Finding the Lost Cisitalia D46 Part 1

By Pete Vack

Was it even remotely possible, that one of the rarest and most treasured Italian race cars ever built had been hidden from sight for over 40 years, and was only one hour from VeloceToday Headquarters? Since moving to Williamsburg, we’d helped rediscover an Iso Marlboro Lele built for Howden Ganley, found a rare TVR whose owner had no idea what kind of a car it was, the only true Intermeccanica Formula Junior in the world, and a few odds and ends.

But this mystery car would top everything we had ever dreamed of finding.

In January 2007, the phone rang and I heard a familiar voice. “A friend of mine says she has a Cisitalia D46 in need of restoration. I was wondering if you could come with me to check it out.”

Now one must realize that our friend was 85 years old. On the other hand, Sam Coronia is pretty healthy and knows a Cisitalia when he sees one. But that his old friend might own one of the 30 D46 Cisis built seemed, to put it politely, preposterous.