After the Second World War materials and cars were scarce and consequently motor racing was not the number one priority among people but this being Italy it couldn't be suppressed for long. People started racing motorbikes immediately in the post war years and they used any old pre-war racing car they could find and modified it so it could be taken to the local Gran Premio.
The German Wehrmacht also left quite a few vehicles behind, the majority of these being trucks and the classic BMW R75 Motorbike with side-car. Some of these R75 engines were used to motorize sports cars made by local's mechanics and people that wished to race. One of the mechanics that used these BMW motorcycle engines for his first racing cars was Enrico Nardi.
Enrico Nardi was a mechanic and a tuner of sports cars at this time as he had yet to make the cars that were to be called Nardi and Nardi-Danesi and at this stage he had not started making his famous tuning kits and steering-wheels which he later became world famous for.
The car offered, is according to the famous authority on these cars, John de Boer, an early
Nardi which used the same similar design concept with the BMW engine in the front and utilizing the ultimate chassis technology at the time; the GILCO chassis, a space frame which was very rigid and very light.
First registered in 1951 in the name of Luigi Bosio in Turin but we believe the car was manufactured in 1947-48, as one can see modifications to the bodywork making place for the rear number plate as at the time of its construction there was no requirements for registration plates. In 1959 road rules changed in Italy and all cars had to have direction indicators and were duly mounted from a Fiat 1100.
The body was built by Carrozzeria Coriasco of Turin and the logo on the side of the car corresponds to this car having been built circa 1947-1948 as they altered their logo 1948.
The carburettors are Zenith, probably from a Fiat 1100E while the gearbox is a Topolino unit and the front and rear brakes are also modified Topolino. This little Nardi was sold as it is now from a Turinese classic car dealer in the 1970s, to a collector in the same town.
Absolutely and totally untouched, this highly original car shows a magnificent patina and is in working condition. One has to add that it would be a shame to restore this car to as new condition, as there can be very few cars which are a part of history like this in such original condition. The car is featured in the current issue of the Italian Classic car magazine Routeclassiche and enjoys a 6 page spread, showing how much the Italians appreciate their motoring heritage. To acquire such a piece of Italian motoring history is a rare opportunity.
Nardi-BMW Gilco 1948 - Auction Estimate: €130,000 - €150,000
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C481869
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