The Siata SC (“Sport Corsa”**) of 1948 & earlier Information compiled and presented by John de Boer. Any input welcomed at [email protected]

** First off, Renato Ambrosini, son of the builder and winner of the 1948 Italian Sport 750 championship in the first example built, did not remember if “SC” represented “Sport Corsa” or “Sport da Competizione” when I spoke with him during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Either way, the meaning is essentially the same.

Some background: During 1947 to 1954, there was the possibility of building a “Sport 750” category that could also race in a certain number of “Corsa 750” races held throughout . The “SC” was Siata’s version of such a car for 1948.

Early in 1948, Siata was authorized by the Italian government to issue its own chassis numbers. Prior to that time, prepared and/or completely constructed by Siata generally carried a chassis number. In certain rare cases, a car was assigned a “numero d’ufficio”, a number assigned by local motoring authorities. It seems that the tubular-chassis “SC” was the first series of purpose-made chassis to become numbered by SIATA.

S.I.A.T.A. was an acronym that changed during 1948/1949 from “Società Italiana Applicazioni Techniche Auto- Aviatorie” to “Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori”. Company literature and advertisements often listed the name simply as “Siata”. SIATA was formed 1926 by Giorgio Ambrosini and continued under him to 1959 when the company merged briefly with , becoming “Siata-Abarth” until 1961. During 1961, it became “SIATA-AUTO” under the direction of Giorgio Ambrosini and one of his sons, Renato Ambrosini.

Postwar Italy was generally quite impoverished but remarkably alive and passionate about reviving the good things in life. Among the more creative industrial (and therefor “almost wealthy”) sectors was a lingering passion for building special cars and racing many of them. The “Topolino” became the basis of small car racing categories, whether in standard “Turismo” form or “Sport” and “Corsa” forms … when gently or radically modified. Fiat 500 cars were often used as the basis to build cars inexpensively to race in the Sport 750 category first with Fiat 500 chassis as the basis. Certain cars were given special chassis by their builders, such as beginning 1946, Nardi-Danese beginning 1947 and SIATA beginning 1948. These companies also sold their special parts and preparation skills for use by others in their almost standard and specially prepared Fiat cars … and others.

Most cars called “SIATA” (or “Fiat-Siata”) used SIATA cylinder heads at a minimum. SIATA cylinder heads were purchased and used by others as well. Some cars not built or prepared by Siata became labeled “Fiat-Siata” or “Siata” over time as parts and/or preparation was changed. Some cars with Siata cylinder heads became fitted with Marino, Superba or Testadoro (Testa d’Oro) cylinder heads as higher power or more reliable performance was sought. Some returned quickly to the “original” and some became simplified with the use of Fiat cylinder heads. The engine builder “Giannini” used many cylinder heads from different makers from time to time on engines they prepared ... and they also did their own version. Giannini and Siata also modified Fiat engine blocks quite extensively … until they produced their own. The Fiat 500 could be enlarged to 720cc but very few managed to prepare larger versions that would last long at all. Siata’s own “TC” engine was a bit ambitious in that they attempted a design that could be run in either 750cc or 1100cc form. Renato Ambrosini told me that the “TC” engine turned out to be lacking adequate power as a “750” (when compared with their modified Fiat version) and was too fragile in the 1100cc form. Very few TC engines were made and I know only two that exist today. A few Siata “750” cars used a Ardea five-speed transmission in place of a modified Fiat 500 transmission. The racing names assigned to some cars changed from race to race as those who did the preparation work changed and those preparers became acknowledged and promoted. A “Fiat-Siata” might become “Fiat-Giannini” and then “Fiat-Siata” once again in a short time span. Each story is its own and many are quite remarkable.

There was a hidden incentive in Italy for calling your “Siata” (or Abarth, Bandini, Stanguellini or Volpini, etc.) a “Fiat-whatever” on an entry form. Not only were there possible bureaucratic simplifications to using your special “Fiat” on the road, there was also an unofficial award system in place. Gianni Agnelli (head of Fiat) reportedly let it be known quietly that, if your “Fiat-Siata” did well while racing during the year, there might well be a new Fiat in your garage the following year. The same was true if you had raced successfully in a “Fiat-Cisitalia”, a “Fiat- Stanguellini” or a “Fiat-Ecceterina” … if there had been such a thing.

Easily confused with the tubular-chassis “SC”, there were some remarkably similar appearing cars built on Fiat 500 chassis. Each car was somewhat different in its details, based in part on what an owner was willing to pay. The following are references to a few examples of images that can be found and studied to learn about Siata SC cars and some that are quite similar visually if not mechanically:

The book “La “Sport” e I Suoi Artigiani (1937-1965)” by Andrea Curami & Piero Vergnano … shows many images of SIATA SC and similar cars: Page 25 (SC001 at the of 1948). Pages 134 and 135 show two similar cars built by Angelo Dagrada for Franco Bordoni and Edoardo Lualdi. Page 268 (SC001 (1948) and a precursor racing during 1947) as well as SC006 (Salone Torino 1948) and either SC004 or SC005 (spyder ) with Bruno Martignoni. Did the Bersagliera also carry an SC chassis number? It seems quite possible that the “Berlinetta Mille Miglia” displayed (page 269)was on chassis SC008 at the time? Page 270 shows SC006 in its 1952 form at the Coppa della Toscana. Also an “SC” on a Fiat 500 chassis that was first registered 1950 .. also modified 1952 with new fenders. SC008 is shown 1950 at the Coppa della Toscana. Page 314 shows a “Fiat-Siata” precursor to the “SC” that was raced 1947 by Carlo Pesci. Page 337 shows two cars (1948) that many would consider to resemble closely the Siata SC in siluro form. This book, although not complete and containing some silly reporting errors, is absolutely essential to anyone who is interested in these sorts of cars. Additional SC-similar examples can be seen under Avalle, Benedetti and Bertolini. In addition, there are quite a number of “almost similar” cars that are described and shown.

From the magazine “Auto Moto Sport” May 1948 The book, “Topolino Fuoriserie” , 2000, by Alessandro Sannia has some images for us … and some text that seems a bit misleading and some that is factually incorrect.

The book, “Fiat 500 Topolino”, 2008 (2nd edition), from Giorgio Nada Editore, has some interesting Siata information for us. A brief description of the “SC” seems a bit flawed to me, but it is still worthy of some study. There are no actual SC images that show any of the tubular-chassis cars. There is an image of the Siata Amica ’49 chassis, quite similar to the SC chassis.

The book, “La Fiat va alla Mille Miglia”, 1998, by Gianni Cancellieri & Michele Marchianó has some images for us showing some similar cars. It also reprinted a SIATA ad from late 1948:

This ad appeared January 1948 in the magazine “Auto Moto Sport” This Fiat-Siata is almost certainly on a Fiat 500A chassis with trailing ¼ elliptic springs at the rear. Note that this car is right-hand drive and wears a Squadra SIATA flag emblem on the side.

1952 Mille Miglia: a similar 1950 car to that shown above. On a Fiat 500 chassis, this has left hand drive. Also wearing “Squadra SIATA” art, it seems this car was sold by 1954 to the USA as a “Bandini”? Why?

Another similar car, also called “Fiat 750” in its 1949 entry, was the first “Sport 750” car to start the Mille Miglia.

I’ve not yet found any image for Mario Paesetti & C. Lana in Siata SC006 on the 1949 Mille Miglia. It wore race #216, the following car to start. SC006 finished 2nd in the Sport 750 category. Image WANTED!