SIATA Sport Corsa 750 (Information collected and presented by John de Boer … Any news welcomed at: [email protected])

“Sport Corsa” refers to the nature of racing categories in during the late 1940’s into the 1950’s. Many cars were built to compete in more than one form of racing. “Sport” category cars, sometimes divided into “Sport Nazionale” and “Sport Internazionale” with slightly different rules, had specific requirements that required road equipment that made the cars legal for use on the open road. There were also “Corsa” category racing events that allowed the removal of fenders and lights as well as the use of better fuels. Better fuels could also be used for some “Sport Internazionale” events.

SIATA -- Tipo SC (also known as “TC”) 1947-50

During 1947 S.I.A.T.A. started building a small series of sports racing cars which were numbered "SC" (“Sport Corsa”) by SIATA. This was the first “series” of cars to carry actual SIATA chassis numbers. Most of the previous “Siata” cars used either pre-existing chassis (mostly ) numbers or, in a few cases, a ‘Numero d’ufficio” assigned by an authorized motoring authority.

Some cars were built 1947 and 1948 on Fiat chassis but the tubular chassis cars were those that were numbered by SIATA,.

It may be of interest to know that in 1947, the name S.I.A.T.A. stood for “Societa Italiana Applicazioni Techniche Auto-Aviatorie”. During 1949 the acronym remained but was altered to “Societa Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori”. This means that many of these “SC” cars were built under the first name and that most of the Amica, Daina, 300BC and later cars, were built under the latter name.

The primary engine used in these cars is derived from FIAT 500 which originally appeared 1936 as a side-valve engine. Beginning 1936, SIATA built and marketed an overhead valve conversion kit for the Fiat 500. As with earlier conversions they devised for the Fiat 514, Fiat 508 and others, the cylinder head was called “Supertesta”.Various versions were made. In 1948, Fiat followed SIATA’s lead and did their own OHV engine design for the 500B, which soon became the 500C. Fiat 500B engines used in the Fiat 500C had some changes from the earlier 500B engines, the most notable being the use of aluminum for the cylinder head casting. Siata continued to sell and install ohv kits for the earlier Fiat engines and the new 500B engine required a new design. SIATA built specialized ohv heads for those engines as well, claiming increased performance and no loss of economy. These were called Tipo “B” and were made available in two basic forms, “Turismo” and “Sport”. The “Sport” version raised the compression ratio significantly, had enlarged porting and had enlarged valves. Siata advertised that it would allow a doubling of the horsepower available from the earlier side-valve engine. In fact, even more power was available if one was willing to make major changes to the bottom end of the engine and use better fuels.

Please note that these cars were sometimes called “TC” in print references. This seems to have been intended to promote a new engine from Siata that was rarely used.

SIATA SC – car by car chassis engine tipo notes telaio motore tipo notizie

SC001 motore ((SC-001)) SC spider siluro Motto Siata – Torino (for Renato Ambrosini, Italian Champion 1948) ??#117 Ambrosini / Borgialli 2.5.48 rit. foto - Dall'Amico, LaSport p25 ??#117 Ambrosini II Como - Lieto Colle 30.5.48 3rd o/a (1st/ Sport 750) ??# Ambrosini Coppa Michelin - Valentino 4.9.48 (2nd/ Sport 750) SC-002 ?? ??#156 Ambrosini Circuito del Garda 23.10.48 rit. foto AI 1.11.48 p40 SC-002 ?? ??#10 Ambrosini Corsa Automobilistica Mirafiori 31.10.48 (1st/ Sport 750) ??# Ambrosini XV Vermicino - Rocca di Papa (Coppa Gallenga) 16.11.48 (1st/ Sport 750) Ad #117 “foto Dall’Amico, reproduced in Enrico – A Fast Life p50 20.4.49 Certificato d'Origine (The true origin would certainly have been earlier to generate the history listed above.) "SIATA DERIV. FIAT" "16HP" (10HP? taxable) Telaio SC-001 Motore SC-001 ??#244 Ambrosini / D. Borgialli MM 24.4.49 ?? rit. Franco Donato fu Stefano - Messina 3.3.51 Saro Gianni Bertazzi fu Nicolo - Acireale #146 Saro Bertazzi / X GdS 9.3.52 Pubblifoto Palerm ino OttoVu p725 ?? - ?? Fitted with motore FIAT 500*026452* w/ SIATA cylinder head (OHV conversion), 28DR carb. "lifters are larger (10.5mm/20mm) than standard 500A (10.0mm/18mm) Finarte Auction - Modena 17.6.89 Russinof – FL, USA with spare engine 021608, steering wheel marked with "G.G." #134 Grady / Grady MM 1990 #176 Martin / Martin MM 1992 Yamada – Japan #135 Yamada / Okano MM 1997 foto Speciale MM 2000 p12 fitted with engine N. 030632 by Yamada #8 Oberti La Festa MM - J 10//98 2013 ?? - ??

SC002 motore ((S3 001)) SC Sport spyder 2 posti spider siluroMotto 21.4.49 Cd'O (As noted above, we may find that this car was used by Renato Ambrosini at times in place of chassis 001?) 22.7.49 Tullio De Orsola di Vittorio (Commerciante) – Torino 22.8.51 engine declared changed to another of new construction by (Ardea) (N. 7881) 22.8.51 Engine Cd'O of 12.7.51 and correction of HP rating. 3.1.52 Roberto Scala – Torino #150 “Lancia” Scala / Casaccia GdS 3//1952 foto in GdS1952 file #2213 Scala / Alessio Mille Miglia 25-26.4.53 rit. 3.8.53 engine declared changed to another of new construction (553?) 20.10.53? Enrico Adinolfi - Torino # Adinolfi Sassi – Superga 25.10.53 (7th/ Sport 750)

SC003 (?) Not yet described.

SC004 motore Testadoro SC spider avvolgente Telaio tipo Nardi ?? (RIP) - I “ricarrozzata a Milano in anni recenti”

SC005 motore ((SC-005)) SC spider Zagato avvolgente 8.4.52 “S.C. 005, origine 1952, motore 54.5 x 78” Fitted with Fiat 600 engine and gearbox 29.3.62 Stefano Colombo – I Mauro Melogno – I

SC006 motore ((SC-006)) SC spider siluro Motto 1948 Siata - Torino 9//1948 Displayed 15-26 September 1948 on the Siata stand at Salone Internazionale dell’Automobile – Torino foto Klemantaski 20.4.49 Certificato d'Origine Mario Paesetti - Crema (CR) “Fiat 750” #216 M. Paesetti / C. Lana Mille Miglia 24.4.49 83rd o/a (2nd/ Sport 750) “Fiat-Siata” #160 Paesetti / X II Giro dell’Umbria 29.6.49 (6th/ Sport 750) “Fiat-Siata” # “Pasetti” Bolzano – Mendola 3.7.49 (4th/ Sport 750) “S.I.A.T.A.” # M. Paesetti Mirafiori (notturna) 10.7.49 (6th/ Batteria II) “Fiat Siata” #63 Paesetti / X Coppa Internazionale delle Dolomiti 17.7.49 24th o/a (6th/ Sport 750) #84 Paesetti / X III Stella Alpina 4-7.8.49 rit. foto via website “Fiat-Siata” #48 Paesetti Susa – Moncenisio 24.7.49 (9th/ Sport 750) “Fiat 750” #28 Paesetti “Passetti” Aosta – Gran San Bernardo 28.8.49 (7th/ Sport 750) Bertazzini neg. “Fiat Siata” #16 Paesetti Pontedecimo – Giovi 18.9.49 (6th/ Sport 750) foto La P-G p141, 142,

“Fiat Siata” #146 M. Paesetti / O. Marazzi Giro di Sicilia / 2.4.50 50th o/a (6th/ Sport 750 ??) foto Pucci Scafidi “Fiat Siata” #245 M. Paesetti / C. Lana Mille Miglia 23.4.50 rit. foto Sorlini #1039 Paesetti / Lana Coppa della Toscana 4.6.50 46th o/a (7th/ Sport 750) foto Locchi con Piermario “Fiat Siata” #129 Paesetti III Giro dell’Umbria 29.6.50 “Fiat-Siata” #54 Mario Paesetti / X Coppa Internazionale delle Dolomiti 16.7.50 rit. “Fiat-S.” #22 Paesetti XVI Susa – Moncenisio 30.7.50 (9th/ Sport 750) Fiat-Siata #26 Paesetti Aosta – Gran San Bernardo 6.8.50 entry … # Paesetti Argegno – Lanzo (Trofeo Val d’Intelvi) 23.7.50 (7th/ Sport 750) “Fiat 750” # Mario Paesetti Bologna – Raticosa 17.9.50 (10th/ Sport 750) #020 M. Paesetti / C. Lana Mille Miglia 28-29.4.51 rit. foto Sorlini entry# Paesetti Susa – Moncenisio 22.7.51 DNS (non partito) “Fiat Siata” #2339 M. Paesetti / C. Lana Mille Miglia 3-4.5.52 rit. foto Sorlini #1006 Paesetti / X Coppa della Toscana 1.6.52 foto LaSport p270 “Fiat Siata” #196 Paesetti / Lana IV Giro Automobilistico dell’Umbria (Coppa della Perugina) 12.6.52 “Fiat Siata” #46 Paesetti / X Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 13.7.52 rit. (was 4th/ Sport 750 at192.700 km mark) “Fiat Siata” # Paesetti Aosta – Gran San Bernardo 3.8.52

“Siata 750” #2342 Paolo Bellotti / Leonardelli Mille Miglia 1-2.4.54 138th o/a (10th/ Sport 750) 21.4.54 Paolo Bellotti – Cremona (clearly, Bellotti owned the car earlier) # Bellotti II Circuito Automobilistico del Po 13.6.54 7.3.55 Francesco (Franco) Romei Longhena – Castenedolo (BS) #023 Romei / Brunacci Mille Miglia 30.4.55 rit. 17.2.56 Luigi Sartori – Venezia 22.12.58 LTJG Stewart L. Swihart – Napoli ?? (“college kid from Bethlehem, PA”) – PA, USA 1960 Peter John Falk Original engine said to have had a Hirsch style crankshaft with three main bearings, had thrown 2 rods. Remains sold to Russ Butler. 1962 Engine replaced by Russ Butler with FIAT 500C (motore 500B*283745* with alloy head). Siata manifolds were adapted to the 500C engine. 1964 John Risch for his son, John G. Risch, Jr – NJ, USA 1993 Bill Serri – NJ, USA Maureen Serri – NJ, USA 11//2013 Jarl de Boer – CA, USA Measured: 120” long (3050mm) & 75” wheelbase (1900mm) & 54” wide (1375mm) & 42” tall (11070mm) & 940 lbs = 427kg

SC007 (?) It is easy to think that the spider sport that appeared alongside SC-006 at Torino 1948 might have been SC-007 … or perhaps it was the berlinetta “Orchidea” ?

SC008 motore ((008)) SC Spider Sport 750 Carrozzeria Marazzi? 21.3.50 Cd'O (This chassis may have been bodied differently when new?) 18.4.50 Conte Ing. Ottoviano Marazzi – Crema 16.3.53 Niccolo Crastan di Luzio – Pontedera Rino Vivi fu Marsilio – Siena Maggiorello Maggiorelli Lunatici – Lucca Hansjorg Wagner - Zurich (CH) reported as "0005" (SC-005/008?) Ing. Giuliano Bensi – I con motore N. TC.003

Salone Torino – September 1948 SC*006* shares the stage with three other very special Siata cars

1949 Mille Miglia – Sport 750 Category

23-24 Aprile XVI Mille Miglia

#215 Fiat spider sport siluro G. Ambrogio / G. Guerrini 177th o/a (D’Ambrosio?) 3 x foto Locchi, foto 1949 p.50 #216 SIATA (“Fiat”) SC*006* Mario Paesetti / Carlo Lana 83rd o/a (2nd/ Sport 750) foto WANTED! #217 Fiat A. Vici / Mattioli rit. #221 Fiat Stanguellini Vitt. Barion / Vin. Barion (6th/ Sport 750) #222 Fiat Giannini 750 Peter / Malazzi rit. #224 Fiat spider Bertone VE14274 = 001439 C. Francesconi / G. Chinellato 133rd o/a 5 x foto Locchi, foto LaFiatVaMM p59, foto LaSport p114 #226 Urania 750 TE4546 Taraschi / De Cecco rit (was 2nd/ Sport 750 at Rome) 4 x foto Locchi, #228 Fiat 750 “Alf” TO94176 = 114349 S. Fiorio / P. Avalle rit. 6 x foto Locchi, foto LaSport p78 Foto Topolino fuoriserie p31 #229 Fiat Crivellari / Cecconi rit. #231 Fiat G. Panzacchi / A. Faccioli disqualified foto LaSport p151 (Panzacchi was listed in early published results as having finished 3rd/ Sport 750) #232 Fiat Stanguellini CS*04074* G. Musso / Bartolini rit. foto LaFiatVaMM p56, Topolino fuoriserie p34, LaMan 9//94 p24 #233 Fiat-Giannini 106848 Maggiorelli / Maggiorelli 77th o/a (1st/ Sport 750) 1 x foto Locchi, (Maggiorelli was running 3rd at Rome) foto MM1947-1957 p28, foto LaSport p89 #234 Testadoro spider Zagato U. Puma / A. Branca rit. foto LaSport p300 #235 Fiat Stanguellini paper “BO2269” A. Curatolo / Grasselli rit. 4 x foto Locchi, #237 Fiat D. Ogna / G. Zerneri 165th o/a #238 Fiat C. & G. Stanga 123rd o/a (9th/ Sport 750) foto in MM 1991 p8 #240 Fiat Turolla F. Giardini / A. Tiocchio 108th o/a (5th/ Sport 750) 1 x foto Locchi, foto LaSport p308, 309, Topolino fuoriserie p34 #241 Fiat “Pasqualin” (ex-Siata PD23527) Ottorino Organo / A. Pasqualin 149th o/a foto LaSport p243 foto LaFiatVaMM p56, Topolino fuoriserie p25 #242 Fiat 750 Sport barchetta I. Prati / A. Pea (8th/ Sport 750) foto LaSport p337 foto MM1947-1957 p28 #243 Fiat A. Suppi (“Sandro”) / G. Locchi rit. #244 Fiat SIATA 750 SC*001 or SC*002 ? R. Ambrosini / D. Borgialli rit. – stone through radiator prior to Cremona #246 Testadoro Elio Zagato / S. Da Fano rit. #247 Fiat Patriarca S. Leonardi / Rosati rit. #248 Fiat Turolla 033478 M. Guarnieri / Turolla rit. 2 x foto Locchi, foto LaSport p308 #249 Fiat N. Masetti / A. Masetti rit. #250 Fiat Turolla E. Cane’ / Bignami (3rd/ Sport 750) foto LaSport p308 #251 Fiat Casagrande / Greppi rit. #252 Fiat TV10134 Cavarzerani / C. Van Den Borre rit. 5 x foto Locchi, #253 Fiat coupe M. Cicognani / B. Mares 178th o/a 1 x foto Locchi, #254 Fiat Stanguellini berlinetta E. Sammarco / E. Boldrini (7th/ Sport 750) 1 x foto Locchi, (also reported as:“Sanmarco” ??) foto MM1947-1957 p28 #255 Fiat R. Guerrini / Giannelli rit. #257 Fiat ??BS31274 ?? R. Bossini / M. Facca 129th o/a #258 Fiat 750 sport barchetta BS26708? M. Fenocchio / D. Fenocchio 175th o/a foto LaSport p338 #259 Fiat Avalle 750 spider A. Francois / A. Civetta 93rd o/a (4th/ Sport 750) foto LaSport p77 #302 Fiat 500-BMW AN309548 N. Ricci / G.E. Luzi 140th o/a foto from CB #303 Fiat-Siata 750 M. Schermi / Costa 170th o/a #304 Fiat-Siata 750 Salini / Musa rit. #305 Fiat C. Strozzi / Bergagna rit. 1 x foto Locchi #306 Fiat PD___71 “conti” M. & G. Bonomi Todeschini 132nd o/a 3 x foto Locchi,

Coppa delle Dolomiti 1949 - Results

Stella Alpina – August 4, 1949, Paesetti had race #84 and failed to finish

Aosta – Gran San Bernardo 1949

Aosta – Gran San Bernardo 1949

Pontedecimo – Giovi 1949

Giro di Sicilia / Targa Florio 1950

Mille Miglia 1950

Coppa della Toscana 1950

Mille Miglia 1951

Susa – Moncenisio 1951

Mille Miglia 1952

New fenders had been fitted to conform to 1952 rules

Mille Miglia 1952

Coppa della Toscana 1952

Mille Miglia 1954

1955 PRA papers

Mille Miglia 1955

1957 PRA papers

1959 PRA papers

1978 circa, when owned by John Risch

1995 – Autoweek … owned by Maureen Serri

November 2013, visiting Indianapolis, Indiana on the way to California

Subsequent inspection of the body of SC.006 revealed the location of badges fitted 1948, allowing us to be quite certain that this car was first seen September 1948 on Siata’s stand at the Show. SC006 was displayed with three other special Siata cars, including the mid-engine “Bersagliera”, and two cars that were very likely on “SC” chassis even though we do not yet know how they were numbered. Conflicting and imprecise information from 1948 suggests that the right-hand-drive berlinetta may have been called “Orchidea” even though the label on the car (at the rear) seems to read “Berlinetta 750 Mille Miglia”. The spider came 1951 to the USA. It might have been numbered SC*007* or perhaps SC*003*? The berlinetta with somewhat dark paint has been called “Orchidea” in certain references but was called “Mille Miglia” at the 1948 Turin show. It might have been numbered SC*008* or SC*007* or SC*003*? SC*008* exists today with a different body. The current body on SC*008* first appeared 1950 in images that we can find. When I’ve gone searching for additional information, SC*006* has been a gift that keeps on giving. Recently, I added not only some interesting documentation from the Revs Institute files (Naples, Florida), but also at least two race numbers from entry lists and a race participation that was previously unknown.

A SIATA advertisement from September 1948 shows us earlier successes for Siata-Fiat engines. It also spells out the name of S.I.A.T.A., about to be changed from “Societa’ Italiana Applicazione Tecniche Auto-Aviatorie” to “Societa’ Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori” … during 1949.

Please note that many race entries of the 1940’s and 1950’s list these cars as “Fiat-Siata”, regardless of the chassis origins. Some cars were based on Fiat chassis and some were SIATA. Some cars described as “Sport-Corsa” (SC) had Siata numbering and some had Fiat numbering. During 1947, Augusto Monaco designed a tubular chassis for Nardi & Danese, a company that became known later simply as “Nardi & Co.”. The chassis (drawings dated April 1947) was designed initially to use a BMW opposed twin engine (R75) that generally came from abandoned military side- car motorcycles that the German troops left behind in Italy near the end of WWII.

Suspension and other driveline parts came in large part from the Fiat 500 “Topolino”. Additional drawings dated January 1948 modified the 1947 design to use the Fiat 500 engine as well as variations from other tuners. While a few of these N-D (Nardi-Danese) chassis were seemingly built in Torino early on, it seems that Nardi commercialized the production and supplied chassis to other builders (such as SIATA) that were mostly manufactured by Gilco (Gil-Co = Gilberto Colombo) of Milano.

By April of 1948, Renato Ambrosini was racing in chassis SC001, seemingly the first SIATA “SC” that used a tubular chassis and perhaps the first chassis to receive a Siata number that did not come from another source.

Siata was also developing its own engine designs in this time period. An engine design described as “TC” was intended to replace the use of the Fiat 500 derived engines in Siata car production but very few were made. Even so, the “SC” cars were often labeled “TC” in period literature and subsequent writings describing the general histories of “SC” cars. Oftentimes, we have only photo captions.

Some “SC” cars are not yet described individually, but we think we know the following:

SC001 and SC002 were bodied similarly by Motto in a “siluro” form with cycle fenders. We believe that Renato Ambrosini raced 1948 mostly in SC001 so as to win the 1948 “Sport Internazionale” championship for cars with engines less than 750cc. It is possible that he used SC002 as well? Each car has distinctive features that, with more photos to study over time, should allow us to identify which was which even though each became modified over time.

SC003 is not yet described.

SC004 and SC005 were bodied by Zagato with full-enveloping bodies that had a style that would become known much later as “flared-fenders”. Zagato built this body style for a few others as well.

SC006 was bodied by Motto very similarly to SC001 and SC002 but , as with each of those cars, there were distinctive badge locations and other minor detail variations. SC006’s first appearance was September 1948 at the Salone Internazionale dell’Automobile in Torino.

I have suspected that the two additional road cars displayed September 1948, one an open “spider” and one a closed “berlinetta”, carried the identities of SC007 and SC008? Perhaps they were SC007 and SC009 … Or perhaps SC003 and SC007? Or … ??

The berlinetta was right-hand drive and seems to have disappeared after 1948. The spider (left-hand drive) came to the USA during 1951, and was fitted with a Crosley engine for Otto Linton. During 1951, it became the conceptual prototype for the Siata 300BC series with bodies by Bertone and then Motto. SC007 is not yet described but may be one of the cars displayed 1948 at Torino.

SC008 (with a spider body built by or for Marazzi, the first owner) first appeared 1950 in left-hand drive form. It exists today with a “TC” type engine. Was it based on the chassis of the berlinetta shown 1948 in Torino?

Finally, the photo below may be the actual earliest image we have for SC006 … and perhaps SC007? This image appears in a 2017 book from Alberto Sannia devoted to Motto.