Techno Classica Show Essen, Germany, 2017

A year later, Gangloff also penned the body of this Type 57 C. The design has evolved to a more exuberant style, more usually seen on Saoutchik or Figoni creations.

This Bugatti Type 15 of 1912 is one of the early Bugattis built in Molsheim, when the city was still part of Germany. After WWI, Molsheim became French, as it was before 1870.

This 1933 Bugatti Type 51 took part to the 1934 Grand Prix of Dieppe, France, where it had an accident. Consequently, the car has been rebuilt and, from there, the story become complicated, as it is with most of these old racing cars.

This Type 54 Bugatti of 1933 is one of ten built and one of five remaining. It never raced in period, its engine being fitted to a Type 50T. In 1968, 54208 was taken to America and rebuilt with another Type 54 engine.

The Type 57 was the brainchild of Jean Bugatti and this particular car, 57371, now owned by an American collector, is probably the best Atalante in the world, as it retains its original chassis, engine and coachwork.

This 1938 Bugatti bodied in Stelvio cabriolet form by Gangloff of Colmar, France, is a Type 57 C, C standing for ‘Compresseur’ (Supercharged). This option was giving 25 additional horsepower to the 135 horsepower standard carburetor model.

As exuberant was the Franay body of this 1947 Delahaye 135 MS. A few years later, most of the French luxury manufacturers and coachbuilders had disappeared.

Only Chapron succeeded in surviving thanks to the manufacture of a series of Citroën DS cabriolets and coupes, like this coupé called ‘Le Dandy’.

When the CEO of Simca went to Pinin Farina in 1948, he was seduced by a design on a Fiat 1100 chassis, which was similar to the Simca 8 saloon. He asked for a similar design wearing the Simca badge. The Simca 8 Sport was born. Here a 1951 cabriolet version.

…and the coupe.

Launched in 1947, the Fiat 1100 S was an updated version of the prewar 508 C MM. With 51 hp and a top speed of 150 km per hour, it was ideally suited to the Mille Miglia. Here a 1948 example shown by Fiat Chrysler Heritage.

At the same time, many small workshops built their own racing versions on Fiat basis. Like this Fiat 500 built by Enrico Maestri in Piacenza in 1948.

An easier way to enter the Mille Miglia was to buy a Fiat 500 from the catalog. This Fiat 500 C Belvedere took part to the 1952 edition…

Another Fiat 500 C Belvedere, at the start in 1954.

…and in Essen 63 years later.

The Fiat 600 Abarth Derivazione 750 GT Carrozzeria Zagato was presented at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show and was based on the Fiat Abarth 750 GT, the most powerful version of the Fiat 600 Sedan. Many of these cars took part to the Mille Miglia in 1956 and 1957.

Another interpretation of the Fiat 600, this time by Vignale, is the 1956 Rendez Vous of which some 200 units were built and 50 survive today.

The Cisitalia D46 Monoposto is the very first post-war race car built in Italy. This 1947 example took part to the 1948 Grand Prix of Berne, in Switzerland, driven by Harry Schell.

This is a one-off Siata built with Fiat Topolino chassis and engine. Bodied by Motto, it was destined to beat the 500cc class land speed record.

The Siata Daina coupé was built around the Fiat 1400 engine. This 1950 example has its aluminum bodywork due to Stabilimenti Farina.

Most of the Oscas 1600 GT were bodied by Zagato. This 1964 example is one of only 21 coachbuilt by Fissore. Among its prestigious owners, we count fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo and car collector Mario Righini.

One of the two Ferrari 365 GT s rebodied in the ’80s by Bacchelli & Villa following a design from Luigi Chinetti Jr. This one is 12605, the other being 12611.

The Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa 0634 MDTR was sold new in 1956 in United States where it was raced by John Quackenbush and later Dick Hogue. Nowadays it is a regular Mille Miglia participant.

The Maserati 300 S # 3059 was presented by the German Maserati club. It was a works car during the 1956 season. Its major win was the 1000 km of Nürburgring with Taruffi, Schell, Moss and Behra. This car has resided in Germany for 25 years.

During its short career, the Lancia D24 won the most prestigious races of the period like the 1953 Carrera Panamericana and, in 1954, the Giro di Sicilia, the Targa Florio, the Tourist Trophy and the Mille Miglia. This example comes from the Turin National Car Museum.

This Lancia Aprilia cabriolet by Stabilimenti Farina is a one-off styling exercise presented at the 1948 Turin Motor Show. Its design is credited to a young Giovanni Michelotti.

Originally, this car was a Lancia Aurelia B51 Giardinetta by Viotti. At one time, it was transformed into a hearse. It is now on sale as a restoration project.

As no information was available on the stand, we think that this is a Vignale bodied Lancia Aurelia B50.

Ordered by Commendatore Bompani, an Italian industrialist from Modena, this is a one-off Maserati Sebring coach-built by Vignale, later modified by Carrozzeria Marchesi.

Built for the 1951 racing season, this Ferrari is a 212 which corresponds to the Formula 2 regulation and driven in 1951 and 1952 by Dorino Serafini and Rudolf Fischer.

In the main display illustrating the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix, it was obvious choice to show a Maserati 250 F as the race was won by Juan Manuel Fangio on such a car, on his way to his fifth and last World Championship crown.