1923 Itala Tipo 50B Tourer

Description

Founded by Mattao Ceirano and Guido Bigio, Itala was a maker of quality cars based in Turin from 1904 until their untimely demise in 1934, building racing large capacity cars that proved successful right from the outset. Using Itala's famous rotary valve design, the big Italas enjoyed numerous sporting successes, none more famous than Count Scipione Borghese's victory in the epic 1907 Peking to Paris event. Other notable victories included the 1905 Coppa Florio and the inaugural Targa Florio held the following year. Itala also contested most of the important Grands Prix of the day and the ex-George Daniels 1908 GP car was recently sold at auction in England for nearly $3,300,000. Itala switched production to aeroplane engines during the 1914-1919 period then resumed production after the Armistice with range of side-valve four-cylinder cars of varying capacities, mostly based on pre-war models. In England, Malcolm Campbell's premises in Sussex Place, South Kensington sold models ranging from 12 to 26 horsepower and a number of Italas were sold to Australia in the same period. The Tipo 50B was typical of these cars, with a monobloc 2.8-litre side-valve four-cylinder engine that was introduced in late 1919 and remained on the market until 1926. Rated at 25/35hp, the car had a 3200mm wheelbase and there was a sporting variant, the Tipo 51, built on a slightly shorter wheelbase. Itala continued its involvement in motor racing throughout the 1920s and two Tipo 61s were entered in the 1928 Le Mans 24-Hours, winning the 2-litre class.