Bandini Automobili

Bandini was founded in 1946 in Forlì, the first Bandini, the Prima, used a modified Fiat 1100 engine, the body was made from aluminum and the chassis was a modified Fiat 1100 Bandini hid from the Germans during World War 2. Following on from this, Bandini made the 1100 Sport and the 1100 Siluro. It was the Siluro that gave them their first race victory in the Giro dell'Umbria (not to be confused with the bicycle race of the same name). The chassis for these were built from tubular steel. The Formula 3 car of 1954 had disc brakes on all four wheels, copying the 1951 C-type Jaguar. The Zagato bodied Bandini GT raced in Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. The coupé made by the coachbuilder Corna had a 1000 cc engine mounted in the front. GFG Style revealed the Bandini Dora Concept in 2020, a roofless, two-seater electric hypercar featuring two electric motors producing a combined power output of 536bhp and 500 lb ft or torque. ==Racing history==

The company's owner, Ilario Bandini, divided his time between design and manufacturing of the cars, and as a race driver. He entered and drove Bandinis in more than 60 races both hillclimb events and track racing, including the Mille Miglia from 1947 until 1965, achieving 19 first-place finishes and 18 podiums in the 750 cc and 1000 cc classes. In 1953 750 Siluro driven by Massimo Bondi won the Trofeo Franco Mazzotti on the Mille Miglia. In 1957, Melvin Sachs won the HM class, one of five Bandini's in the first ten positions. The successes resulted in Ilario being presented with the Gold Key of Daytona and later in 1981 the Laurea H.C. award in mechanical engineering from Pro Deo university of New York. In 1959 he produced one of the most successful Formula Juniors. Bandinis won SCCA Class HMod races well into the mid-1960s. A Bandini Siluro won the SCCA Southwest Regional Championship from 1961–1963 and the Saponetta took 3rd place in the National Hmod class in 1961. Bandini continued to make one-off cars well into the 1980s. ==Bandini Museum and Register==

In 1992, Dino Bandini converted the company’s original workshop into a museum with the purpose of preserving historical documents, technical records, and the most representative models of Bandini automobiles for public display. The decision was prompted by his discovery of inaccuracies regarding Bandini's history in a car magazine. At the time of its establishment, the museum housed ten Bandini cars. Today, a total of 47 officially-recognised Bandini vehicles exist worldwide. ==Models==

• "La prima" 1100/46 (1946). Made from a modified Fiat 1100 chassis. The suspension used components from a Gilera motorcycle with torsion bar independent front suspension and independent rear suspension, inboard brakes, and two-seater sports car aluminium sports car body made by Rocco Motto. • Formula 3 (1954–58). At least four of these racing cars were built and were powered by an under 500c four cylinder Crosley engine. In 1959 the GT was raced in the United States by Victor Lukens and Fred Haynes at Daytona, Watkins Glen, and Sebring under the Racemasters/Scuderia Bandini. During 1960 it achieved two class wins, two DNFs, and a couple non-podium finishes. Repainted blue when repaired by Bandini. The prototype had an adjustable rear wing that could also be increased in width. • 1300 prototipo (1980). A barchetta style open race car. • 1000 turbo berlinetta (1992). Under final construction when Ilario Bandini passed away. ==Gallery==

File:Bandini 1100sportD.JPG| 1947 1100 Siluro Sport File:1100 siluroBandini.jpg| 1947 1100 Siluro File:Bandini sport siluro211.jpg| 1950 750 Siluro Sport File:Bandini Maserati1.JPG| 1952 Bandini Maserati 1500 File:Bandini f3 mostra forlì.jpg| 1954 Formula 3 File:BandiniGTZAGATO.jpg| 1955 GT Veloce Zagato File:Bandini Saponetta2.jpg| 1957 Saponetta File:1960 Bandini Formula Junior at Lime Rock 2014.jpg| 1959 Formula Junior File:Bandini 1000 p.jpg| 1962 1000 P File:Berlinetta 1000 GTBANDINI.JPG| 1963 1000 GT File:Bandini 1000 sp66.jpg| 1966 1000 sp66 File:Bandini 1000cc saloncino1968.jpg| 1968 1000 Saloncino sports coupé File:Bandini 1000V.jpg| 1970 1000 V File:Bandini1000sp.jpg| 1972 1000 SP File:Bandini Sp 1300.jpg| 1980 1300 prototipo File:BandiniTurbo.JPG| 1992 1000 turbo berlinetta ==See also==