Italian Specialists

Our title of Italian Specialists was suggested by a group of small car manufacturers called Gruppo Costruttori Vetture Speciali in the 1950s, which had among its membership Cistalia, Giannini, Moretti, Nardi, Siata and Stanguellini, all of which are described in this publication. In the Auto Review series we have covered many Italian car manufacturers, from Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo to Ferrari and Maserati, as well as Isotta Fraschini, Itala, Iso, Innocenti and others. There has always been another level of smaller firms in Italy, producing specialist cars. Some offered higher performance, while others preferred to make exciting or elegant bodywork, and a few tried to do both. These small-volume manufacturers often relied on adapting the products of the big car makers, and in Italy that usually meant Fiat. Minor Italian makers who modified Fiats included Abarth, Autobianchi, Siata and Moretti, among others. In this publication we pay tribute to the enthusiasm and skill of these companies.