Dive into this amazing car museum

History repeating

The Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino, more commonly known as MAUTO, in the Italian city of Turin, is one of the largest and most eclectic car museums anywhere in the world. 

It showcases more than 200 vehicles across 80 different brands, and the oldest cars in the collection are linked to the museum’s founder, Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia. 

In addition to the permanent collection, each year there are special displays and exhibitions – when Classic & Sports Car visited, the 25th anniversary of the Pagani Zonda was being celebrated.

In no particular order, let’s take a trip through this wonderful collection.

1854 Vetture speciali Carrozza di Bordino

Although the ‘car’ as we know it today was some way off, this vehicle set in motion the ‘horseless carriage’.

Virginio Bordino, an officer in Italy’s Royal Engineers, built this vehicle in Turin’s Military Arsenal.

It uses a two-cylinder steam engine underneath a reinforced bodyshell, with a boiler and burner at the back.

It’s driven by a novel transmission system that uses con rods directly linked to a crankshaft-shaped rear axle.

1955 Bugatti 251 and 1960 Ferrari 246

A loan car when we visited, in this case from the Musée National de l’Automobile Collection Schlumpf, here, closest to the camera, we have Bugatti’s final Grand Prix racer.

It is powered by a straight-eight engine, has a rectangular steel tubular frame chassis and four light-alloy side tanks between the wheel axles.

The bodywork evokes the Mercedes-Benz W196, however, it wasn’t enough for Maurice Trintignant, who had to retire the car on its debut at the 1956 French Grand Prix.

In the background and to the left you can see Mike Hawthorn’s Formula One championship-winning Ferrari 246, which was restored in a collaboration between the museum and Ferrari. 

1899 Jamais Contente

This is a reconstruction of the first road vehicle to go more than 100kph (62mph).

Originating from Belgium, it was powered by two Postel-Vinay 25kW electric motors, each driving the rear axle via a chain.

The torpedo-shaped body is made from light alloy.

1892 Peugeot Tipo 3

This vehicle – chassis number 25 – is the very first car to have been used on Italian roads.

It was ordered on August 30, 1892, by Gaetano Rosso, a textiles industrialist. He often made journeys to and from Paris, and he eventually received his car at Piovene Rocchette on January 2, 1893.

After several years’ use, it was sold to Guido Lazzari, the heir to a rich family. Fast forward to spring 2007 and it was sent to Peugeot Automobili Italy for restoration.

1896 Tricolo 3.5 HP Bernardi

Professor Enrico Bernardi of Verona led the way in the motoring world with his inventions.

This 3.5 HP displays much of his ingenuity: a cylinder with a detachable head, overhead valves and a centrifugal inlet valve regulator, a constant-level carburetor with float and spray nozzle, incandescent ignition with platinum heat sponge, and geometrically correct steering.

It’s good for 35kph (22mph).

1899 Fiat 3½ HP

The birth of Fiat – Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino.

Designed by Aristide Faccioli, this vehicle was released just three months after the company was founded.

It features a three-speed gearbox with no reverse and a chain drive, while its two-cylinder, water-cooled engine is rear-mounted.

Just two of the 30 built have survived – the other is in Fiat’s Centro Storico.

1907 Itala 35/45 HP

The car opened up new realms of adventure, as this Itala proved.

Prince Scipione Borghese and mechanic Ettore Guizzardi, alongside Corriere della Sera journalist Luigi Barzini, won the 1907 Peking to Paris race in this car in 60 days.

They made the finish 20 days before the second-placed crew, having traversed almost every hazard imaginable on the c10,000-mile adventure.

The Itala’s 7.4-liter four-cylinder engine used a four-speed gearbox, which helped it reach a top speed of 95kph (59mph).

1930 Lancia Lambda

The Lancia Lambda was a true pioneer of many car features we still see today.

It used a weight-bearing torpedo-style body that provided a single, light and rigid union between the chassis and the shell.

It also had a boxed trunk with an anti-torsion function, and a central driveshaft tunnel which allowed for a much lower center of gravity compared to the cars of its day.

The example you see here is a Series V model.

1948 Cisitalia 202

This is arguably one of the most influential car designs of all time.

So much so that an example was deemed worthy to be honored by New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1951 and remains part of its permanent collection.

Designed by Pinin Farina employing aerodynamic studies used for racing cars, it was an early example of single-shell bodywork, with the hood, body, fenders and headlights all contributing to a continuously flowing surface.

1954 Fiat Turbina

This experimental machine broke cover in 1954, powered by a gas turbine.

A two-stage centrifugal blower is mated to a two-stage turbine and a driving turbine, linked to a geared reduction unit that provides the movement to the wheels.

The slippery shape was developed in the Politecnico di Torino’s wind tunnel, while the Caselle airport’s runway allowed this c300HP, 22,000rpm machine to reach a top speed of 250kph (155mph).

1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

This display at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino, or MAUTO, shows the bodywork mock-up for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which was used to design the tools and equipment needed for volume production of the model.

The Giulietta Sprint, built between 1954 and 1966, was designed by Bertone and powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that was good for a 165kph (103mph) top speed.

1956 Fiat 600 Multipla

The post-war optimism in Italy led to a growth in family life – and family fun.

Fiat’s 600 Multipla was available in three different versions spun off the regular 600 chassis – four/five seater, six seater and taxi.

It had a new rear-axle ratio, and different tracks front and rear, while the front axle was taken from the 1100/1300.

This particular example was prepared for the Torino Design exhibition by the IDEA Institute in 1995, as a symbol of Italian car design and the efficient use of space.

1982 Ferrari 208GTB and 1980 Ferrari 308GTB

Italy arguably invented the supercar and it is only right that the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino celebrates that fact.

However, this two-car display shows that Italy hasn’t always been a great place to own a supercar.

The 308GTB, produced between 1975 and 1980, had 2.9-liter V8, and although it was popular in export markets, it was penalized in its home country by punitive taxation rules for cars with engines over 2 liters.

Ferrari’s answer was a 2-liter turbocharged engine, represented here by the gray car, built for the Italian market only.

1972 Iso Rivolta Lele F

Italy’s fame for car design led to auto makers around the world getting in touch.

However, some Italian marques looked outwards for their engines, most often to the USA for its ready supply of powerful yet reliable V8s.

One good example is the Iso Rivolta Lele, designed by Marcello Gandini while at Bertone, which used a 5.4-liter Chevrolet V8 for a 250kph (155mph) top speed.

1993 Fiat Downtown

The Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino has a section dedicated to the car’s impact on the world and what happens to them after they come to the end of their life (sensitive Citroën AX owners might want to skip this section).

This area displays alternative-propulsion ideas, including this, the Fiat Downtown.

Aluminum is used extensively in its construction, and it has an electric drivetrain with two in-wheel electric motors driving the rear wheels, which provide a range of between 190-300km (118-186 miles), and a top speed of 100kph (62mph); it weighs just 900KG (1984LB).

1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Mille Miglia Speciale

One of the most fascinating parts at this museum is the forensic look at how engines, chassis and even tires developed over the history of the car.

This particular Alfa Romeo 6C has a body by Garavini and is a great chance to see how this successful racing car was put together.

1953 Lancia D24

Motorsport runs through the Italian psyche like water, and MAUTO has many fantastic racing cars.

Lancia D24s finished first, second and third in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, and the year after that, Piero Taruffi took the model to victory in the Targa Florio, while Alberto Ascari won the Mille Miglia in one.

1953 Lancia D23

And here’s another Lancia. This D23 was on loan from the Louwman Museum in The Netherlands when we visited the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile.

The model featured de Dion rear suspension, which improved handling over its predecessor.

This particular car is a rare example of a blue Italian racer, which it wore on its debut at the 1953 Monza Grand Prix, with Felice Bonetto behind the wheel. It is the only remaining original Lancia D23.

1924 Fiat 501 S

One of two sports versions of the 501 chassis offered, this 501 S was available with three types of bodywork, either a sports tourer with a V-windshield and without running boards, an open two-seater or a sports two-seater.

1934 Fiat 508 S

The sports version of the Fiat 508 boasted a c30HP more powerful version of the four-cylinder, 1-liter engine.

Over time, the gearbox was upgraded from a three-speed to a four-speed, while overhead-valve timing added another 6HP.

The car became known as the Coppa d’Oro after its victory in the 1934 round-Italy race of the same name.

1922 OM 469 Sport

OM – which stands for Officine Meccaniche – built the 469 Sport between 1922 and 1934.

In its first season, it won the Coppa delle Alpi in the 1500 category, and took victories at the Garda and Mugello races. It produces c30HP from its 1.5-liter engine.

1952 Ferrari 500 F2 and 1938 Alfa Romeo GP Tipo 158 Alfetta

The MAUTO’s spectacular collection of single-seater race cars is a true treat.

One of our favorites is this 500 F2 (front right), which uses a four-cylinder engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi.

Alberto Ascari drove a 500 F2 to clinch the World Championship in 1952 and 1953

In the background and to the left, you can see the Alfa Romeo Tipo 158, a car whose DNA could be traced through to 1951, winning World Championships for Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio.

1980 Ferrari 312 T5

The Ferrari 312 T4 had taken the Prancing Horse to six F1 victories in 1979, its fourth constructors’ title and a drivers’ crown for Jody Scheckter.

However, the T5 of 1980, as seen here, was a disaster. The competition had moved on in terms of aerodynamics and the car was unreliable.

After a year of no race wins, Sheckter retired from the sport, while the best Gilles Villeneuve could manage was a brace of fifth places.

1930 Alfa Romeo P2

The Alfa Romeo P2 was one of the most successful race cars of the inter-war years.

It made its debut on the 200 Miles of the II Circuito di Cremona, driven by Antonio Ascari, which was the start of a glorious run of success, including wins at the Italian Grand Prix with Ascari, two European Grands Prix with Giuseppe Campari and Ascari, the first manufacturers’ world championship with Gastone Brilli-Peri and the seventh Circuito di Alessandria (also called Circuito Pietro Bordino) with Achille Varzi.

This particular car is an upgraded version of the P2 used by Varzi on the 1930 Targa Florio, which it won despite a punctured gas tank and a fire put out with seat cushions.

1996 Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI

This is the ultimate incarnation of Alfa Romeo’s German Touring Car championship (DTM) efforts.

It was a significant leap forward over the 1995 car with a new engine that revved to 11,900rpm, however despite seven victories in 1996, Alfa Romeo missed the title by nine points in the last race.

Want to go?

We’ve shown you just a handful of the classic cars on display. Many more auto makers are featured and the exhibition changes several times across the year and, as we’ve seen, other museums around the world loan cars to MAUTO.

There’s also a fascinating section dedicated to car design, featuring interactive interviews with luminaries across the world, along with a ride-on look at how a car is made and tested – and more.

The museum’s website is here.