Marinella barchetta 1948

Testadoro Marinella hard-top barchetta - 1948

the "Mille Miglia" version of the Testadoro

History and Context

The longest and most exhausting races, such as the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio, subjected the crews to truly extreme stresses, in those years when few roads were paved and none were in good condition. Moreover, many editions had been marred by bad weather, which is why many crews preferred cars with more "comfortable" and, possibly, closed bodies. Probably to meet these needs, the "barchetta" version of the Marinella was prepared, also equipped with an original removable "hard Top" to be used in endurance races. The car was officially presented in the Zagato stand at the first “Italian bodywork exhibition” in Milan in November 1947. A valuable photograph of this stand is in the archive of the Turin Automobile Museum. On this car the young Elio Zagato also attempted a sporting career at the Targa Florio in 1949, paired with the “official” driver of the “Squadra Testadoro” Ugo Puma. According to the book by Andrea Curami, this crew wins the "sport up to 750cc" class of the prestigious Sicilian race, in that year also valid as the "Giro di Sicilia", with race number 122. The same car appears to be registered in the Mille Miles of the same year with the crew Ugo Puma - Aquilino Branca, with the race number 234. This version of the Marinella is credited with a Nardi-Gilco chassis similar to the "Marinella I", but probably with an enlarged base corresponding to the cockpit .

Style

Always created by Zagato, the style of this "boat" version of Marinella retains only the central rectangular grille with rounded corners. This small boat shows numerous points in common with other creations of the Milanese atelier, with a less racing appearance than the "torpedo" version and the sides characterized by the presence of rounded and protruding fenders. Characteristic is the set-up equipped with additional depth lights for night driving immortalized in the Targa Florio.
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