Giannini Automobili
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Giannini Automobili S.p.A. is an Italian tuning company and a former producer of cars. Their focus has mainly been on
Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...
cars. It was founded in 1920 by brothers
Attilio Attilio, one of the legendary martyrs of the Theban Legion, is venerated as a saint in the area of Trino Vercellese, in Piedmont, north-west Italy and commemorated on 28 June. However his cult is no longer officially recognized by the Roman Cat ...
and Domenico Giannini. The company headquarters are in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
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.


History


Origins

Founded in 1885 as a garage, in 1922 Giannini became part of
Itala Itala may refer to: * Itala (company), an Italian car manufacturer ** Itala Special, a special custom-built Grand Prix race car * Itala (given name), an Italian given name * Itala, Sicily, a municipality in Sicily * Itala Film, an Italian film com ...
's service network. Through this collaboration and the skills acquired thereby, Giannini was able to enter and win its class with an Itala Tipo 61 in the first edition of the
Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...
(1927), commissioned by Marquis Pellegrini.


1930s

Giannini expanded their scope during the 1930s by working on smaller cars, in particular the popular
Fiat 500 "Topolino" The Fiat 500, commonly known as "Topolino" (), is an Italian city car produced and manufactured by Fiat from 1936 to 1955. The name ''Topolino'' is , and is also the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. History The Topolino was one of the smallest ...
. In addition to engine modifications, the brake arrangements were also changed. In 1938 Giannini broke a number of world records with a single seat racer powered by one of these 499 cc engines, equipped with a
Siata Siata (''Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori'' in English ''Italian Car Transformation Accessories Company'') was an Italian car tuning shop and manufacturer founded in 1926 by amateur race car driver Giorgio Ambrosini. Siata initial ...
head.


1940s

After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Giannini brothers began building their own engines. In 1947 they built a three-cylinder direct injection
diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...
truck engine, called the "3A". This produced at 3,000 rpm. It was not a huge success, only selling a few hundred. In 1948, the Giannini brothers abandoned the transport sector, preferring instead to focus on something closer to their hearts:
competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indi ...
. Building on over a decade's experience with Topolino engines and with the aid of young engineer Carlo Gianini (sic), who began the CNA Rondine motorcycle project, the 750 cc "G1" engine was developed. The G1 met with considerable success at the 1949
Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...
. Gianini then developed the
twin-cam An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combusti ...
"G2" engine which saw use in the Giaur, an acronym for Giannini and
Urania Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass. T ...
. The Giaur project was codeveloped with Berardo Taraschi. Giannini engines were also used by other "Etceterinis" such as Gilco and Stanga. The G2 powered Giannini's entry in the 1950 Mille Miglia, which led to a class victory in the hands of Maggiorelli and Magior.


1950s

In the 1950s Giannini opened a number of new ventures across Italy, such as Fiat sales outlets and garages.


Division

For various reasons, and in spite of good sales, the company found itself in serious financial difficulties which led to its closing in 1961. The two brothers and their children disagreed on which direction to take and thus created two new separate companies: Attilio's Costruzioni Meccaniche Giannini S.p.A. (Attilio) and Domenico'sGiannini Automobili S.p.A.


Costruzioni Meccaniche Giannini S.p.A.

Costruzioni Meccaniche Giannini S.p.A. focused on the field of conceptualizing, designing, and engineering prototypes and engines, abandoning entirely service and maintenance. This choice, despite much excellent work, was to prove fatal to the company. Attilio's Costruzioni Meccaniche Giannini was to close for good in 1971.


Giannini Automobili S.p.A.

Giannini Automobili S.p.A. retained Giannini's distribution network and series of repair shops. Customization work was drastically curtailed, now consisting only of minor surgery. In 1963 Domenico began modifying standard cars and selling conversion kits: in the same year the "500 TV", Giannini's tuned version of the tiny
Fiat 500 The Fiat 500 (, ) is an Economy car, economy / city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975. It was sold as a two-door semi-convertible or saloon car and as a three-door panel van or estate car. Launched ...
, was also presented.
Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing- and road-car maker and performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its Italian subsidiary. Abarth's logo is a shield with a ...
's more famous "595" appeared in the same year. Other models were also produced during the 1960s, nearly all on Fiat basis. The 1960s were good years for the company, both in terms of tuning work and race participation, marred somewhat by Domenico Giannini's 16 March 1967 death of a heart attack. Giannini entered a partnership with tiny
Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi The Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi was founded in 1947 in Vercelli, Italy, by noted pilot Carlo "Francis" Lombardi. They originally engaged in some aeronautical design, but this soon ended. Their most famous car was the Lombardi Grand Prix, which ...
in 1969, in order to produce a tuned up version of Lombardi's little
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...
coupé for export markets. The resulting company, OTAS, only lasted until 1971 following homologation issues in the United States.


Volfango Polverelli enters

After the death of Domenico Giannini a new somewhat troubled period commenced for the house. The problems were largely of management and organization, leading the company directors to call in an outsider to straighten out the company, in the form of lawyer Volfango Polverelli. While reluctant to take on the job, a love for automobiles made him ever more involved until he took sole ownership of the company in 1973. New ownership also brought changes, Volfango putting his three sons in charge of various departments. A new engineer, Armando Palanca, with experience in aeronautic as well as automotive engineering, created a new direction for Giannini in the early 1980s. Tuning kits for new Fiats like the 126, Ritmo, and the
Panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. Its body is ...
appeared, and Giannini partook (directly and indirectly) in lots of competitions. The two-cylinder engine used in the 126 and Panda ("Panda 750 Sport") was enlarged to 694 and 756 cc to make for slightly more powerful but still cheap to own versions. The 1.7 litre diesel engine used in the Ritmo and the Regata was offered with a turbocharger, raising power by 34 percent to . The 903 cc, 45 PS Uno was also available with a turbocharger, as such offering . All of the tuned Giannini models were also modified in terms of appearance, for an overall sportier look. However, Italy's tuning corporations had a hard time in the 1980s. In addition to ever rising costs, companies now made their own sporting models of family cars. To compound the financial troubles, Volfango Polverelli died with respiratory troubles on 13 July 1984. To resolve the crisis, in 1985 Giannini decided to stop creating and modifying bodywork, henceforth focusing on "personalizing" cars such as the Uno, Tipo, and the Panda. This, the "Look" program, mainly consisted of more luxurious upholstery, paintjobs, and equipment, although there were also modified bumpers and wings. The Uno was available as the "Uno 45SL Look" from 1986. By 1990 the line was divided into "Prestige" and "Topline" (now available with any engine from the Uno lineup), with both versions receiving special Giannini paintjobs and upgraded interiors. The Topline also has aluminium wheels,
foglights Automotive lighting is functional exterior lighting in vehicles. A motor vehicle has lighting and signaling devices mounted to or integrated into its front, rear, sides, and, in some cases, top. Various devices have the dual function of illumin ...
, leather interior,
power locks Power door locks (also known as electric door locks or central locking) allow the driver or front passenger to simultaneously lock or unlock all the doors of an automobile or truck, by pressing a button or flipping a switch. Power door locks we ...
and other extras.


Giannini today

Today Giannini works directly with Fiat, primarily being responsible for after-sales service work in the Italian market. Giannini also has a long standing relationship creating special vehicles for the
Guardia di Finanza The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...
and Italy's
Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...
and since 1996 is a member of the Associazone Nazionale Filiera Industria Automobilistica the (Italian Association of the Automotive Industry) Coachbuilders Group.


Giannini in motor sport

Cars modified by Giannini were a constant presence on Italian racecourses in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, as this was why they had been developed. In the 1960s, Giannini had an exciting rivalry with Abarth, both entering modified
Fiat 500 The Fiat 500 (, ) is an Economy car, economy / city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975. It was sold as a two-door semi-convertible or saloon car and as a three-door panel van or estate car. Launched ...
s. Giannini, however, always played second fiddle to the more famous "scorpions". In 1983 and 1984 Giannini won two World Endurance Championships, in the C-Junior category. In reality, this was merely a ploy to allow Carma, a tiny engine manufacturer, to join
Sportscar racing Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing that uses sports cars with two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be either purpose-built Sports prototype, sports prototypes, which are the highest level in sports car racing; or grand to ...
. Entry was reserved to manufacturers recognized by the FIA, which is why Giannini lent their name to Facetti and Finotto, the men behind Carma. While the
turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...
1.4-litre
four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...
was labelled "Giannini", there was no actual involvement from the Roman company.


Main Giannini products

* 750 Sport * 500 TV berlina * 500 GT berlina * 750 TV berlina * 850 S berlina * 124 S berlina * 128 NP * 128 NPS * 128 NP Rally * 128 Rally 1600 * 127 NP * 127 NPS * 126 GP 650 * 126 GPS 700 * 126 GPA 800 * 132 2000 * Uno 45 S Turbo * Regata Turbodiesel


References

* Much of this page incorporates information from
Giannini Giannini may refer to: * Giannini (surname), Italian surname * Giannini Automobili, Italian tuning company and a former producer of cars * Giannini (guitar company), Brazilian musical instruments manufacturing company * Giannini Hall, historic ...
on the Italian-language Wikipedia. Retrieved March 31, 2011.


External links


Giannini Automobili's official siteFrench Giannini site
{{Coachbuilders of Italy
Giannini Giannini may refer to: * Giannini (surname), Italian surname * Giannini Automobili, Italian tuning company and a former producer of cars * Giannini (guitar company), Brazilian musical instruments manufacturing company * Giannini Hall, historic ...
Giannini Giannini may refer to: * Giannini (surname), Italian surname * Giannini Automobili, Italian tuning company and a former producer of cars * Giannini (guitar company), Brazilian musical instruments manufacturing company * Giannini Hall, historic ...
Auto tuning companies Manufacturing companies based in Rome