Coachwork by Vignale
Estimate: $600,000 - $800,000| Without Reserve
Chassis 128 SC
Engine 250
One of the Finest Examples of Cisitalia’s Exceedingly Rare 202 SC Cabriolet
Exceptional Photo-Documented Restoration by the Renowned Carrozzeria Quality Cars
Shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® and Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este
Participant in the 2011 Mille Miglia Storica; Eligible for Numerous Rallies and Events
Accompanied by over 100 Pages of Records, Tool Roll, Jack, and Knock-Off Hammer
Technical Specs
1,089 CC OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Weber Tipo 38 DR3 Carburetor
63 BHP at 6,000 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
Front Independent Suspension with Transverse Leaf Spring
Rear Live Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
In the 1920s, Cisitalia’s founder Piero Dusio was the star of Torino’s famed Juventus soccer team. He was also a gifted racing driver, finishing 1st in Class at the 1937 Mille Miglia and 4th Overall in 1938. By that time, he had created Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia (Cisitalia) and postwar, the company built the D46 Monoposto, thought to be the first race car to use a full space-frame chassis. At the 1947 Mille Miglia, Cisitalia debuted the 202 SMM sports-racing car and Tazio Nuvolari drove one of the most legendary races ever, finishing 2nd to Clemente Biondetti’s mighty Alfa Romeo 8C 2900.
Cisitalia next created an advanced road-going sports car based on the spaceframe design of its race cars. The resulting 202 SC Coupe debuted in 1947 and was immediately hailed as a design masterpiece. New York’s Museum of Modern Art famously exhibited an example in 1951 and a 202 remains in MoMA’s permanent collection to this day. Cabriolet variants were even rarer than the coupes, and marque authority Nino Balestra believes only about 60 were built by coachbuilders including Pinin Farina and Vignale.
This stunning Vignale-bodied example was imported to Uruguay in 1950 and first registered in 1951 to a wealthy enthusiast named Carlos Rodriguez Tellecha. In 1959, the car was sold to an Air Force major named Alejandro Dighiero, who kept it until 1970, selling it to Rafael Machado. Mr. Machado made some repairs and performed a few modifications, taking a few liberties with the original design.
The 202 eventually passed among several Italian collectors before being acquired by Maurizio Leonesio of Brescia, who entrusted it to Carrozzeria Quality Cars of Vigonza, one of the most renowned restoration shops in Italy, in the early 2000s. In collaboration with Nino Balestra, the car was researched and restored to an extraordinarily high level.
Once the photo-documented restoration was completed, the Cisitalia was shown at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and, in 2011, it participated in the Mille Miglia Storica. It was at the Mille Miglia Museum in 2013 that Miami-based collector Leo Schigiel saw the car for the first time while at a luncheon there. He immediately fell in love with the 202 and agreed to purchase it from Mr. Leonesio in 2014. In 2017, Mr. Schigiel exhibited the Cisitalia at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it participated in the highly competitive Post-War Open Class and received a prestigious Third in Class award. Its most recent showing took place at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March 2018.
Since then, the Cisitalia has been used sparingly and, as a result, presents in exquisite condition. Notably, the sale is accompanied by copious records, a tool roll, jack, and knock-off hammer. With its known history, exceptional restoration, and concours accolades, this jewel-like 202 SC Gran Sport Cabriolet can certainly be considered one of the finest examples of Cisitalia’s design masterpiece.
AMELIA ISLAND AUCTIONS - March 2 - 3, 2023
