This was to be Enzo Ferrari’s affordable sports car to be
Posted on 22-03-2015 at 21:42 by Dizono – 40 Comments”
In 1961 stands at the Turin auto show an unknown but attractive little sports car. Ferrari logos are nowhere to be seen, but it certainly is the renowned brand from Maranello that behind this little sports car.
In the ’50s have companies such as Abarth, Ermini, and Giannini a lot of success with their small sports cars with Fiat technology. In this time sold you the cars success on the track and the cars with engines often no larger than one litre are popular among young people. Enzo Ferrari book in the ’50s, also great success on circuits around Europe, but his major racing and sports cars, but for a very small group play.
In an attempt itself is also a part of the market for small sports cars, he puts his best engineer, Giotto Bizzarrini’s work. This develops a 850cc engine, that will later be opgeboord to 1032cc. Not Pininfarina, but Bertone should be the coach for this ‘Ferrarina’ signs, it would be one of the first tasks of the then still very young and inexperienced Giorgetto Giugiaro. In 1961 the car during the auto show in Turin displayed, without the Ferrari logos. Enzo is afraid that his brand image will suffer as the smaller and cheaper cars will produce. A similar construction, he applies a few years later with the Dino.
Not a Ferrari but ASA
A final decision in Ferrari the Ferrarina, such as the vehicle known to the general public, not itself in production. Instead, he sold the manufacturing rights to Oronzio de Nora, who buy it as a gift for his son Niccolo. That will in addition also still an old aircraft factory in the laps and so is the car brand Autoconstruzioni Societa per Azioni -in short, ASA – born.
The ASA 1000 GT, as the car now goes through life, rolls from 1962 of the band. Despite his noble lineage, hits the ASA Mille. The top speed of 200 km/h may be impressive for a sports car with a 1-litre engine, the high price scares up too many customers. Also a Spider version, or the ASA 411 with opgeboorde engine to know the customers, but very little to the showroom to lure.
In 1966 attempts to ASA even with the Tipo 613, a small racing car with a 1.3-litre six-cylinder engine. Two cars appear at the start of the 24 hours of Le Mans in that year, but both of them know the finish line to pick up. That also applies to the ASA itself, in 1967 to close the factory permanently its doors. In total, there are only 100 ASA 1000 GT’s made: seventy-coupe’s and thirty Spiders, and other derivatives. Ultimately, only one person money earned to the ‘Ferrarina’: Enzo Ferrari.
Incidentally, Bizzarrini, together with two fellow engineers, in 1961, when Ferrari road after an argument with Enzo. They go for Count Volpi to work and focus their own cars. But that is for another time…
Gallery: ASA 1000 GT
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Gallery: ASA Tipo 613
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