Solved - NEH 5230: Casella II by Humberto Malzoni Casella - 1969

[Carnut]

What's this, by whom, on what base - for 1 point?:

Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[tobytwirl]

It looks as if it ought to be a Moretti, but I suspect it is not.

[Carnut]

It looks as if it ought to be a Moretti, but I suspect it is not.

Your suspicions are correct - it's not a Moretti!

[sixtee5cuda]

From South America?

[kwgibbs]

American?

[Carnut]

From South America?

Yes!

American?

See above...

[kwgibbs]

is it a Decorauto 1979?

[Carnut]

No..

[sixtee5cuda]

Casella II by Humberto Malzoni Casella.  Based on Karmann-Ghia

[Carnut]

Exactly.
Humberto was the nephew of Rino Malzoni, well-known for his series of cars.
Rino had started building this car, based on a VW Karmann-Ghia, for his own use, but never finished it.  Humberto took it over in 1969 and completed the work started by his uncle (who had already built the body), modified it a bit and called it the Casella II, the puzzle car.  He used it as his daily car and no others were built.
Well done.

[Djetset]

The original 1969 version of the Casella was DKW-powered, before being modified c.1972-73 with VW power for the Casella II. A third Casella coupe was built in 1976.

[Carnut]

The original 1969 version of the Casella was DKW-powered, before being modified c.1972-73 with VW power for the Casella II. A third Casella coupe was built in 1976.

Yes, the first DKW-powered car sat on a DKW chassis as well and was actually built by Rino Malzoni.  Casella acquired it from his uncle with the intention of converting it into a convertible but he never actually completed the job, taking over Uncle Rino's Karmann-Ghia based project instead.  That is a different car from the DKW-engined one and has been puzzled here before, erroneously described as Casella II.  In fact I believe that one is Casella I, built by Rino Malzoni and Casella as Malzoni's daily car; it was later acquired by Humberto Casella and altered substantially by him to become the puzzle car, Casella II.  The DKW-powered car wasn't known as a Casella as far as I have been able to ascertain.

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2011-39/solved-geraldos-186-casella-ii/

The Casella III has been puzzled here as the Centauro, and was originally built in conjunction with the De Lorenzo brothers with an appearance very similar to Humberto's cousin Kiko Malzoni's GTM.  The firm of Casella & De Lorenzo was created to market the car, which was exhibited in 1976 and 1978 under the name Centauro, but despite 15 orders being obtained at the shows no more cars were ever built and the company was wound up.

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2011-39/solved-geraldos-167-casella-centauro/

They're all rather good-looking cars, far better than so many of these kind of projects, which makes it even more of a pity that the projects never got off the ground.