Last updated on November 26, 2025
Today’s car is a 1948 Cisitalia (pronounced chee-see-TAH-lee-uh) 202 SMM Allegeritta owned by Don Behrens, which I photographed at the Manhattan Beach Cars & Coffee event, on two separate occasions, at The Point in El Segundo, CA. This is chassis number 005, is the only example built in this style. In 1948, it competed in the Mille Miglia, reportedly finishing second in class.
The full name,Cisitalia 202 SMM Allegeritta 005, tells the car’s story in detail. Cisitalia refers to the Italian manufacturer, (Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia), founded by industrialist Piero Dusio. 202 SMM designates the competition “Spyder Mille Miglia,” Allegeritta means lightweight in Italian, highlighting the body’s construction.
Founded by wealthy Italian industrialist Piero Dusio, Cisitalia emerged in the late 1940s as one of several small postwar marques crafting specialty sports cars. The company’s philosophy was to build lightweight, agile, high-performance machines using Fiat mechanicals, modified and paired with advanced chassis and body designs. Fiat was the only Italian manufacturer left standing after World War II, which made it a natural choice. Cisitalia’s first creation, the D46 single-seat racing car, enjoyed modest success on the track and helped establish the brand’s reputation. But it was the Cisitalia 202 that truly set new standards for what a sports car could be, influencing the design language of future Italian marques and securing Pininfarina’s place as a leader in automotive styling.
By the early 1950s, Cisitalia had gone bankrupt after overextending itself financially with ambitious projects like the Porsche-designed Grand Prix car. When the company collapsed, Dusio relocated to Argentina in 1950, bringing this very car with him. His intention was to race it under the governance of the Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA) the official governing body since 1904, Originally equipped with a 1,100 cc Fiat engine, the car fell short of the ACA’s 1,500 cc class limit. To remain competitive, Dusio sourced a Formula One–spec Simca-Gordini Type 15 engine, a French dual overhead cam racing motor, and had it installed in period. With this upgrade, the Cisitalia competed throughout the decade, winning or placing in nearly every race it entered.
The car resurfaced in the late 1980s when a Dutch restorer, possibly Colin Crabbe, found it in Buenos Aires and carried out the first modern restoration in Europe. It later passed through private hands, reportedly owned by a Brazilian collector who kept it in the UK, before Don Behrens acquired it roughly eight years ago. Don has given the Cisitalia a careful refresh, including new paint and a complete mechanical sorting. He and his son have since enjoyed the car as it was meant to be used—racing it in the Mille Miglia on two occasions in 2018 and 2019.
This 202 SMM is finished in royal blue with a tan interior. It is powered by a 135 hp, 1,500 cc, inline-4 DOHC engine with twin Solex carburetors, now mated to a 5-speed synchronized Fiat transmission with a 4.44:1 rear axle ratio. Drum brakes at all four corners slow this beauty down. The front independent suspension features A-arms, coil springs, and shock absorbers, while the rear is a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and shocks.
The car’s race engine really comes alive at around 3,000 rpm, and it loves to be driven hard. It’s an 80 mph car all day long, comfortable, and engaging—the kind of car where you settle in and connect with it as much as it connects with you.
This one-off Cisitalia 202 SMM Alleggerita holds remarkable historical significance a car of this significance would certainly be noted in Cisitalia’s story. From its original form, later modified with a redesigned front end after a tragic incident involving a pedestrian (see historical photos below), to surviving the company’s bankruptcy, the car embodies a pivotal era. It set new standards for what a sports car could be, influencing the design language of future Italian marques, and it is said to be the only 202 SMM Spider Dusio brought with him to Argentina, where it was successfully raced for nearly a decade.
This is the perfect car for an Italian or European car show, local Cars & Coffee, or even a Mille Miglia run or two with your son.
I want to thank Don for sharing his story and historical car.
Thank you for riding along,
Frank
Vintage Photos provided by Don Behrens.
