Description
The CS 01113 chassis is not an ordinary Stanguellini. Commissioned to order, it was delivered with the single-overhead-cam engine, refined by Stanguellini and based on the Fiat 1100 block—the same mechanical heart that powered so many Italian cars in the immediate post-war era.
On leaving the Modena factory, CS 01113 wore a classic barchetta bodywork, identical to that of the factory cars entered for the Mille Miglia 1951. But its fate took a fascinating turn: it was soon transformed by Carrozzeria Vignale into a one-off, the Vignale Cabriolet, the only one ever built on a Stanguellini chassis.
This transformation was commissioned by the passionate Belgian driver Georges De Wit, who entered the car in the Liège–Rome–Liège 1951 and the Tour of Belgium, thereby inscribing this Stanguellini in Belgian motorsport history.
Years later, the car reappeared in Belgium, in a precarious state and deprived of its unique Vignale bodywork. It was then that the famed Italian collector Corrado Cupellini intervened.
With the full cooperation of the Stanguellini Museum and the blessing of Francesco Stanguellini, son of founder Vittorio, the decision was made to restore CS 01113 to its original barchetta configuration.
The Italian restorer Carlo Pirovano, based in Merate near Bergamo, worked closely with the museum and had access to contemporary factory drawings, guaranteeing a faithful reconstruction to the 1950s design. Francesco Stanguellini even travelled to the site to supervise the work — a testament to the importance given to this project.
Once restored, this authentic Mille Miglia barchetta, superbly executed, found a buyer in Japan, where it actively took part in prestigious historic events. It then returned to Italy for the 2005 Gran Premio Nuvolari and the 2007 Mille Miglia Storica, confirming its place among the great legends of Italian racing.
Today, CS 01113 presents itself in remarkable condition, perfectly operational and ready to start a historic rally or to shine at an elegance concours. It is the very embodiment of a true etceterini: rare, victorious and meticulously documented in the Orsini and Zagari volume on Stanguellini.
An unmissable occasion for the discerning collector – marrying the finesse of Italian craftsmanship with Belgian sporting passion.
