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s. Front-mounted petrol engines, ...

File:Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Nür 002.jpg, 1999

Nissan Skyline The is a brand of automobile originally produced by the Prince Motor Company starting in 1957, and then by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1967. After the merger, the Skyline and its larger counterpart, the Nissan Gloria, were sold i ...

GT-R: a coupé File:Alfa Romeo GTV6 (4641223647).jpg, alt=, 1980

Alfa Romeo Alfetta The Alfa Romeo Alfetta (Type 116) is a front-engine, five-passenger sedan and fastback coupé manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo from 1972 to 1987 with a production total over 400,000. The Alfetta was noted for the rear position of its ...

GTV6 2.5

GT racing series

Several past and present motor racing series have used "GT" in their name. These include: *

LM GTE Grand Touring Endurance, shortened to GTE, is a set of regulations maintained by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and IMSA for grand tourer racing cars used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 hours of Daytona GTLM, and its associated series. Th ...

1999–present: A set of regulations for modified road cars, which is used for the

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...

race and several related racing series. LM GTE was originally called 'GT class' and was also known as GT2 class from 2005 to 2010. Also known as GTLM in the United States *

GT World Challenge Europe GT World Challenge Europe (known as the Blancpain GT Series between 2014 and 2019) is a sports car racing series organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It features grand tourer racing cars modified from production road cars complying with the FIA's GT ...

2013–present: A racing series for Group GT3 cars. The FIA GT Series replaced the

FIA GT Championship The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...

(1997-2009) and the

FIA GT1 World Championship The FIA GT1 World Championship was a world championship sports car racing series, developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), that was held from 2010 to 2012. It featured multiple grand ...

(2010-2012). *

GT4 European Series The GT4 European Series is a sports car racing, sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived fr ...

2007–present: A European amateur racing series with the least powerful class of GT cars. *

IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama was a one-make racing series based in the United States using Porsche 911 GT3s. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama entered its 16th & final season in 2020 and was the largest of Porsche' ...

2005–present: A North American racing series for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. *

FIA GT3 European Championship The FIA GT3 European Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It was a championship derived from the international FIA ...

2006-2012: A European amateur racing series for Group GT3 cars. * FIA R-GT : As part of its structure, the Group R regulations have a provision for GT cars, known as R-GT. There have also been several classes of racing cars called GT. The

Group GT3 Group GT3, known technically as Cup Grand Touring Cars and commonly referred to as simply GT3, is a set of regulations maintained by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for grand tourer racing cars designed for use in various au ...

regulations for modified road cars have been used for various racing series worldwide since 2006. The

Group GT1 Group GT1, also known simply as GT1, was a set of regulations maintained formerly by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), for Grand Tourer racing. The category was first created in 1994, as the top class of the BPR Global GT Seri ...

regulations were used for the fastest category of sports car racing from 1994 to 2001. 01-Porsche-GT3-FachAutotech.jpg ,

Porsche 911 GT3 The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance homologation model of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is a line of high-performance models, which began with the 1973 911 Carrera RS. The GT3 has had a successful racing career in the one-make national ...

Ford GT1 Belgian Racing 10 Silverstone 2011.jpg , Ford GT1 Andre_Lotterer_2010_Super_GT_Fuji_400km_qualify_Super_Lap.jpg ,

Lexus SC430 The is a grand tourer that was retailed by Lexus (a luxury vehicle division of Toyota), and built from 1991 until 2010. It features a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive design and seating for up to four passengers. The first-generation SC debuted as ...

Super GT BMS DBR9 Orange.jpg ,

Aston Martin DBR9 The Aston Martin DBR9 is a racing car built by Aston Martin Racing, debuting in 2005 and racing actively in international sportscar racing until the end of GT1 category in 2011. The name DBR9 is derived from the original 24 Hours of Le Mans-winn ...

GT1 Saab93LeMans-rear.jpg , Saab 93 LeMans spec

Examples of grand tourers

The inclusion of "grand tourer", "gran turismo", "GT" or similar in the model name does not necessarily mean that the car is a grand tourer since several manufacturers have used the terms for the marketing of cars that are not grand tourers.

Evolution of the ''gran turismo'' car

Grand touring car design evolved from

vintage Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

and pre-World War II fast

s and

closed

s. Italy developed the first ''gran turismo'' cars. The small, light-weight and

aerodynamic Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...

coupés, named the "

Berlinetta A berlinetta (from it, berlinetta; ) is a sports coupé, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars. The original meaning for ''berlinetta'' in Italian is “little saloon”. Introduced in the 1930s, the term was popularised by Fe ...

", originated in the 1930s. A contemporary French concept, known as "''grande routière''", emphasized style, elegance, luxury, and gentlemanly transcontinental touring; the ''grande routières'' were often larger cars than the Italian ''gran turismos''. Italian designers saw that compared to a traditional open two-seat sports car, the increase in weight and frontal area of an enclosed cabin for the driver and mechanic could be offset by the benefits of streamlining to reduce drag. Independent ''carrozzeria'' ( coachbuilders) provided light and flexible fabric coachwork for powerful short-wheelbase fast-touring chassis by manufacturers such as

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...

. Later, Carrozzeria Touring of Milan pioneered sophisticated '' superleggera'' (super light-weight) aluminum bodywork, allowing for even more aerodynamic forms. The additional comfort of an enclosed cabin was beneficial for the

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...

road-race held in Italy's often wintry north.

1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GT

The first car to be named "''gran turismo''" was the 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Turismo, a sporting dual-purpose road/race chassis and engine specification that was available with a wide variety of body styles or ''

carrozzeria A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...

''. The influential Weymann fabric-bodied ''berlinetta'' version by Carrozzeria Touring, "an early example of what we generally perceive to be a GT car", was winner of the Vetture Chiuse category at the 1931 Mille Miglia. An improved and supercharged version, the 6C 1750 GTC ''Gran Turismo Compressore'', won the Vetture a Guida Interna category of the 1932 Mille Miglia. The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was designed by Vittorio Jano, who would later be instrumental in the design of the 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT.

1935 Fiat 508 Balilla S Berlinetta

From the basic Fiat 508 Balilla touring chassis came the SIATA and Fiat aerodynamic ''gran turismo''-style ''Berlinetta Mille Miglias'' of 1933 and 1935.

SIATA Siata (''Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori'' in English ''Italian Car Transformation Accessories Company'') was an Italian car tuning shop and manufacturer founded in 1926 by amateur race car driver Giorgio Ambrosini. Siata initiall ...

was a Turin, Italy-based Fiat tuner, typical of a popular class of Italian artisan manufacturers of small gran turismo, sports and racing cars—usually Fiat based—that came to be known in the 1970s as ''Etceterini'', such as Nardi,

Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and Car tuning, performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its FCA Italy, Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a ...

, Ermini and, in 1946,

Cisitalia Cisitalia was an Italian sports and racing car brand. The name "Cisitalia" derives from "Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia", a business conglomerate founded in Turin in 1946 and controlled by the wealthy industrialist and sportsman Piero Dusio ...

. The Fiat and SIATA ''berlinettas'', influenced by the successful Alfa Romeo 6C GT/GTC coupés, competed in the Mille Miglia endurance race and were significant among Weymann and Superleggera enclosed sporting cars appearing in the 1930s. They featured tuned Fiat engine and chassis, and bespoke ''carrozzeria'', in common with the landmark post-war Cisitalia 202 SC, and are among the first small-displacement ''gran turismos''. File:Alfa-Romeo 6C-1750-GTC-Touring.JPG, Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GTC Berlinetta Carrozzeria Touring Mille Miglia 1932 File:Fiat 508-S-Balilla BerlMM.JPG,

Fiat 508 The 508 Balilla was a compact car designed and developed by Fiat in 1932. It was, effectively, the replacement of the Fiat 509, although production of the earlier model had ceased back in 1929. It had a three-speed transmission (increased to four ...

Balilla S Berlinetta Mille Miglia 1935

1947 Cisitalia 202 SC

The first recognised motor race specifically for gran turismo cars was the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa held at Monza. It was initially hoped by Italian motor industry observers that the small and struggling Italian sports and racing car manufacturer, Cisitalia, would find in the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa regulations (initially called ''Turismo Veloce'' or Fast Touring) a category for its Cisitalia Tipo 202 SC—the road-going production coupé version of Cisitalia's single-seat D46 racing car and two-seat 202 open sports car. However, the Fiat-based 1100 cc four-cylinder Cisitalia was no match on the race track for Ferrari's new hand-built 2000 cc V12, and Ferrari dominated, taking the first three places. An 1100 cc class was hurriedly created, but not in time to save Cisitalia's business fortunes—the company's bankrupt owner

Piero Dusio Piero Dusio (13 October 1899 – 7 November 1975) was an Italian footballer, businessman and racing driver.Donatella Biffignandi, Piero Dusio' from museoauto.it, an online museum for automotive issues, last accessed on 12 November 2016. Biograph ...

had already decamped to Argentina. The Cisitalia 202 SC gained considerable fame for the outstanding design of its

Pinin Farina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...

coachwork A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...

, and is credited with greatly influencing the style of subsequent ''

'' or fastback gran turismo coupés. A Cisitalia 202 "GT" is exhibited at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

1947 Maserati A6 1500

The Maserati A6 1500 won the 1500 cc class at the 1949 Coppa-Europa. It was driven by

Franco Bordoni Franco Bordoni-Bisleri (10 January 1913 – 15 September 1975) was an Italian aviator and racing car driver. He is one of the top-scoring flying ace, aces of the Regia Aeronautica, with 19 air victories. His nickname was "Robur" ("strength" ...

, former fighter ace of the Regia Aeronautica who had debuted as a '' pilota da corsa'' at the 1949

. The A6 1500 was the first road going production car to be offered by the Maserati factory, featuring a

tubular chassis Superleggera (Italian for ''Superlight'') is a custom tube and alloy panel automobile coachwork construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. A separate chassis was stil ...

with

independent front suspension Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in ...

and

coil spring A selection of conical coil springs The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself. Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...

s, the 1500 cc

six-cylinder The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...

being derived from the Maserati brothers pre-war ''

voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers t ...

'' racing engines. The body of the A6 1500 was an elegant two-door fast-back coupé body, also by Pinin Farina. File:Cisitalia 202 - Mille Miglia 2014 (16987804980).jpg, Cisitalia Tipo 202 SC Coupé Carrozzeria Pinin Farina 1947 File:Maserati A6 1500 - Museo Enzo Ferrari - fvr.jpg,

Maserati A6 Maserati A6 were a series of grand tourers, racing sports cars and single seaters made by Maserati of Italy between 1947 and 1956. They were named for Alfieri Maserati (one of the Maserati brothers, founders of Maserati) and for their straight-si ...

1500 Coupé Carrozzeria Pinin Farina 1947

1949 Ferrari 166 Inter

, whose Scuderia Ferrari had been the racing division of

from 1929 until 1938, parted ways from Alfa Romeo in 1939: Enzo Ferrari's first car (itself an ''Etceterini)'' the Fiat-based

Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 The Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 was the first car to be fully designed and built by Enzo Ferrari. Legal issues with former associates Alfa Romeo prevented Ferrari from creating the Ferrari marque. The 815 raced at the 1940 Brescia Grand Prix, where ...

racing sports car, debuted at the 1940 Mille Miglia. Two were produced. The first car constructed in Ferrari's name, the V12 125 S, also a racing sports car, debuted in 1947 at the

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

racing circuit. Again, only two were produced, but they rapidly evolved into the

159 Year 159 ( CLIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time in Roman territories, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Quintillus and Priscus (or, less frequently, year ...

and 166 models, including the 1949 Ferrari 166 Inter, a road-going berlinetta coupé with coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring and other coachbuilders. The Ferrari 166 'Inter' S coupé model won the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa motor race. Regulations stipulated body form and dimensions but did not at this time specify a minimum production quantity. The car was driven by Bruno Sterzi, and is recognized as the first Ferrari ''gran turismo''. After that race, the national governing body of Italian motorsport, CSAI (''Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana),'' officially introduced a new class, called ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'', for cars with production over thirty units per year, thereby ruling out Ferrari's hand-built ''berlinettas''.

1951 Ferrari 212 Export

Ferrari's response for the new Italian ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' championship in 1951 was the road/race

Ferrari 212 Ferrari used its 2.6 L (2562.51 cc) ''Colombo'' V12 engine in a number of models, all called 212 for the displacement of a single cylinder. The following models used the 212 name: * 1951 Ferrari 212 F1 — Formula 1 and Formula 2 racer * 195 ...

. Twenty-seven short-wheelbase competition versions called Export, some with increasingly popular ''gran turismo''-style ''berlinetta'' coupé coachwork, were produced for enthusiasts (Ferrari called the very first example 212 ''MM'') while the road version was called ''Inter''. The Ferrari 212 Export featured long-range fuel tanks, high compression pistons and triple Weber 32 DCF carburettors; power was 170 bhp from the 2600cc Gioacchino Colombo-designed 'short-block' V12 engine, evolved from the earlier Ferrari 166 (2000cc) and 195 (2300cc). All versions came with the standard Ferrari five-speed non-synchromesh gearbox and hydraulic drum brakes. All 1951 Ferraris shared a double tube frame chassis design evolved from the 166. Double-wishbone front suspension with

transverse leaf spring Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in ...

, and live rear axle with

semi-elliptic leaf spring A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it ...

s and

radius rod A radius rod (also called a radius arm, torque arm, torque spring, and torsion bar) is a suspension link intended to control wheel motion in the longitudinal (fore-aft) direction. The link is connected (with a rubber or solid bushing) on one en ...

s were employed. The Ferrari 212 Export (212 MM) ''gran turismo berlinetta'' (chassis no. 0070M) debuted in first-place overall at the April 1951 Coppa Inter-Europa, driven by Luigi Villoresi, and in June (chassis no. 0092E) was first in the ''Gran Turismo'' category at the Coppa della Toscana driven by Milanese Ferrari concessionaire and proprietor of Scuderia Guastalla, Franco Cornacchia. The 212 Export continued to serve Ferrari well in the Sports and GT categories until replaced by the 225 S, and although it would later be overshadowed by the internationally famous 250 GT, the 212 Export was an important model in the successful line of Colombo-engined V12 GT cars that made Ferrari legendary. File:1949 Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé Touring p2.JPG,

Ferrari 166 Inter The Ferrari 166 Inter was Ferrari's first true grand tourer. An evolution of the 125 S and 166 S racing cars, it was a sports car for the street with coachbuilt bodies. The Inter name commemorated the victories claimed in 166 S models by Scude ...

Coupé Carrozzeria Touring 1949 File:Ermini 1100 Berlinetta Motto - MM 2014 - (14013102437).jpg, ''Etceterini'': Ermini 1100 Berlinetta Motto 1950 File:Ferrari 212 Vignale 2 cropped.jpg,

Ferrari 212 Export :''See also the 212 Inter grand tourer'' The Ferrari 212 Export was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1951–1952. The 212 Exports won Tour de France automobile, Giro di Sicilia, Coppa della Toscana, 10 Hours of Messina and other motor ...

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Aurelia B20 GT. Lancia had begun production in 1950 of their technically advanced Aurelia saloon; the design had been overseen by Vittorio Jano. At the 1951

Turin Motor Show The Turin Motor Show ( it, Salone dell'Automobile di Torino) was an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1 ...

, the Pinin Farina-bodied ''Gran Turismo'' B20 Coupé version was unveiled to an enthusiastic motoring public. Here, finally, according to historians Jonathan WoodWood, pp. 50–51 and Sam Dawson, was a fully realized production GT car, representing the starting point of the definitive Grand Tourer:

This outwardly conventional saloon bristled with innovation and ingenuity, in which the masterly hand of
Vittorio Jano Vittorio Jano ( hu, János Viktor; 22 April 1891 – 13 March 1965) was an Italians, Italian automobile designer of Hungarian people, Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s. Jano was born ''Viktor János'' in San Giorgio Canavese, in ...
is apparent. In the B20 are elements of the Cistalia of 1947, coupés which Pinin undertook on a 6C Alfa Romeo and Maserati in 1948, along with the Fiat 1100 S coupé with its rear accommodation for children. The original Aurelia had been under-powered and, in 1951, the V6 was enlarged to 1991 cc, which was also extended to the coupé, though in 75 rather than 70 bhp form as the B20 was developed as a sporting model in its own right. In addition the B20 had a shorter wheelbase and a higher rear axle ratio, making it a 100 mph car. Lancia chose the ''Gran Turismo'' name for its new model and the suggestion could only have come from Vittorio Jano himself, for had he not been responsible for the original 1750 Alfa Romeo of the same name back in 1929?

Four ''semi-ufficiali'' works B20 GTs, together with a number of privateer entrants, were sent to the Mille Miglia in April, 1951, where the factory Bracco / Maglioli car finished second overall, behind only a Ferrari sports racer of twice the engine capacity. Lancia Aurelias swept the GT 2.0 Liter division. In June 1951, Bracco was partnered with the 'father of GT racing' himself, Johnny Lurani, to race a B20 GT at Le Mans, where they were victorious in the 2.0 Liter sportscar division, placing a very creditable 12th overall. A 1–2 finish at the famous Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, among other victories including the 6 Ore di Pescara, rounded out an astonishing debut racing season for this ground-breaking car, winning its division in the Italian GT Championship for Umberto Castiglioni in

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

. Lancia B20 GTs would go on to win the Over 2.0 Liter Italian GT Championship in 1953, 1954 and 1955 with the B20-2500. File:Lancia aurelia b20.jpg, Lancia Aurelia B20 GT 1951 File:Autoitalia Brooklands 30th April 2011 DSC 5809 (5674066554).jpg File:Autoitalia Brooklands 30th April 2011 DSC 5681 (5673932402).jpg

1952 Fiat 8V "Otto Vu" Zagato

A surprise to the international press, who were not expecting a ''gran turismo berlinetta'' from Italy's largest manufacturer of everyday standard touring models, the Fiat 8V "Otto Vu" was unveiled at the Geneva Salon in March 1952 to international acclaim. Although not raced by the factory, the Otto Vu ''was'' raced by a number of private owners. Vincenzo Auricchio and Piero Bozzinio raced to fifth in the Gran Turismo category of the 1952 Mille Miglia, and Ovidio Capelli placed third in the GT 2000 cc class at the Coppa della Toscana in June, with a special race-spec lightweight

Zagato Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in Terrazzano, a small village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy. The company's premises occupies an area of 23,000 square metres (250,000 sq ft)- 11,000 ...

coupe; the GT category overall at this event was won by Franco Cornacchia's Ferrari 212 Export (refer above). Capelli and the 8V Zagato topped this accomplishment by winning the GT category of the Pescara 12 Hours in August, ahead of two Lancias. The new Fiat 8V garnered sufficient competition points over the season to become the national two-liter GT Champion (a feat it repeated every year until 1959).

Elio Zagato Elio Zagato (27 February 192114 September 2009) was an Italian automobile designer. Like his brother Gianni Zagato (born 1929), Elio Zagato joined his father Ugo Zagato's design firm Zagato in Milan and, upon the father's death in 1968, took ov ...

, the coachbuilder's son, was successful in competition with the Otto Vu in 1954 and 1955, attracting further customer interest and leading Zagato to eventually develop two different GT racing versions. Upon his passing in 2009, Elio Zagato was described as a leading figure of Italian GT racing and design:

Elio Zagato, who has died aged 88, was one of the leading figures of Italian Gran Turismo (GT) racing and car-body design. In the 1950s, driving a Zagato-bodied Fiat 8V, Elio emerged as the consummate gentleman racer in Italian GT championship events. Zagato, his father's firm, provided the lithe, lightweight aluminium bodies for many of the Lancias, Alfa Romeos, Abarths and Maseratis that dominated these meetings. Elio won 82 races out of the 150 he entered, and won four of the five championships he entered. Working with the chief stylist
Ercole Spada Ercole Spada (born 26 July 1937 in Busto Arsizio) is an Italian automobile designer. His most notable designs were produced in the 1960s, for the Zagato design studio house, where Spada was chief stylist. During this period some of the most notabl ...
, Zagato produced some of the most beautiful GT designs of the era; spare and muscular cars such as the Aston Martin DB4GTZ, the Alfa Romeo Junior TZ and SZ, and the Lancia Flaminia Sport. These were minimalist shapes bereft of superfluous trim that introduced phrases such as "double bubble" roof to the car body design language: twin shallow domes, devised by Elio, to give extra head room and strengthen the roof. For lightness, Zagato pioneered the use of Perspex and of aerodynamics, with trademark forms such as the split or stub tail. Indeed, Elio would take prototypes out on the
autostrada The Autostrade (; singular ) are roads forming the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about . In North and Central Italy, the Autostrade mainly consists of tollways managed by Autostrade per l'Italia, a ...
covered in wool tufts in order to test
air flow Airflow, or air flow, is the movement of air. The primary cause of airflow is the existence of air. Air behaves in a fluid manner, meaning particles naturally flow from areas of higher pressure to those where the pressure is lower. Atmospheric ...
over the body.

The 8V Otto Vu earned its name courtesy of its high-performance V8 engine (Ford having already trademarked "V8"). File:Fiat_8V_Zagato_rear.jpg, Fiat 8V Zagato File:Fiat_8V_Zagato.jpg

1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

automotive industry was devastated by the second World War, but in the post-war period a small number of firms brought it to prominence again. The emergence of the classic

Porsche 356 The Porsche 356 is a sports car that was first produced by Austrian company Porsche Salzburg, Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH (1948–1949), and then by German company Porsche, Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH (1950–1965). It was Porsche's first ...

is covered in the accompanying

article. In 1957 author John Stanford wrote: "The post-war Mercedes sports cars are in a way even more remarkable than those of Porsche. The firm was particularly badly hit by the war and it was several years before anything but a nominal production of cars could be undertaken. In 1951 appeared the "300", a luxurious and fast touring car with a single-camshaft six-cylinder engine of 2996 c.c. and chassis derived from the pre-war cars with swing-axle rear suspension. The "300S" was a three-carburetor edition, but in 1952 great interest was aroused by the almost invincible performance in sports-car racing of a team of prototype cars of extremely advanced and interesting design. By 1954 these had undergone sufficient development to be placed on the market as the "300SL", one of the costliest and most desirable cars of our time. The conventional chassis has been abandoned in favor of a complex structure of welded tubes, although the coil spring suspension is retained, and exceptionally large brakes are fitted, inboard at the rear. The engine is sharply inclined to the near-side in the interests of a low bonnet-line, and with Bosch fuel injection produces 240 b.h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. Claimed maximum speed is in excess of 160 m.p.h. and although the car is by no means small,

dry weight Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity. Curb or kerb weight Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...

has been kept to 23 cwt. The depth of the multi-tubular frame prevents the use of conventional side-hinged doors and these cars are fitted with the roof-hinged "gull-wing" doors which characterize an exceedingly handsome and practical car. An open touring version is available. In competition the "300SL" has become a powerful contender, and abetted by the success of the

Grand Prix cars Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and co ...

300_SLR".html" ;"title="Mercedes-Benz_300_SLR.html" ;"title="nd "Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR">300 SLR"">Mercedes-Benz_300_SLR.html" ;"title="nd "Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR">300 SLR"has captured a substantial portion of the export market." File:Mercedes 300SL Coupe vr silver EMS.jpg,

File:Mercedes 300SL Coupe hr silver EMS.jpg,

1956 Ferrari 250 GT

1953 saw the first serious attempt to series produce the Ferrari motor car, two models of the Ferrari 250, Type 250 Europa being produced. The cars were an evolution of the previous models, available with either the Ferrari Colombo engine, Colombo or Ferrari Lampredi engine, Lampredi versions of the 250 V12 engine, coil spring front suspension, an improved sports gearbox (four speeds) with Porsche synchromesh, large drum brakes and luxurious outfitting. A few appeared in motorsports but did not initially threaten the international

and

competition. After its 1956 debut, the 250 GT "went from strength to strength". Powered by the Colombo 250 engine, output was up to 240 b.h.p. at 7,000 r.p.m. A short-wheelbase (SWB) version of the 250 chassis was employed for improved handling and road-holding in corners, and top speed was up to 157 m.p.h. In 1957 Gendebien finished third overall in the Mille Miglia, and won the "index of performance".

Alfonso de Portago Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, 11th Marquess of Portago, GE (11 October 1928 – 12 May 1957), best known as Alfonso de Portago, was a Spanish aristocrat, racing and bobsleigh driver, jockey and pilot. Born in London to a prominent family ...

won the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

and GT races at

Montlhéry Montlhéry () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris. History Montlhéry lay on the strategically important road from Paris to Orléans. Under the Merovingians, it was owned by the ...

and

Castelfusano Castelfusano is an urban park in the comune of Rome. It divides the sea quarter of Ostia and the neighborhood of Casalpalocco. The castle and the park were founded in the 17th century by the Sacchetti family. Its vegetation consists mainly in a ...

in a lightweight

Carrozzeria Scaglietti Carrozzeria Scaglietti () was an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding company active in the 1950s. It was founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 as an automobile repair concern, but was located across the road from Ferrari in Maranello outsid ...

250 GT. Gendebien became a ''gran turismo'' specialist in 250 GTs when he wasn't driving sports racing Ferrari ''Testa Rossas'' ("Red Heads" for their red engine covers), achieving success in both the Giro Sicilia and Tour de France. In 1958, sports racing ''Testa Rossas'' swept the Manufacturer's Championship, and in 1959 the T.R. engine was adapted to the 250 GT. The spark plugs were relocated and each

cylinder A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...

now had a separate intake port. Larger Weber twin-choke carburetors were employed in a triple configuration (sports racing T.R.s employed six) and some special customer cars had three four-choke Webers (one choke per cylinder).

Dry-sump lubrication A dry-sump system is a method to manage the lubricating motor oil in four-stroke and large two-stroke piston driven internal combustion engines. The dry-sump system uses two or more oil pumps and a separate oil reservoir, as opposed to a co ...

was employed, and the camshaft valve timing was only slightly less than the full-race ''Testa Rossas''. G.T. power was up to 267 b.h.p. at 7,000 r.p.m. (240 b.h.p at 6,800 rpm for road versions). Experiments were conducted with Dunlop disc brakes, which were adopted in 1960, along with an even shorter wheelbase for ''competizione'' versions. In 1962, the definitive competition gran turismo was unveiled, the 250 GTO. A full ''Testa Rossa'' engine was employed (albeit with black crinkle-finish engine covers) with six twin-choke Webers. Power was up to 300 b.h.p. at 7,400 r.p.m. and with a lightweight 2000 lb body and chassis: the car was an immediate winner.< In November 2016, it was reported that a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was being offered for public sale—normally brokers negotiate deals between extremely wealthy collectors "behind closed doors". GTOs had previously been auctioned in 1990 and 2014. The 2017 sale was expected to reach US$56,000,000.00, the particular GTO concerned (the second of just thirty-six ever made) thus set to become the world's most expensive car. File:Ferrari 250 Europa.jpg, 1953

Ferrari 250 The Ferrari 250 is a series of sports cars and grand tourers built by Ferrari from 1952 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series includes many variants designed for road use or sports car racing. 250 series cars are chara ...

Europa File:Ferrari 250 GT TdF - Villa d'Este 2014 - (14466769370).jpg, 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Tour de France Scaglietti File:Ferrari-250-GT-Berlinetta-1.jpg, 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB File:Ferrari 250 GTO at concorso.jpg, 1962

Ferrari 250 GTO The Ferrari 250 GTO is a GT car produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. It was powered by Ferrari's ''Tipo 168/62'' Colombo V12 engine. The "250" in its name denotes the displa ...

Impact of racing

The Italian

thousand-mile race, held from 1927 to 1957, was central to the evolution of the ''gran turismo'' concept. The event was one of the most important on the Italian motor-sport calendar and could attract up to five million spectators. Winning drivers such as

Tazio Nuvolari Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (; 16 November 1892 – 11 August 1953) was an Italian racing driver. He first raced motorcycles and then concentrated on sports cars and single-seaters. A resident of Mantua, he was known as 'Il Mantovano Volante' ( ...

Rudolf Caracciola Otto Wilhelm Rudolf CaracciolaBolsinger and Becker (2002), p. 63 (30 January 1901 – 28 September 1959) was a racing driver from Remagen, Germany. He won the European Drivers' Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One Wo ...

, and Stirling Moss; and manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari and Porsche would become household names. According to Enzo Ferrari:

In my opinion, the Mille Miglia was an epoch-making event, which told a wonderful story. The Mille Miglia created our cars and the Italian car industry. The Mille Miglia permitted the birth of GT, or grand touring cars, which are now sold all over the world. The Mille Miglia proved that by racing over open roads for 1,000 miles, there were great technical lessons to be learned by the petrol and oil companies and by brake, clutch, transmission, electrical and lighting component manufacturers, fully justifying the old adage that motor racing improves the breed.

The Mille Miglia is still celebrated today as one of the world's premier historic racing events. A closed sports coupé almost prevailed at Le Mans in 1938, when a Carrozzeria Touring-bodied Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, driven by

Raymond Sommer Raymond Sommer (31 August 1906 – 10 September 1950) was a French motor racing driver. He raced both before and after WWII with some success, particularly in endurance racing. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in both and , and altho ...

and

Clemente Biondetti Clemente Biondetti (18 October 1898 – 24 February 1955) was an Italian auto racing driver. Born into a working-class family, Biondetti raced motorcycles before turning to automobiles where he had greater success. Biography Born in Buddusò, S ...

, led the famous 24-hour race from the third lap until early Sunday afternoon, retiring only due to engine problems. Johnny Lurani was impressed by the dominant performance at the Mille Miglia in 1940, by a Carrozzeria Touring-bodied BMW 328 coupé, winning the event at over 100 mph average speed, driven by

Fritz Huschke von Hanstein Fritz Sittig Enno Werner von Hanstein (3 January 1911 – 5 March 1996) nicknamed "Huschke von Hanstein", was a German racing driver who from the 1950s served both as Porsche's public relations manager and chief of their racing department. ...

and

Walter Bäumer Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

The BMW team included a splendid aerodynamic ''Berlinetta'', wind tunnel designed by German specialists, that was extremely fast at 135 mph... I couldn't believe the speeds these BMWs were capable of.

File:Alfa Romeo 1938 2900 B Speciale.jpg, 1938 Alfa Romeo 2900B Carrozzeria Touring Le Mans. File:BMW 328 Mille Miglia Coupe 1940.jpg, 1940 BMW 328 Coupé Carrozzeria Touring Mille Miglia. File:1949-04-24 Mille Miglia Ferrari 166 sn003S Bianchetti Sala.jpg, 1948

Ferrari 166 S :''See also the 166 Inter GT car'' :''See also the 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans'' :''See also the Ferrari-Abarth 166 MM/53'' The Ferrari 166 S was a sports racing car built by Ferrari between 1948 and 1953, an evolution of its '' Colombo'' V12-p ...

#003S, Berlinetta coachwork by

Carrozzeria Allemano Carrozzeria Allemano (established 1928, discontinued 1965) was an automobile coachbuilder in Turin, Italy, owned by Serafino Allemano. Allemano made various cars based on their own designs. They also built externally designed vehicles, such as th ...

, here at the 1949

. File:Ferrari166 coppatoscana.jpg, 1950

Ferrari 195 S :''See also the Ferrari 195 Inter, 195 Inter grand tourer'' :''See also the Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans, 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans'' The Ferrari 195 S was a sports racing car produced by Ferrari in 1950. It was an improved version of the Ferr ...

Berlinetta by Carrozzeria Touring, at the Coppa della Toscana. Chassis #0026M. Outright winner of the 1950

, driven by

Gianni Marzotto Count Giannino Marzotto (13 April 1928 in Valdagno, Italy – 14 July 2012) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur. Marzotto served as President of the Mille Miglia Club and won the Mille Miglia race in 1950 and 1953. Career He was one ...

in a double-breasted suit. File:Ferrari195 Inter coupe Vignale 0083S Coppa Intereuropa 1951.jpg, 1951 Ferrari 195 Inter coupé by

Vignale Vignale is the luxury car sub-brand of Ford Motor Company used in automobiles sold in Europe.Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi (popularly known as Johnny Lurani) was a key commissioner. He was also a senior member of the world governing body, the ''

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...

'' (FIA). Lurani was instrumental in designing the regulations for the Italian 1937 ''Turismo Nazionale'' championship, whereby production vehicles approved by the CSAI were raced with the original chassis and engine layout as specified in the factory catalog and available for customers to buy; engines could be tuned and bored out, but the bodywork had to conform to regulations. The CSAI were concerned that FIA (known as AIACR at the time) ' Annexe C' Sports cars were becoming little more than thinly-disguised two-seat

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

racers, far removed from the cars ordinary motorists could purchase from the manufacturers' catalogs. The CSAI was shut down by the Italian Fascist government under

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

at the end of 1937, and replaced with a new organization called FASI. The Italian Fascists, as in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, sought control of motor racing as an important vehicle for national prestige and propaganda. FASI replaced ''Turismo Nazionale'' with the less strictly regulated ''Sports Nazionale'' championship, which ran in 1938 and 1939. Postwar, the CSAI was re-established and in 1947 Italian national championships were held for both ''Sports Internazionale'' (FIA Annexe C sports cars) and ''Sports Nazionale''. ''Sports Nazionale'' was abolished in 1948, creating the opportunity for a new category in 1949.

1949 Coppa Inter-Europa

The first

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

specifically for grand touring motor cars (at the time the regulations, designed by Johnny Lurani, were actually called ''Turismo Veloce,'' or Fast Touring) was the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa, held over three hours on 29 May, at the 6.3 kilometer Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (Italy). It was won by a limited production, V-12 engined, Ferrari 166 "Inter", originally known as the "Sport", with a coupé body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan with the Superleggera system. After this race, governing body CSAI officially introduced a new category, called ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'', for 1950. The regulations were drawn up by Johnny Lurani and fellow Italian motor racing journalist and organizer Corrado Filippini, requiring for qualification the production of thirty models per year, thereby ruling out, for the time being, Ferrari's hand-built ''berlinettas''. Nonetheless, Ferrari 166 (including the upgraded MM - Mille Miglia - version) were produced and raced in sports car categories as both open ''barchettas'' and closed ''berlinettas,'' including winning the 1950 Mille Miglia outright.

1950 Mille Miglia

On the third weekend of April 1950, it was the occasion of the annual Mille Miglia, one-thousand miles from Brescia to Rome and back over closed public roads, to include a ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' category for the first time: twenty-four GT cars were entered, including Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Coupé Touring, Cisitalia 202B ''berlinetta'' and Fiat 1100 S coupé. The field was rounded out by a solitary Fiat-based

Siata Daina The Siata Daina is an Italian car produced by Siata from 1950-1958. The Daina was available as a coupé or a convertible and had custom bodies by Stabilimenti Farina, Bertone and other coach builders. Performance Like all Siata cars, the Dai ...

. Alfa Romeo took first place in the ''Gran Turismo'' ''Internazionale'' category (a creditable tenth overall) and also second place in category, followed by three Cisitalias. The overall race winning

was also a ''gran turismo-''style coupé, but in the over 2000 Sports car class—in fact a special 166MM/195S ''Berlinetta Le Mans,'' chassis #0026MM, famously driven by

Giannino Marzotto Count Giannino Marzotto (13 April 1928 in Valdagno, Italy – 14 July 2012) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur. Marzotto served as President of the Mille Miglia Club and won the Mille Miglia race in 1950 and 1953. Career He was one ...

in a double-breasted suit, "a fitting advertisement for his family's textile business"''.''

1950 Coppa Inter-Europa

The 1950 Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza was held in March. Separate races were held for sports cars, and for ''Gran Turismo'' cars in four classes: 750, 1100, 1500, and over 1500. Ferrari entered, and won, the Sports car 2000 class with a Ferrari 166 MM ''berlinetta'', while an Alfa Romeo ''Sperimentale'' (over 2000 class) won the sports car race overall. The ''Gran Turismo'' race was contested by

Lancia Aprilia The Lancia Aprilia (1937–1949) is a family car manufactured by Lancia, one of the first designed using wind tunnel in collaboration with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino, achieving a record low drag coefficient of 0.47. The ''berlinetta ...

, Cisitalia 202B, Stanguellini GT 1100, Fiat 500, Alfa Romeo 2500 and Fiat

. The overall winner was WWII fighter ace Franco Bordoni's Maserati A6 1500.

1950 Targa Florio

The annual

Targa Florio The Targa Florio was a public road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 ...

in Sicily was held the first weekend of April, and featured a ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' category for the first time, in two classes: 1500 and over 1500. Contested by Lancia Aprilia, Cisitalia 202, Fiat 1100, Maserati A6, and even a solitary British

Bristol 400 The Bristol 400 is a luxury car produced by the Bristol Aeroplane Company of Great Britain, its first. After World War II in 1947, BAC decided to diversify and formed a car division, which would later be the Bristol Cars company in its own ri ...

(based on the successful pre-war BMW 328), the ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' category was won by Argentinian driver, Adolfo Schwelm Cruz, in an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS. Schwelm Cruz and Alfa Romeo repeated their success in the 1950 Targa Florio and Mille Miglia by winning the ''Gran Turismo'' category at the Coppa della Toscana in June. An Alfa Romeo 6C 2500, driven by Salvatore Amendola, was also victorious in the ''Gran Turismo'' category of the

Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti The Dolomites Gold Cup Race (translation: ''Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti'') was a car race on public roads open to traffic, which was run in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy for ten years from 1947 to 1956. It took place along an anti-cl ...

in July, run through the

Dolomite Mountains The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form par ...

, starting and finishing in the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. An Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 took the ''Gran Turismo'' honours again at the Giro delle Calabria in August. The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was based on a pre-war design, and is considered by some to be the last of the classic Alfa Romeos.

1951 Campionato Gran Turismo Internazionale

For 1951, the CSAI organized an Italian national championship for the ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' category in four classes: 750, 1500, 2000, and over 2000 cc. Interest was attracted from manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat and SIATA. The championship was held over ten events, including all the classic long-distance road races (the Giro di Sicilia, the Mille Miglia, the Coppa della Toscana, the Giro dell'Umbria, the Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti, the Giro delle Calabrie and the Stella Alpina) as well as three circuit races (the Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza, the Circuito di Caracalla night-race in Rome, and the 6 Ore di Pescara). File:Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS - MM 2014 - (14055528997).jpg, Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Villa d'Este 1949 File:1949 Fiat 1100 S Mille Miglia (10966804744).jpg, Fiat 1100 S Coupé 1949 File:1949 Maserati A6-1500GT 3C Pinin Farina Competition Berlinetta - rvl (4637035235).jpg,

1500 Pinin Farina Competition Berlinetta 1949

1954 FIA Appendix J

Prior to 1954, internationally agreed motor-sport regulations existed only for Racing Cars and Sports Cars (FIA Appendix C). After a testy gestation period, the FIA introduced for the 1954 motor racing calendar new "Appendix J" regulations covering Production Touring Cars, tuned Special Touring Cars, Gran Turismo Cars, and Production Sports Cars. This was the first officially sanctioned international recognition of the Gran Turismo category. The 1954 Gran Turismo regulations stipulated cars for personal transport with closed bodywork built by the manufacturer of the chassis, although open bodies and special coachwork were admissible if listed in the official catalog of the manufacturer of the chassis and if the weight of the car was at least the same as the closed standard model. Minimum production was 100 cars during 12 months and cars needed to have only two seats. Fittingly, Gran Turismo categories (under 1500 and over 1500) were first included in round 3 of the 1954 FIA World Sports Car Championship at the Mille Miglia (the first placed GT being the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT of Serafini and Mancini). GT entries would become a regular feature alongside their Sports Car brethren at international races from this time forward: GTs raced in World Championship rounds at the Targa Florio from 1955, Nürburgring from 1956, Sebring from 1957, Le Mans from 1959, and

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

from 1960 (from which year every round of the World Championship included GT cars). In 1960 and 1961 an FIA ''Coupé de Grand Tourisme'' (Grand Touring Cup) was awarded. The FIA Grand Touring category came to be known as "

Group 3 Group 3 may refer to: *Group 3 element, chemical element classification *Group 3 (racing), FIA classification for auto racing * Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing * Group 3 image format, Group 3 & Group 4 are ...

", and is defined in the 1961 Appendix J (English) regulation as: "Vehicles built in small series for customers who are looking for better performance and/or maximum comfort and are not particularly concerned about economy. Such cars shall conform to a model defined in a catalog and be offered to the customers by the regular Sales Department of the manufacturer." File:Ferrari 250 gt.jpg, Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 1956 -1961 File:Bonhams - The Paris Sale 2012 - Aston Martin DB4GT Coupé - 1961 - 017.jpg, Aston Martin DB4 GT 1961 File:1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato - fvr3.jpg, Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato 1961 File:Jaguar E-type Lightweight Low Drag Coupe - Flickr - exfordy.jpg, Jaguar E-type Lightweight Low Drag Coupe 1962

1962–1965 International Championship for GT Manufacturers

In 1962 the FIA, addressing concerns to reduce the speeds attained in sports car racing following the disastrous accident at Le Mans in 1955, shifted focus from Appendix C Sports Cars to production based GT cars of Appendix J. The previous World Sportscar Championship title was discontinued, being replaced by the

International Championship for GT Manufacturers The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992. The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and North ...

, won by the Ferrari 250 GTO in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

Cobra Ferrari Wars

The period 1963–1965 is famous for the "Cobra Ferrari Wars", a rivalry between American former-racing driver and Le Mans winner

Carroll Shelby Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified dur ...

( Le Mans 1959, Aston Martin DBR1/300), and Enzo Ferrari, whose 250 GTs were the dominant grand touring cars of the time. Shelby retired from driving due to a heart condition, returning to California from Europe in 1959 with the idea to marry the

AC Ace AC Ace is a car which was produced by AC Cars of Thames Ditton, England, from 1953 until 1963. History AC came back to the market after the Second World War with the 2-Litre range of cars in 1947, but it was with the Ace sports car of 1953 th ...

sports car chassis with Ford's V-8 small-block engine: the resulting

Shelby AC Cobra The AC Cobra, sold in the United States as the Shelby Cobra and AC Shelby Cobra, is a sports car manufactured by British company AC Cars, with a Ford V8 engine. It was produced intermittently in both the United Kingdom and later the United ...

was a sales success. Like Enzo, Shelby sold road cars to support his racing team, and like Ferrari the Cobra was a success on the track, at least on the short circuits common in the United States. On the longer tracks prevalent in Europe however, the Cobra's crude aerodynamics couldn't compete with the sleek 180 mph Ferrari 250 GTOs: even fitted with a removable roof the Cobra's top speed was 150 mph. At the

1963 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 31st Grand Prix of Endurance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans series and took place on 15 and 16 June 1963. It was also the tenth round of the 1963 World Sportscar Championship season. Despite good weather througho ...

, a Cobra placed 7th; Ferraris placed 1st to 6th. Shelby team engineer

Pete Brock Peter Brock (born November 1936) is an American automotive and trailer designer, author and photojournalist, who is best known for his work on the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe and Corvette Sting Ray. Early life and education Peter Elbert Bro ...

hand-designed a Kamm-backed aerodynamic body for the Cobra, creating the Shelby Daytona Coupe, and a showdown with Ferrari was set. In testing, the Shelby Daytona Coupe attained a top speed of 196 mph, and went on to win the GT class at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. Shelby had beaten Ferrari on the biggest stage; however, the fast and reliable Ferrari 250 GTOs were again victorious in the 1964 International Championship for GT Manufacturers. The Championship was controversial: Enzo Ferrari, with only a narrow points lead over Shelby, attempted to have the radical new

mid-engined In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle. History The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of ...

Ferrari LM250

homologated Homologation (Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would normally work f ...

for the final championship round at Monza in Italy. When the FIA turned Ferrari down, Ferrari withdrew. The race organizers Auto Club d'Italia, fearing a financial disaster from the withdrawal of the famous Italian team, canceled the event, and Ferrari was crowned World Champion. In the aftermath, Ferrari declared he would never race GTs again, and for 1965 the rivalry with Ferrari was taken up by

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

and the Ford GT40, also mid-engined, in the sports car divisions. In 1965, with Shelby's race team now dedicated to the GT40, the Daytona Coupes were entrusted to

Alan Mann Racing Alan Mann Racing was a British motor racing team organised by Alan Mann (22 August 1936 – 21 March 2012), who was a part-time racing driver and team manager. The team ran a substantial part of the Ford works racing effort in Europe from 1964 t ...

in the United Kingdom, and easily won the GT world championship. From 1966 the FIA would return its

world championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

focus to the sports car division, however GT entries would remain an important feature of international sports car racing in the future. File:2009-08-07 1191 Oldtimer-GP - AC Shelby Cobra, Bj. 1964.JPG,

Hardtop 1964 File:Ferrari 1962 250 GTO on Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance 2011 -Moto@Club4AG.jpg,

1964 File:Carroll Shelby Museum. Las Vegas. (31378809241).jpg,

Shelby Daytona The Shelby Daytona Coupe (also referred to as the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe) is an American sports-coupé. It is related to the Shelby Cobra roadster, loosely based on its chassis and drive-train developed and built as an advanced evolution. I ...

Coupe 1964

British Grand Tourers 1946-63

While Italy was the home of the ''Gran Turismo,'' of all the other European nations that took the concept up, it was Britain that was most enthusiastic.

1946 Healey Elliot

Before

Donald Healey Donald Mitchell Healey CBE (3 July 1898 – 15 January 1988) was a noted English car designer, rally driver and speed record holder. Early life Born in Perranporth, Cornwall, elder son of Frederick (John Frederick) and Emma Healey (née Mit ...

turned to production of the small, light and inexpensive

Austin-Healey 100 The Austin-Healey 100 is a sports car that was built by Austin-Healey from 1953 until 1956. Based on Austin A90 Atlantic mechanicals, it was developed by Donald Healey to be produced in-house by his small Healey car company in Warwick. Heal ...

sports car in 1952, he had brought to market a fast and aerodynamic 21/2-liter Riley-powered Healey Elliot closed saloon (named for the coach-builder). Claimed to be the fastest closed car of its day, only 101 were made before production was given over to the successful new

.Wood, pp. 66–105.

1947 Bristol 400 – 406

Immediately following the Second World War, H. J. Aldington, pre-war

Frazer Nash Frazer Nash was a brand of British sports car manufactured from 1922 first by Frazer Nash Limited founded by engineer Archibald Frazer-Nash. On its financial collapse in 1927 a new company, AFN Limited, was incorporated. Control of AFN passed t ...

manufacturer and BMW importer, sought out BMW's badly bombed Munich factory and there discovered the special-bodied open BMW 328, duly returning with it to Britain with a view to building Fraser Nash-BMWs with the aid of key former-BMW personnel. The Bristol Aeroplane Company, looking to enter the car sector, acquired a majority shareholding. There were government concerns about using German engineers, and in the end, only

Fritz Fiedler Fritz Fiedler (born Potsdam 9 January 1899: died Schliersee 8 July 1972), was an automotive engineer. His projects included the BMW 328 sports car, the ex-BMW Bristol straight-six engine, and the BMW New Class sedan. Career to 1945 Fiedler began h ...

was involved as consultant to Bristol's own engineers. By the time the new car debuted at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show, it was known simply as the

. The Bristol 400 was essentially a hand-built, to aircraft industry standards,

BMW 327 The BMW 327 is a medium-sized touring coupé produced by the Bavarian firm between 1937 and 1941, and again produced after 1945. It sat on a shortened version of the BMW 326 chassis. Launch The first 327, launched in 1937, was a cabriolet. In ...

two-door coupe, mounted on a

BMW 326 The BMW 326 is a medium-sized sedan produced by BMW between 1936 and 1941, and again briefly, under Soviet control, after 1945. The 326 was BMW's first four-door sedan.Odin, L.C. ''World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile produc ...

chassis, powered by the legendary 2-liter BMW 328 engine. It was fast, 90 mph, but expensive. The 1948

401 __NOTOC__ Year 401 ( CDI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus (or, less frequently, year 1154 ' ...

featured an improved aerodynamic body in the lightweight Touring Superleggera fashion; and the 1953

403 Year 403 ( CDIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius and Rumoridus (or, less frequently, year 1156 ''Ab ...

boasted improved suspension, brakes, and gearbox, while power was boosted from 85 to 100 bhp. The 1954 short-chassis 404 had a completely new body, and top speed was up to 110 mph. The 1958 406 was the last of the BMW-powered versions and was produced until 1961, after which they were superseded by a range of automatic transmission equipped and Chrysler V8 powered Bristols, with the engines rebuilt by Bristol engineers and fitted with high-lift camshafts and mechanical lifters.

1953 Aston Martin DB2

David Brown purchased the Aston Martin concern in 1947, and the company was effectively reborn for the post-war era. Unlike the Bristol, the

Aston Martin DB2 The Aston Martin DB2 is a grand tourer that was sold by Aston Martin from May 1950 until April 1953. The successor to the 2-Litre Sports model, it had a comparatively advanced dual overhead cam 2.6 L Lagonda straight-6 engine in place of ...

which debuted at the 1949 Motor Show (as a prototype Le Mans racer) was an all-British affair. The 2.6-liter twin overhead camshaft Lagonda engine was designed by W. O. Bentley (Brown having also purchased the Lagonda company). Brown decided on a closed coupé body in the latest Italian tradition, rather than the traditional Aston Martin open two-seater sports car. The 1950 production DB2 was a styling triumph for designer

Frank Feeley Frank Gerald Feeley, born in Staines-upon-Thames on 16 January 1912, was an automotive stylist and designer. He joined Lagonda based in Staines, where his father, Jeremiah Feeley, also worked, straight from school as an office boy under Arthur T ...

, and Brown later recalled that many believed the car styled in Italy. The 105 bhp DB2 was a genuine 110 mph grand tourer; in 1951 came the more powerful optional 125 bhp "Vantage" version. In its original form, the DB2 was a two-seater; the 1953 DB2/4 added a 2+2 and hatchback arrangement and a 3-liter engine in 1954. A

Mark II Mark II or Mark 2 often refers to the second version of a product, frequently military hardware. "Mark", meaning "model" or "variant", can be abbreviated "Mk." Mark II or Mark 2 may refer to: Military and weaponry * 16"/50 caliber Mark 2 gun ...

version with

Tickford Tickford is an automobile engineering and testing business in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, known for tuning and such products as the 140 mph Tickford Turbo Capri. Under the name Salmons & Sons and their Tickford products the firm has ...

coachwork appeared in 1955 (Brown had purchased this company too). The Mark III version from 1957 - 1959 developed 162 bhp, and was available with 180 and 195 bhp high-output engine options. File:Healey Elliott Saloon.jpg, 1946-1950 Healey Elliott File:1952 Bristol 401 in Holland Park, Kensington, London.JPG, 1948-1953

Bristol 401 The Bristol 401 saloon and Bristol 402 cabriolet are British luxury sporting cars, produced between 1948 and 1953 by Bristol Cars, an offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Co.Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945–1970, page 39 They w ...

File:AM DB2 top.jpg, 1950-1953

File:110 ans de l'automobile au Grand Palais - Aston Martin DB2 4 3.0-Litre Sports Saloon - 1955 - 001.jpg, 1953-1957

Aston Martin DB2/4 The Aston Martin DB2/4 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin from 1953 until 1957. It was available as a 2+2 hatchback saloon, drophead coupé (DHC) and 2-seat fixed-head coupé. A small number of Bertone bodied spiders were commissioned ...

File:Rétromobile 2016 - Aston Martin DB4 série II - 1960 - 001.jpg, 1958-1963 Aston Martin DB4

References

{{Automobile configuration Car classifications Sports car racing