Solved NIC#344 - 1959 Moretti Branca Formula Junior

[nicanary]

What is this racing car?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[Willie McCrum]

German ?

[nicanary]

German ?

No.

[nicanary]

 

[Dowdeswell]

Moretti-Branca?

[nicanary]

Moretti-Branca?

Yes. simple as that. The first rear-engined Formula Junior Branca from 1959, when the cars were still called Moretti Branca (nothing to do with Moretti sports cars.)

[als15]

The first rear-engined Formula Junior Branca from 1959, when the cars were still called Moretti Branca (nothing to do with Moretti sports cars.)

Actually, it is somehow related to Moretti sports cars. Aquilino Branca was for about 10 years a sort of official tuner for Moretti cars, the only one able to turn the Turin-made granturismos into good racing cars. He made the setup of the Moretti formula corsa and was allowed by Giovanni Moretti to badge his cars as "Moretti Special".
When the Formula Junior was launched, Moretti insisted to make a front-engined car derived from the 750 Formula Corsa, but it proven to be antiquate and not competitive. Branca then developed this rear-engined car (both had Fiat 1100 engine tuned by Branca) that was much better.
It was, anyway, an official Moretti model, even if completely made by Branca in his workshop in Milan outskirts and not in the Moretti factory in Turin.

[nicanary]

Thanks for that extra information. I should have known that you would have the answer!