The year is 1950 and life is wonderful. American businesses are growing at an unprecedented rate, the middle class is expanding, and smoking is good for you. Across the land a smattering of small, foreign cars are winning automobile races at Palm Springs, Pebble Beach, Sebring Airport, Elkhart Lake and Watkins Glen—and American automobile manufacturers take note.
If a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, then the adage could not be better illustrated than by the tale of Ford and Cisitalia. The back story begins February of 1947, when Piero Dusio, owner of Cisitalia (Consorzio Industriale Sportivo Italia), committed to the Porsche Company in the most complex purchase contract imaginable: 900,000 Austrian shillings, 10 million lire, and $11,000 USD for the patents of one Grand Prix V12 1500-cc racecar; one 11-hp diesel tractor; and one 2/12-hp hydraulic turbine. Dusio dreamed of a Formula One racecar bearing the Cisitalia name to compete alongside the successful D46 racecars piloted by Bandini and Nuvolari. As it turned out, his reach was the first rung on a slippery descent toward insolvency. Two years down the road and the spending had not abated. Cisitalia was in trouble—deep financial trouble. Precious few deliverables had Cisitalia knocking on the door of bankruptcy. Sales of Cisitalia 202 sports cars and D46 racecars had not offset the considerable operating expenses and significant investments in the Formula One car (which had yet to run a single event). Piero Dusio was living in Buenos Aires seeking financial assistance from Argentina. His son Carlo, in Italy, had assumed leadership of what remained of Cisitalia.
Success is mostly about timing, and in this case, the timing was right. Cisitalia desperately needed a benefactor, and in April of 1950, Carlo read that Henry Ford II would be in Turin. He knew that Ford was a Cisitalia owner so he contacted Ford’s secretary, James Cumming, and made an appointment. There was a meeting. Collaboration was discussed. Carlo proposed his underutilized facility build Cisitalia-bodied, Ford-powered sports cars for the American market. No market surveys, risk analysis or financial worksheets were created and after minimal negotiation a deal was struck. Henry Ford II agreed to provide development money for four or five prototypes, as well as supplying the engine, transmission, and suspension. One model would use a Ford six-cylinder engine and the other would get the Mercury V8. Cisitalia would supply carburetion, intake manifolds, exhaust and perform final engine tuning. The cars would be sold through Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the United States of America. Giovanni Savonuzzi was tasked to build the chassis for the prototypes. Mario Boano would be responsible for body design and Carrozzeria Ghia would build the Savonuzzi-designed car. Carlo’s projections were that he could produce 500 to 1000 cars each year.
The first Cisitalia Mercury V8 coupe (known as the 808XF) arrived in Dearborn in August of 1950. It was a car for the upper segment of the American market, elegantly designed and constructed, with an estimated 200 horsepower and top speed of 130 mph. However, Ford engineers saw problems. Specifically, their report stated: “The general opinion of our engineers is that the appearance of the car is excellent, but we feel there are a certain number of material defects which ought to be remedied once and for all before putting a car of this type onto the market.” Design defects included a gasoline fill pipe that was only accessible from inside the trunk; bumpers that were too thin and not set per uniform, American height; a radiator positioned too far back from the grille; a steering wheel that was too large, etc. Ford’s sales department piled on by stating that the car could never be produced at the projected price point of $3,200 (a premium amount when a “Golden Anniversary” Ford Mainline Tudor started at $1,400 and the top of the range convertible Victoria Sunliner listed at $2,200), and very likely Ford could never recover its considerable capital investment when sold in a limited American market.
In response to the projected cost, Ford engineers suggested assembling the cars in New Jersey rather than Italy, and using a Mercury chassis rather than the Savonuzzi chassis. During a February 1953 meeting with Dusio at Ford, an agreement was reached and four chassis were procured for delivery. Three were shipped to Italy and one was retained for spare parts.
A six-cylinder-powered coupe and cabriolet were delivered to R. Peter Sullivan II (Henry Ford II’s brother in law and the owner of the Long Island, New York Lincoln-Mercury/Ford Dealership.) Sullivan already had the Savonuzzi coupe. It was advertised for sale in the April 1953 edition of Road & Track by Jericho Motors of Long Island, N.Y., as the “Lonesomest Car in the World.” Per the advertisement, prototype development cost was stated “as almost $50,000.” Asking price was $7,500. The Savonuzzi coupe and the six-cylinder-powered coupe were sold. Sullivan kept the cabriolet as his personal car. Another six-cylinder coupe was delivered, though it was deemed unsafe and destroyed.
In total, four prototypes were constructed with bodies by Ghia, Vignale and Pininfarina, in steel and aluminum, before the entire project ground to a halt and Ford committed to build the Thunderbird for introduction in the fall of 1954. An Italian car, with a coachbuilt body, was not appropriate for an American automobile assembly line. Each car was unique, and none could satisfy the requirements of the Ford engineers. The Cisitalia Vignale Cabriolet, car number 000202 profiled here, was purchased by Urs Jacob from Evan McMullen’s showroom in Seattle, Washington, and sent to Richard Grenon in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The quality of Grenon’s award-winning restoration, as evidenced in the photographs, is extraordinary.
The Cisitalia Vignale Cabriolet is steel and built on a Mercury coupe chassis with 118-inch wheelbase, 56-inch rear track and 58-inch front track. The chassis features independent coil spring front suspension with upper and lower control arms, hydraulic tube shock absorbers and anti-roll bar. The live axle rear suspension is by semi-elliptical leaf springs, with hydraulic tube shock absorbers. Braking is four-wheel drum, and 15-inch painted steel wheels feature full-cover, deep-dish chrome finish hubcaps secured by a central nut. None of the prototypes were delivered with wire wheels.
The drive train consists of a 215-cu.in. Ford straight 6-cylinder engine with nearly square bore/stroke of 3.56 x 3.6, and a Ford-O-Matic, 3-speed automatic transmission. Horsepower in stock trim is 101@3500 rpm with a compression ratio of 7:1, but with dual Zenith carburetors mounted on a Cisitalia-fabricated intake manifold, two-branch 3-into-1 exhaust header and custom air cleaner, the horsepower for the engine in modified trim undoubtedly is better. Fuel is fed to both carburetors via a single mechanical fuel pump on the opposite side of the engine. (A redundant, electric fuel pump located near the gas tank was added during the cabriolet’s restoration.) The voltage regulator is located forward of the worm and roller steering box and manual brake master cylinder on the driver’s side of the engine bay. A 12-volt generator nestles ahead of the exhaust header. On the opposite side of the engine bay is the starter solenoid, headlight relay, windshield washer fluid supply reservoir and battery. A polished aluminum Cisitalia valve cover completes the dramatic look of the engine.
The handbrake lever and hood release levers are located to the left of the steering column. A broad bench seat with adjustable rake via thumbscrews behind the seat back is mounted on runners with control knobs under the lower front edges of the seat bottom. Behind the seat, a flat floorboard accommodates the fold-down soft top and minimal personal belongings. Full carpeting and a Vignale signature ashtray on top of the dash complete the luxury fittings. In lieu of a glove box, small utility pockets are situated on both the driver and passenger kick panels. Massive, elegantly rounded map pockets are located on each door panel as well as leather-bound door pulls and door lock levers. Note the absence of window cranks and side glass. A swing-limiting arm for each door is mounted at the bottom of the door and the aluminum sill step. Polished half-round trim protects the threshold rail from damage. The cabriolet features a full complement of instrumentation that includes speedometer, fuel level, water temperature, oil pressure, and amp gauge arranged in a centrally positioned dash panel directly beneath prominent, Cisitalia script. The instrument bezels and stenciled glass appear very similar to instruments in the Cisitalia 202 series. A row of indicator lights and switchgear for ignition and headlights, as well as the cigarette lighter, are positioned above the instruments. To the far right is the control for a two-speed heater fan. The choke, wiper switch and windshield washer squirt button are below the instruments. An under-the-dash heater is provided, yet in an inexplicable design omission, the roadster is absent of provisions for side curtains. The Motorola AM radio is mounted upside down on the passenger side of the dash: It tunes backward from high frequency to low frequency. The awkward location may have been the result of form factor limitations, but if you’re going to cruise in resplendent luxury with unrestricted fresh air and cabin heating, you must have mellifluous accompaniment. All the instruments and controls are ergonomically located in the central dash section providing generous knee space for ease of entry and exit, an odd but thoughtful consideration for the urbane couple on a brisk evening’s drive in bulky cashmere overcoat and long hair mink. A beautiful wood-rimmed, artfully machined, three-spoke aluminum steering wheel with prominent Cisitalia crest completes the driver’s compartment.
The wheelbase is long for a sports car, especially a European sports car, creating a challenge for designer Aldo Bovarone. Nonetheless, the body shape is pure Cisitalia. Beginning with the front of the car, the grille is in command. The large oval grille has a design similar to the 1950 Cisitalia 202 models. Different on the Ford Cisitalia Cabriolet is the diagonal, grille fill strips and horizontal brightwork with the curious but not unpleasing central orb. That detail is unique to this car. The tall, forward canted, grille shape and wide aluminum-trimmed hood scoop are no doubt to accommodate the height of the straight six engine. The centrally stepped front bumper is one piece, providing substantial corner protection while virtually vanishing beneath the lower rosette of the grille. Marker lights for turn signals are positioned in the bumper void between the substantial corner sections and the grille opening. Covered headlights were not unheard of in 1950, but they were uncommon on cars designed for mass production. They serve to disguise the negative volume of the deeply recessed headlight buckets, soften the corners of the front fenders and mimic in size and shape the prominent grille.
The fender line gently flows from front to rear with the characteristic Cisitalia fender hump placed significantly ahead of the rear wheel opening. Side detail trim draws the eye forward from the polished aluminum art deco taillight and terminates in a sweeping arc behind the front wheel well opening. This sweeping arc mimics the fender hump and, with the addition of two-tone paint, breaks the vertical and horizontal planes. Cisitalia script and signature Vignale badge adorn the front fender quarter panel. Never used on a Cisitalia 202, in a stroke of design brilliance, the Vignale cabriolet employs a curved, wrap around windshield and articulating, triangular wind wings. The rear edge of the articulating triangular wind wing matches both the forward lean angle of the grille and the forward lean angle of the soft top, resulting in a rather compact cabin greenhouse that is low and long. The trailing edge of the door continues the line from the soft top and terminates in a lovely curve ahead of the rear wheel well. The use of two-tone paint, aluminum trim, curved windshield and the articulating wind wings together serve to disguise the length of the 118-inch wheelbase.
Almost unnoticed is the size of the expansive trunk with dual latching handles (a detail seen before on Vignale-bodied Cisitalia 202 coupes). Two raised ribs align with the width of the rear window opening and interrupt the broad flatness of the trunk. A polished aluminum half frame locates the license plate on the trunk in European fashion instead of on the lower valance as typically seen on American-designed cars. Definitive script resides above the license plate frame. The chrome-plated steel bumper is a minimal, one-piece unit with slender overriders on the upper half of the bumper surface. The overriders are positioned outboard of the raised trunk ribs and dual latching handles, and serve a more aesthetic than functional purpose for a vehicle proposed to live among American park-and-bump drivers. The objection to the side-mounted, single-bulb taillights is obvious: They would never suffice to alert American drivers when viewed from the rear of the car, but their elegant execution cannot be denied. The Ford Cisitalia Cabriolet was constructed on an American production car chassis using handbuilt coachwork with Italian style that was unfit for the United States automobile market. Too many irregularities existed for Ford to accept the design, and too many roadblocks lay ahead for production to move forward. If Piero Dusio’s reach had exceeded his grasp with the Formula One project, then Henry Ford II’s fate was the same. Had design specifications been clearly defined before construction began the outcome may have been different, but it is doubtful that a 500- to 1,000-car production run would have been met. To have at least one fully restored, Ford Cisitalia Cabriolet in tribute to the vision of Henry Ford II is a significant milestone. There is hope for more. The status of the three cars extant is known. The original Savonuzzi chassis car with the Mercury V8 remains in the Northeast; in addition to his cabriolet, Urs Jakob owns the unrestored coupe with the straight six-cylinder engine. Its restoration has yet to begin. For now, Cabriolet 000202 is the singular example of the American-Italian collaboration. It stands as tribute to a time in automotive history before market surveys, risk analysis and bean counters called the shots. We are fortunate to have it.
