Solved NIC#123 - 1922 Ansaldo 4CS

[nicanary]

What is this car?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[AlexFrance]

Is it from France?

[nicanary]

Is it from France?

Not a French car.

[AlexFrance]

Italy?

[nicanary]

Italy?

Yes!

[D-type]

Fiat?

[nicanary]

Fiat?

Not a Fiat.

[Majeko]

Itala with Charlie Chaplin behind the weel

[nicanary]

Itala with Charlie Chaplin behind the weel

Not an Itala. I see Chaplin has "The Kid" as his riding mechanic.

[Majeko]

OM?

[nicanary]

OM?

Not an OM.

[Majeko]

Isotta-Fraschini?

[nicanary]

Isotta-Fraschini?

Not that.

[Majeko]

A.L.F.A?

[nicanary]

A.L.F.A?

Not that.

[Majeko]

Ansaldo 4CS

[nicanary]

Ansaldo 4CS

Yes! One more point to your total.

[targhediferro]

I haven't found any picture of Ansaldo 4CS with those air-intakes, that belong to previous 4C;  perhaps a transition model.

[nicanary]

I also found those photos which you have posted - it is a bit confusing, although I think the website where the larger photo is situated shows the entire 4c-based range. I have found another image from a respected French forum which shows a similar car to my puzzle photo. I'm sure it's a 4CS, with the more rounded top to the radiator.

[ropat53]

I'm also rather puzzled about this car, my first thought was Aquila Italiana or SPA, could the Ansaldo source by wrong?
The second car posted by targhediferro is definitely not Ansaldo but Aquila Italiana, very easy to read on the radiator badge.

[nicanary]

I'm also rather puzzled about this car, my first thought was Aquila Italiana or SPA, could the Ansaldo source by wrong?
The second car posted by targhediferro is definitely not Ansaldo but Aquila Italiana, very easy to read on the radiator badge.

I agree with you - we must remember that information on the internet is not always correct. The Ansaldo 4C cars had a square-shaped radiator, and I thought that the sports model would maybe be different, but the more I look at the puzzle photo, the more I think it has been captioned incorrectly on my source site. The other photos of sports Ansaldos show the usual square radiator, and the appearance of my puzzle car does look more like 1913/14 rather than the claimed 1922/23. It could well be an Aquila Italiana.

I will refer the matter to one of the AP editors and get advice.

[nicanary]

BTW I've just found out that my photo in post #19 is none other than the immortal Tazio Nuvolari in his Ansaldo at he 1922 Coppa Veronese. I thought it looked like him so I checked further.

And I've found a photo in one of my reference books of the pre-WW1 Aquila Italiana race cars, and it looks nothing like the puzzle photo. The company ceased in 1917 when it was taken over by SPA, and the more I think about it, the puzzle car does look more like an early 20s car. I've asked one of the editors to take expert advice so we can decide if the puzzle has been identified correctly.