Automobili nazzaro

Front of a Nazzaro on display.

Nazzaro Type 3 of 1913.

Participation of the Fabbrica Automobili Nazzaro since 1919

Automobili Nazzaro, initially Nazzaro & C.Fabbrica di Automobili, was an Italian automobile manufacturer. It was founded by Felice Nazzaro from Turin.

Together with his brother-in-law and mechanic Pilade Masoero and the engineer Arnaldo Zoller, he founded Nazzaro & C. Automobili Factory. In 1912 the Type 2 appeared, a 4-cylinder, 4,398 cc monobloc, with 25 HP of power at 1,600 rpm, a 4-speed gearbox and reverse gear that reached 110 km/h. The sports version with Nazzaro himself at the wheel of one of them prevailed in the 1913 Targa Florio at an average of 54 km/h.

The Type 3 came out in 1914, it was a modification of the previous model, with more power (35 CV), a new gearbox and equipped with lighting and motor starter. With this model he prevailed in the Coppa Florio of that year and participated in the Grand Prix de l'ACF although with little success.

In 1915 he assembled a new engine with a larger displacement (4441 cc) in 4 monobloc cylinders with overhead valves, he reworked the basic model increasing the wheelbase and power and called the whole Type 4. However, the car remained unused due to the start of the war. Although the company spent some time building trucks with 10-cylinder Anzani engines, for the army, the financial situation became difficult due to the low demand for racing vehicles: the brand's true objective, so in 1916 the The company was put up for sale having manufactured a total of 230 chassis and 50 industrial vehicles.

In 1919 Nazzaro made a new attempt to relaunch the brand under the name of Automobili Nazzaro, re-founding the company in Florence and launching the Type 5, whose sporty version (the only one ever marketed) had a 4-cylinder engine 3562 cc monobloc and a power of 40 CV at 2500 rpm. With this car, Guido Meregalli was proclaimed champion of the 1920 Targa Florio, the last victory for a Nazzaro in official competition.

Although sales of this model were good (210 Type 5 cars), Nazzaro decided to return to his original team (Fiat), winning that year's Grand Prix de l'ACF and finishing 2nd in the Grand Italian Prize in Monza. In April 1923 he definitively closed his constructor stage, moving to Fiat where he remained until his death in 1940.