Another racer from Allan L:Giusti Drin Drin Testadoro Zagato

Otto Puzzell · June 30, 2008, 03:44:55 AM

QuoteThe "Drin Drin" was a barchetta bodied Fiat Topolino engined 750cc sports car with a Testadoro cylinder head (cross pushrods, like a BMW 328) built by Giusti's Casa 'dell Auto.

http://forums.autosport.com/

Allan L · June 30, 2008, 04:18:19 AM

Between them Paul Jaray and Otto Puzzel have got it, and I think a point each.
It seems to be the only known photo of Giusti's Drin Drin, although there are many of his other specials.

Paul Jaray · June 30, 2008, 08:39:48 AM

I'm proud for this...I was thinking exactly to a Drin-Drin Testadoro but I was not able to find a single picture from the web, I've got a book at home with italian exceterini and when I'll back I'm going to scan some pics!

Allan L · June 30, 2008, 09:02:24 AM

Unusually for me, this one came of the internet, and is the only photo I can find
=http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/1968/testadorodrindrinfw9.th.jpg

faksta · February 10, 2009, 03:10:05 PM

Reviving this old one... PJ, did you succeed in finding more photos of Drin Drin?

Paul Jaray · February 10, 2009, 03:40:04 PM

In that book, there is a chapter about Testadoro. There is the same picture as the one posted here ( the first Testadoro in the 1947's Varese Circuit), a design of the side of the car with the displacement of the mechanics, a picture of a totally different Testadoro Barchetta at the 1949's Mille Miglia, the Giusti Drin-Drin at the 1947's Varese circuit (different car, it seems....!), Zagato's Giusti Marinella II from the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo in 1948, 2 pictures of the Daniela, the Revelli-Monaco and the Testadoro with a Siata engine. I'll make a quick search in another book of mine...

faksta · February 10, 2009, 03:51:39 PM

Is there any chance to see them, if you will have some spare time?

Paul Jaray · February 10, 2009, 03:56:30 PM

If you want, I can take a picture of those pages with my camera, but I can't scan the pages now.

faksta · February 10, 2009, 04:00:54 PM

I've sent you a PM. Thanks

Paul Jaray · February 10, 2009, 04:34:54 PM

No problem, I've already take the pictures and resized them, I'll post them and add some info about. I'm thinking to post it as an article for the other section, something like "Testadoro story", but it will take more time...by now, here are the pictures:

Paul Jaray · February 10, 2009, 04:40:36 PM

...

faksta · February 10, 2009, 04:41:14 PM

Thank you so much!!!

Allan L · February 11, 2009, 03:49:37 AM

My word, what have I started!
Do any pictures/drawings exist of the engine's valvegear which was supposed to be like that of the BMW328?

Paul Jaray · February 11, 2009, 10:02:08 AM

Quote from: Allan L on February 11, 2009, 03:49:37 AM
My word, what have I started!
Do any pictures/drawings exist of the engine's valvegear which was supposed to be like that of the BMW328?

Seems like you know this book!
Here you are:

faksta · February 11, 2009, 10:14:07 AM

Can I ask one more question? How's the make should be properly called after all - Giusti, Testadoro or Casa dell'Auto?

Paul Jaray · February 11, 2009, 11:24:08 AM

I was going to write an article about, but hey, you really want these info!
Testadoro was the commercial name for a special head for the Fiat 500 A, distributed by G.R. Casa dell'Auto srl in Torino, and Giorgio Giusti was the owner. This was a project of the engineer Arnaldo Roselli (involved in the Volpini cars and the "R" in G.R.) and the name (testa d'oro = golden head) was due to the bronze color of it. It was made of bronze because, even if more expensive, that material had better qualities. There were 3 versions of this head, N,S and C, with an increasing diameter of the valves and compression ratio. To increase his business Giusti realized a Sport car, called Drin-Drin after his wife's nickname Andreina. This car (the one of this puzzle) had a modified Fiat 500A chassis and the engine was raised to 660cc, the top of the category in his class. The head was of course a Testadoro Tipo C (corsa). This car raced in Montlhery and other minor races in 1947 with success. It received a new body by Zagato soon after(pic.#3-4-5). In 1948 was ready the Marinella, named after Giusti's daughter. This car was a totally new project, with a Gilco's chassis and an original engine, with 742cc and an alloy head. It was built in a cigar-body by Zagato (pic.#9 with Elio's signature) and it race successfully in 1948 in the Michelin's cup, in the Valentino's circuit and, in a new Barchetta-body by Zagato (pic.#8), in the Giro di sicilia and Mille Miglia in 1949. In 1949 was ready the Daniela (pic.#6-7), named after Giusti's 2nd daughter, with the Marinella's engine raised to 48cv. Once again it had a Gilco's chassis and an Alfa Romeo 158 lookalike body by Zagato. With the death of Roselli in a car accident in that year, Giusti left the races. The Testadoro Specials kept on racing in private hands and in 1952 Dario Dal Monte Casoni took a Daniela with a Testadoro engine equipped with a Siata type B head and called it the Acme Special (pic.#10 in the bottom-left corner). Mauro Vinattieri in 1952 raced with a Testarossa (!) Special (pic.#10 in the bottom-right corner), actually a Daniela equipped with a Giannini G1 engine. Angelo Poggio raced with a Siata-engined Testadoro (last picture) in the 1952's Coppa della Consuma.
In 1947, Gino Valenzano ordered a "Sport Internazionale" racing car for the 1100's class to Count M. Revelli di Beaumont and Augusto Monaco and this car was built in Turin and equipped with a Testadoro head. The body was (of course) designed by Mr Revelli but wasn't successful.

faksta · February 11, 2009, 11:49:21 AM

I love that period sportscars

Thanks for the information.
I've also found this version of Testadoro at one of the well-known forums, called Branca-Moretti. A little bit of information is on the picture.

Paul Jaray · February 11, 2009, 11:59:21 AM

I knew that car, but I tried to summarize the chapter in my book (4 pages in italiano!). The Branca-Moretti was a Marinella with a dohc engine by Moretti driven by Giusti's friend Aquilino first, and a Daniela with the same engine later, driven by Ubezzi in the 1955's Mille Miglia. If you like those car, I strongly recommand you this book " La Sport e i suoi artigiani, 1937-1965" by Andrea Curami and Piero Vergnano, http://www.giorgionadaeditore.it/italiano/index.asp?a=dett&ID=569, it is a fantastic book!

faksta · February 11, 2009, 12:53:58 PM

Seems great. 500 photos on 360 pages...

Paul Jaray · April 10, 2009, 08:15:56 AM

and finally...

faksta · April 10, 2009, 09:52:51 AM

Awesome! Those late 40s-50s sportscars are among the greatest cars ever...

ImpishGrin · April 10, 2009, 09:57:44 AM

Quote from: faksta on April 10, 2009, 09:52:51 AM
Awesome! Those late 40s-50s sportscars are among the greatest cars ever...

For me they have too much of a DIY-in-a-shed looks

faksta · April 10, 2009, 10:04:05 AM

Quote from: ImpishGrin on April 10, 2009, 09:57:44 AM
For me they have too much of a DIY-in-a-shed looks

Banned

On a serious note, does anyone know anything about the other cars on 1947 Michelin Trophy photo? Especially that silver(?) one, with a 'propeller' in the front.

Paul Jaray · April 10, 2009, 10:38:51 AM

Stay tuned....

Paul Jaray · September 30, 2009, 11:04:24 AM

Quote from: faksta on April 10, 2009, 10:04:05 AM
Quote from: ImpishGrin on April 10, 2009, 09:57:44 AM
For me they have too much of a DIY-in-a-shed looks

Banned
On a serious note, does anyone know anything about the other cars on 1947 Michelin Trophy photo? Especially that silver(?) one, with a 'propeller' in the front.

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=7625.0

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Another racer from Allan L:Giusti Drin Drin Testadoro Zagato