Last updated on November 26, 2025
Today’s car is a 1947 Cisitalia (pronounced chee-see-TAH-lee-uh) 202 Coupé that makes its home at the Petersen Automobile Museum and was a gift of of Margie and Robert E. Petersen. I photographed it at the museum’s Dolce e Veloce”, an Italian-themed automotive event celebrating Festa della Repubblica, Italy’s national day. The museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA
Founded by wealthy Italian industrialist Piero Dusio, Cisitalia (Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia) emerged in the late 1940s as one of several small postwar marques crafting specialty sports cars from Fiat components. The company’s first creation, the D46 single-seat racing car, enjoyed modest success on the track and helped establish Cisitalia’s reputation. Its first roadgoing model, the Pinin Farina–styled 202, debuted with taut, flowing lines, a low hood, and harmonious proportions that redefined sports car aesthetics. In 1951, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York showcased the 202 in its Eight Automobiles exhibition, recognizing it as an icon of “machine art.” Pininfarina later donated a 202 to MoMA’s permanent collection, where it remains a celebrated landmark in automotive design history.
The car is finished in a deep burgundy with an all-red interior theme. It is powered by a 55 hp, 1.1 liter, modified version of the Fiat inline-4 cylinder engine, with single Weber carburetor, mated to a 4-speed manual transmission with a 4.1:1 rear axle ratio. Slowing this beauty down are Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes at all four corners. The front independent suspension consists of A-arms, coil springs, and lever type shock absorbers. The rear suspension is a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and Hydraulic lever-arm shock absorbers. Other special features are the tubular spaceframe chassis and hand-formed aluminum coachwork by Pininfarina.
The Cisitalia 202 Coupé was produced from 1947 to 1952. Production numbers vary widely between sources, but the generally accepted estimate is about 170 cars in total. Of these, a commonly cited figure is 17 cabriolets, while around 20 to 26 Cisitalia 202 SMM (Spider Mille Miglia)—also known as the Nuvolari Spider—were built. The original cost in the late 1940s, cost around $5,000.00 to $6,000.00. The published top speed is 96 MPH with a modern estimates of 0 – 60 at around 14–20 seconds.
This significant automobile, displayed at both MoMA and the Petersen, helped catapult postwar automobile design into a new generation of moving art. While this great car is now a museum piece and only comes out on special occasions, sadly I wouldn’t expect to see it at any local car events.
Thank you for riding along.
Frank
