Nardi (carmaker)

Nardi emblem

Officine Nardi was an Italian automobile and racing car maker, named for their creator.

Enrico Nardi was a racing mechanic, engineer, and driver who got his start with Lancia. He test drove the first car built by Auto Avio Costruzione in Modena, where many ex-Lancia colleagues joined him.[1]

In 1932,[1] Nardi joined with Augusto Monaco to create the Nardi-Monaco Chichibio.[2] It used an air-cooled 998 cc 61 c JAP of 65 bhp (48 kW), 10 bhp (7.5 kW) more than the 1750 cc (107 in3) Alfa Romeos of its competition,[3] transversely mounted and coupled to a five-speed gearbox,[3] but unusually, driving the front wheels.[3] Weighing only 672 lb (305 kg),[3] it proved capable of 180 km/h (110 mph).[citation needed] This was enough to win several Italian hillclimbs,[3] including by Giulio Aymini in 1932.

Beginning in 1948, Nardi joined with and Renato Danese and established a workshop in Via Vincenzo Lancia, Torino, building racing cars, prototypes, and small-series special designs.

  1. ^ a b Setright, L. J. K., "Nardi: The Italian Miniaturist" in Ward, Ian, executive editor. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis Publishing, 1974), Volume 13, p.1491.
  2. ^ "MONACO NARDI mod. Chichibio". museoauto.it. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e Setright, p.1491.