Formula Junior regulations required an 1100 cc production engine. Very belatedly (seeing
Coopers had been offering mid-engined racers for sale since 1946), the Bandini Formula Junior used a rear-mounted Fiat engine, tilted 15° from upright. It also featured
drum brakes, and a Formula 3-style quick-change differential. The Bandini was immediately in demand in the United States. After a few months, a version with independent suspension appeared, though this was still no match for the dominating Coopers. Nevertheless, the car caught the attention of the specialist publications, of
Juan Manuel Fangio, and of importer Biener, who immediately ordered five. It also gained a following with drivers such as
Rodger Ward and
Neil Babbs, Jr., who raced it in junior competitions until 1964, and with
Roger Penske. The 850 cc engine was significant because it was the first engine completely built by Bandini: it was the basis for the subsequent Bandini 1000 cc engine. The engine featured a
monobloc bottom end, and choice of sidedraft or downdraught carburettors,
fuel injection, or
intercooled turbocharging. At the same time, Bandinis continued to appear in the United States powered by engines from
Mercury,
Saab,
Offenhauser, MG, O.S.C.A.,
Alfa Romeo, and even 365 ci (6 liter)
Cadillac engines (in the fashion of the
Allard J2). In 1960, Ilario Bandini was invited to
Daytona, where the Racemaster team took part in the famous sports car event with a 'Saponetta' and a Zagato-bodied Berlinetta, driven by Luckens, Richardson, and Callanan. Bandini was feted as a true "star" by
CBS television; he was presented with the Keys to the city by
Daytona's mayor. In the same year back in Italy, Bandini were active in the 750, 850 and 1000 classes using Banidini DOHC front and rear engined Formnula Junior, 1000P, and Saponetta models. This was the period of greatest growth for Bandini Automobiles. A contemporary newspaper reports discussion of plans under way to develop a
Formula One Bandini, while the production of a prototype
go-kart Bandini (with a Parilla engine) and a micro motorbike to serve as a courier for gear and
spark plugs to assist rapid repairs at the racetrack. As Bandini himself reached fifty years of age, he continued to race, including at Sassi-Superga,
Aosta-Pila (second), Vergato-Cereglio, and Cesenatico. In the latter, he was joined by Guerino Lelli (fifth in a 750), Teodoro Zeccoli (out after breaking a sleeve of the 1000cc), and Edward Govoni (out after cracking the differential while his 850 lay third).
Giorgio Cecchini finished third at Vallelunga in an 850, and Alberto Canali third at Salsomaggiore Monte S. Antonio in a 1000 sports. While in 1961 the United States welcomed Bandini, Dave Lang (thanks to three victories and a second place that allowed him to take third place in the SCCA's HM Class Championship without even entering subsequent races) led national standings, twenty points up on Osca, in Italy are left engines of one liter engine capacity or less. Bandini himself had little luck in the Four Hours of
Pescara (valid for the World Sports Car Championship), co-driving with Alberto Canali, but saw Cecchini and Cesare Sangiorgi classified sixth. Vince him to
Reggio Emilia is the seventh to
Salsomaggiore Terme-S.Antonio fifth
Vallelunga and second at Predappio where Cecchini won, also in a Bandini 1000. Cecchini placed fourth in Salsomaggiore, forced to retire after a fuel pump failure in the lead at
Asiago, and after taking the
pole position at Vallelunga suffered clutch failure one lap from the flag. He came fourth at
Parma-Poggio of Berceto, sixth in the Shell Trophy at Vallelunga, and third at
Trento Bondone. The
100GT was developed in 1963, with bodywork by Corna, subcontractor of Zagato. At Predappio, Lelli topped Cecchini by coming third again with the 1000 sports, while Hilary placed fifth at Consuma (substantiating world sport) and took the Shell Trophy at Vallelunga. 1964 was the year of four for Bandini, finishing in this position at the Predappio-Rocca delle walks (preceded by Bandinis of Cecchini and Benelli) and at
Ascoli-Colle S. Marco. He was fourth
Trento-Bondone (valid for the European mountain championship), again behind Benelli, and the Cup Beans at Osimo (preceded by Cecchini). Benelli was third in the
Cuneo (Garessio-hill St. Bernard), the Cup of Cimino (in Rome), according to
Teramo and
Bolzano-Mendola, while finishing ninth at Vallelunga, and retiring for breach of the exchange at the
Targa Florio. in Forlì in 1964. rewards Ilario Bandini. In 1965, a version of the 1000P (unusually, Belgian racing yellow) gave Benelli a win at the Predappio hillclimb and the first Castione Baratti (
Parma) then runs Paganelli with the
Trento-Bondone Cesana and Sestriere. Cecchini with a front-engined 1000 ran close second to Predappio and retired at the Mugello road circuit. Benelli came fifth in the Shell Trophy at Vallelunga (Bandini himself eighth), retired in the Targa Florio, took third at Vergato Cereglio, and kept Bandini in the limelight with a fourth and valid proof for world title on the Mugello road course. Despite engines enlarged to 850 cc, and remaining unbeaten from 1961 until 1963 in SCCA's South-West Division championship, in the mid-1960s, production for the United States was stopped for lack of adequate funding, radical changes of regulations, unfunded riscuotibili, and competition from large manufacturers. Many Italian manufacturers were in crisis, and Bandini started to produce
prototypes intended mainly as
privateers for Italian "gentleman drivers" who mainly ran hillclimbs. There was no wavering in continual improvement on the technical side, so in 1966, a new mid-engined
Bandini 1000 appeared. A
barchetta with new lines and Colotti gearbox, the position of the updated one litre engine representing the biggest change. This car was produced into the mid-seventies, when it was donated by Bandini to the town of Forli, which still holds it. In 1968, at the
Turin Exhibition of Sports Cars, the new
Bandini saloncino was presented. It proved unsuccessful at Mugello the same year, came out in street trim and later was further amended slightly in front of the body. A new
1000V sports prototype was born in 1970 with the solution to the carburetors at the centre of the head in an upright position. After two years, the
1000SP introduced Bandini's first
aerodynamic element, a rear wing. Recent prototypes have won the Cup Water Cerelia,
Camucia-Cortona, the Colle S. Bartolo (PU), the
Gubbio-Madonna della Cima, the Cup of Chianti (half kilo of underweight) and seized countless placements:
Trieste-Opicina, Bologna-Raticosa, Ascoli-hill St. Marco, Castione Passo della Presolana,
circuit of Mugello,
Targa Florio,
Magione and many other races (predominantly hillclimbs) throughout the country. Bandini, in his seventies, as well as dealing with restoration of older models, continued the study of new ones. The company in 1980 presented the
1300 with 16 valves, mechanical
fuel injection, and electronic ignition. In 1975, Bandini hosted the Group Bandini, an
exhibition dedicated to the
marque, for drivers who had worked for him. Until 1979, appearing in Forlì included
Formula One World Driving Champions James Hunt (1976 for
McLaren) and
Niki Lauda (1977 for
Ferrari) Bandini restarted the Predappio-Rocca delle Camminate hillclimb at Forlì in 1978, after being interrupted ten years earlier. In 1981, Bandini received from
New York University an
honoris causa (honorary doctorate) in
mechanical engineering, and a Bandini was inducted at the Museum of Marconi in
Los Angeles. This was followed by further rewards, such as the gold medal of the Municipality of Forlì and the medal allocation from Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) "as proper recognition of many years carried out in favour of Italian sport." A few years later came his final creation, the
Berlinetta 1000 turbo 16v, at the age of 80, just before his death at Forlì on 12 April 1992. ==See also==