Michael Satterfield
Based on the company’s D46 single-seater race car, the 202 followed in its competitive footsteps and garnered lots of attention at the 1947 Mille Miglia. Powered by a 1,090cc four-cylinder making about 60 horsepower and backed by a four-speed manual, the 202 was perfect for the back roads of Europe. A variety of different Italian coachbuilders bodied the 202, with two of the most popular being Vignale and Stablimenti Farinia. Although this car bears the badges of Stablimenti Farina and a registry compiled by the Cisitalia International Club in 1976 attributes its coachwork as such, more recent research leads us to believe that the coachwork could have been constructed by Vignale.
Interestingly, chassis number 118 SC, the example presented here, was delivered new to Adalberto Fontana, an Italian who lived in Uruguay and was known for exporting Cisitalias to Uruguay. Its next owner was Ricardo Augustyniak Caputi, who also resided in Uruguay, who painted the car red. The car later returned to Europe in the early 2000s where it was noted as being incomplete and fitted with a Nardi intake manifold modified for dual carburetors, which remains fitted to the car today. It came into the ownership Bernardo Favero in Italy thereafter and was repainted in White. Passing through Helmut Bende of Germany, the car then brought to Austria where it was owned by Thomas Matzelberger of Salzburg and it was purchased by its current Austrian owner in 2011. After his acquisition, the car was brought to Germany where it was restored to its current color scheme of dark blue with a beige interior and fitted with Borrani wire wheels.
The car is currently listed by RM Sotheby’s for $446,000.
