Motor Valley - Emilia Romagna MotorValley Official Site

Bandini Car - Forlì - Ing. h.c. Ilario Bandini

The history of cars Bandini is inextricably linked to their manufacturer Ilario Bandini: mechanical, entrepreneur, pilot, builder, engineer, organizer and more.
His life is proof of how passion and tenacity, combined whith the indispensable talent, will reach unimaginable goals.
orLeaved at 25 years for the East Africa, the experience gained as a mechanic and turner in the workshops of Forlì allows him to open a business in the repairing and the trucks rental.
In 1939 he returned to Italy with a sum sufficient to open a garage in his city and to try in the first races in motorcycle and car.
In the 1940 he disputes its first Millemiglia.
During the war period he equips the serial cars of his garage whith gasogeno installations  thus discovering his creative vocation.
In 1946 sees the light the first Bandini, the only one that uses frame fiat "only" changed. Already since thereafter, a 1100 sport and 1100 race - with an engine fiat transformed into bialbero - with which he disputes Millemiglia of 1949, using a chassis made in ellittic section tubes whith  takes origin from the Aeronautic, patented and built by Ilario Bandini, authentic distinguishing feature between the other cars built during the period.
His performances in American territory, in the early'50s, are the attractiveness whitch convenced the importer to order other Bandini for the 750 category sport.
Only the first 750 Bandini sport siluro, such as 1100 have the aluminium bodywork made by Motto, the others are produced in Bandini's personal garage, as was the case for chassis.
models "siluro" and "saponetta" - drowed first by Americans Crosley modified engines and, shortly afterwards, from those bialbero Bandini - often with the same manufacturer to drive, dispute numerous road racing circuits, or Italian motodromes climbs, including the last five editions of Millemiglia.
The real success, however, comes from the U.S.A., where he won the U.S. championships in'55 and'57 (second in'54 and'58 and'61).
From'61 to'63 remain unbeated in the states of the South / East remained the top category of HM for many years also equipped with engines or in different categories. There are so required even for single-seater "race 750", "f.junior", GT 750 (Zagato body) and 1000 GT.
The orders for those cars include prestigious awards such as "keys of the city of Daytona," multiple calls to transfer the company from them and an honorary degree in mechanical engineering that testify to the appreciation of Americans for the manufacturer from Romagna. But since the mid-sixties, as the necessary investments were not affordable for a small but increasingly autonomous private manufacturer, the experience of youth in Africa and the attachment to his land make him devoted solely for the production and the assistance of a few prototypes sports cars (with engines 850, 1000 and 1300 16 V which since'59 were full Bandini), but also the organization of events such as the "salon car and motorcycle competition held in Forlì from '75 to '80 and the cronoscalata "Predappio-Rocca delle Caminate" winned for five times by Bandini at the wheel of his car.
Awarded by CONI for a medal of merit for sports career, since 1992, only after having completed the "Bandini 1000 turbo 16V", rest in the cemetery of Villarovere, his home town.
In 2002, the city of Forlì honour him dedicating a square to "one of the most important Italian sports cars builders".

Written by Dr. Dino Bandini, taken from the book "Ilario Bandini" Franco Fabbri and Cesare Sangiorgi