Piero Dusio, 1952 Italian GP (Cisitalia D46)

Over the years I have seen very little-to-nothing about Piero Dusio's entry into the 1952 Italian GP. The only time a Cisitalia was entered for a Grand Prix as far as I am aware.

Motorsport reported:

"On the first day the new 2-litre Cisitalia eliminated itself quite unintentionally by scattering a rod and most of its crankcase over the track; this was an o.h.v. four-cylinder, with four Del Orto motor-cycle carburetters, mounted in a typical Cisitalia multi-tube chassis with independent suspension all round, transverse leaf spring and wishbones at the front and a combination of radius tubes and wishbones at the rear, with he outer universal joint of each half axle mounted in the wheel hub."

There are also a few photos on Revs, albeit of the engine compartment only for some reason and not the whole car. But at least this proves it was there?:
https://library.revs...and-prix/312171

This photo is from the Roma GP, but I presume it is the same chassis? 
https://library.revs...and-prix/353361

Is there anything else out there?

Edited by Paul Taylor, 13 June 2022 - 06:14.

Black Book says "dns, engine".

But regarding that grid positions were obviously limited that should rather read "DNQ, nptr" in my opinion...

Over the years I have seen very little-to-nothing about Piero Dusio's entry into the 1952 Italian GP. The only time a Cisitalia was entered for a Grand Prix as far as I am aware.

 

Wasn´t the 1948 Monaco GP a Grand Prix as well?

Black Book says "dns, engine".

 

But regarding that grid positions were obviously limited that should rather read "DNQ, nptr" in my opinion...

 

Wasn´t the 1948 Monaco GP a Grand Prix as well?

Or the 1946 Penya Rhin GP? Admittedly that was theoretically held to the 1938 Formule Internationale, with which the D46 didn't conform, being both too narrow and too light, but one was still allowed to start!

That pic of the 1951 GP di Roma does not look like a Cisitalia D46 to me...unless Dusio looked at the Alta and thought "veeeeery nice".

That pic of the 1951 GP di Roma does not look like a Cisitalia D46 to me...unless Dusio looked at the Alta and thought "veeeeery nice".

It seems to have the same frontal treatment as the supposed D46 driven by Angelo Mijorini at Garda in 1950, although possibly slightly more bulbous. Same car?

https://library.revs...mula-two/357009

Slightly different grille, but again not the 'classic' D46 shape - Monaco 1948:

https://library.revs...and-prix/202459

Cisitalia had ceased to exist as a company in 1949, although Dusio seems to have revived the brand name in the 1950s after relocating to Argentina.

Or the 1946 Penya Rhin GP? Admittedly that was theoretically held to the 1938 Formule Internationale, with which the D46 didn't conform, being both too narrow and too light, but one was still allowed to start!

​You are clearly an expert on Cisitalia.

I wonder why you single out the 1946 Penya Rhin GP.?

As I am sure you know, Cisitalias competed in several other post war Grands Prix, including two cars in the 1947 Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten.

In any case, Paul Taylor’s original post relates to the 2 litre F2 Cisitalia competing in the 1952 Italian GP, not to the earlier D46.

​In any case, Paul Taylor’s original post relates to the 2 litre F2 Cisitalia competing in the 1952 Italian GP, not to the earlier D46.

I've got a book on Cisitalia somewhere, I should read it...

Or the 1946 Penya Rhin GP? Admittedly that was theoretically held to the 1938 Formule Internationale, with which the D46 didn't conform, being both too narrow and too light, but one was still allowed to start!

Of course I chose the one which is most hard to argue against it 

Slightly different grille, but again not the 'classic' D46 shape - Monaco 1948:

 

https://library.revs...and-prix/202459

 

 

To my knowledge the latter one is the 1948 'update' variant of the D46, but still with 1100 (or maybe slightly enlarged) engine. Obviously it didn´t work too fine and as far as i remember ended up in the hands of Swiss driver Claude Bernheim.

In my database for late forties/early fifties, I have 363 entry lines for Cisitalia. The vast majority is D46 (352) and 4-1090 (313).

3 Lines are for the 1952 Italian GP, Nr. (44), type unknown, Engine 4-2.0 BPM (Botta & Puricelli - Milano). This is obviously one car, driven in practice by Piero Dusio and Carlo Dusio, with Franco Rol as alternative driver. These three lines are the only ones for a World Championship Grand Prix (F2, because it is 1952).

We all know that Grand Prix is a different subset of races from World Championship, that should not be mixed on this forum, because it always leads to misunderstandings.

BPM engines are not found on any other monoposto from 1945-1960. In sports car racing during this period, I only find one in the '52 Mille Miglia: Cisitalia 202D, 4-2772, so obviously a bigger variant (same base?)

A further check of the Cisitalia book gives surprisingly few additional details. There is a 2 litre variant of the 2.8 L, 1996 cc. According to the technical data only used in road cars. The two litre engine was based on the 1800S engine. In the Gran Premio Dell' Autodromo Monza, 13-5-'51 Angelo Mijorini entered a Cisitalia with an 1.8 L engine. Unfortunately DNA, so probably no pictures available. Mijorini had a D46 with a Lancia Aprillia engine before that.

Probably not the definite answer, but I hope some others get new ideas where to look for the final solution.

A certain Guimbaud raced a Cisitalia-BPM twice at FL races at Montlhery in 1953 (Coupes Printemps / Automne). I would assume it was Dusio´s car from 1952.

For the Lancia-engined Cisitalia Alessandro Silva writes, that such a car first appeared in 1948, a former (?) Scuderia Ambrosiana car fitted with a 1.5 litre Aprilia engine made by the busy mechanic Aldo Bianchi. It seems not clear whether there were more such cars, but between 1948 and 1951 Cisitalia-Lancias are noted for Federico Pariani (1948 Vercelli, Mantova, Firenze, Salo), Ernesto Bianchi (1950 Modena, 1951 Monza), Angelo Mijorini (1950 Monza, Salo; 1951 Monza) and Felice Bonetto (1951 Genoa, Aix-les-Bains). From 1950 onward the engine seems to have been enlarged to 1.8 liter.