10 replies to this topic

[Richard Jenkins]

Hi, got this email from a chap in South Africa but I have no idea about this, so wondered if someone can help - find details below:

Dear Richard
I came across a Scarlatti car badge in a very remote part of South Africa.
To what website should I go to see what the car actually looks like?
Still did not get to know what the car looked like that would have a Scarlatti badge on it. Shaped like a shield, knight in coat of armour on horseback. Could that have been included into a car kid for DIY - car builders? and if indeed so - what did the car look like - could not find any photo?


I suggested it might be a Maserati 250F & sent a picture of one, but I am completely Can anyone help & I'll email him back - although I have linked up to this thread as well.

Thanks

[Bjorn Kjer]

Why a car badge ?, I never heard of a Scarlatti car , well knowing I don't know everything , but , as you mailed a 250F picture , I thought of Giorgi Scarlatti entering 250F in his own name in 55,56,58 & 59 , so could it be a "Team" logo ?

[JB Miltonian]

It's a long, twisted story, but I wonder if maybe this badge came from the Cisitalia "Cassone" coupe that lived for many years in South Africa. I'm afraid I don't have time to post my theory at the moment, but it seems reasonable to me.

[interexcel105]

It's a long, twisted story, but I wonder if maybe this badge came from the Cisitalia "Cassone" coupe that lived for many years in South Africa. I'm afraid I don't have time to post my theory at the moment, but it seems reasonable to me.

I seem to recall that the ex-David Cohen Cisitalia was bodied by Carrozzeria Rocco Motta (????).

My guess regarding the Scarlatti badge: Around early 1980's an enterprising South African businessman built a small (indeterminate) number of fibreglass-bodied sportscars based on Ford Cortina V6 LDV ("bakkie" in local parlance) chassis. It featured squarish headlamps in a slanted front grille, a short passenger cabin (dictated by the LDV layout) and an elongated tail section (also a result of the LDV parentage). The Scarlatti was ambitiously priced and did not meet with any great acclaim or success.

A more detailed description can be had from Pieter Spaarwater's rather excellent "A Century of South African Motoring". (Not sure I got the title right though). My copy is in storage and therefore I'm sadly unable to post a picture of this South African homebrew.

[Hugo Boecker]

There was a German TV serie in 1968 called "Sein Traum vom Grand Prix". The main charcter, a young german driver called "Jochen Renk" made his career in "Scarletti Cars". These Grand Prix/ F1 cars were exf frontengiened Formula Junior car. May be the badge is from one of those cars used by the film.

Edited by Hugo Boecker, 16 July 2009 - 20:38.

[interexcel105]

Corrections and apologies are in order....

Having unearthed my copy of "A century of cars" by Fred Schnetler (Tafelberg Publishers 1997) I can quote the following from the book:

"The Scarlatti was an attempt by a Johannesburg entrepreneur to build a substitute for expensive Porsches, Jaguars and the like. The entire design was based upon that of the Ford Cortina bakkie. The doors and windscreen were Cortina bakkie, as were the V6 motor and transmission. It cost R20 000 in 1983."

The names Schnetler and Spaarwater are both firmly cemented in South African motoring journalism/history, somehow I got them mixed up in my original post and I couldn't quite recall the book title 100%...

I am not able to scan pictures of the car, but it is somewhat reminiscent of tamer versions of the 1980's Ford Mustang, which implies: not stunningly attractive by any means.

[Richard Jenkins]

Corrections and apologies are in order....

Having unearthed my copy of "A century of cars" by Fred Schnetler (Tafelberg Publishers 1997) I can quote the following from the book:

"The Scarlatti was an attempt by a Johannesburg entrepreneur to build a substitute for expensive Porsches, Jaguars and the like. The entire design was based upon that of the Ford Cortina bakkie. The doors and windscreen were Cortina bakkie, as were the V6 motor and transmission. It cost R20 000 in 1983."

The names Schnetler and Spaarwater are both firmly cemented in South African motoring journalism/history, somehow I got them mixed up in my original post and I couldn't quite recall the book title 100%...

I am not able to scan pictures of the car, but it is somewhat reminiscent of tamer versions of the 1980's Ford Mustang, which implies: not stunningly attractive by any means.

Having emailed this all back to the chap - this is spot on - thanks Interexcel105.

He has asked if there are any photos of the car - one presumes there is one in the book - if not, any idea where one could potentially find photos of the car?

[interexcel105]

Having emailed this all back to the chap - this is spot on - thanks Interexcel105.

He has asked if there are any photos of the car - one presumes there is one in the book - if not, any idea where one could potentially find photos of the car?

There is a single picture of the car in the book mentioned; however one should be able to find further pics in contemporary issues of South African motoring magazines such as CAR, SA Motorscene, Wiel (Afrikaans language) and possibly also in that years issue of Adri Bezuidenhout's excellent annual on the SA motoring/racing scene: Wheels. Unfortunately my copies are in seriously deep storage.

[Hieronymus]

I shall check CAR magazine circa 1983. My complete run of this mag is unfortunately stored away in Cape Town, so the earliest I'll be able to look will be over the weekend. Time permitted.

[clivet1]

Hi Gentlemen,

my father was a motoring journo in South Africa in 1980 when the Scarlatti was released.

I have his report and the pictures if anyone is interested.

Cheers

[bradbury west]

Very much so. We are always interested in something "new". I would be pleased to receive them on e mail if you do not want to post too much here. PM me for address pls.
Roger Lund