THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE

One man's technical knowledge made the 1952 Zanussi 1100 Sport far more significant than the world would remember

- Massimo Delbo

It looks sporty, it's red and trust me - it makes a lot of noise. But drive it and you'll never hear somebody scream 'It's a Zanussi!' because, to most, this is an unknown marque. Zanussi manufactured only a tiny number of cars: just seven, plus a few more based on customers' cars, mostly the Fiat 508 Balilla and the 1100. This car is a real oddity.

Fioravante Zanussi was born in 1894 at Pasiano di Pordenone, in northeast Italy, the eldest of nine children. He showed a keen in interest in all things mechanical from an early age - four of his brothers would end up working with cars, too. By the age of 16 he had a job with Anonima Aquila Italiana, a car and engine manufacturer in Turin. He soon moved to the bigger, better-established SCAT (Società Ceirano Automobili Torino), where he was assigned to the racing department.

It is important to remember that in the early 1900s the Ceirano brothers were the leading force behind the growing Italian motoring scene, and their contribution to the development of Italian cars of the period is immeasurable. SCATS won the Targa Florio in 1911, 1912 and 1914; before World War One, the racing driver Tazio Nuvolari was distributing their cars in the Veneto region. The talented and passionate young Zanussi was in exactly the right place to build his knowledge and experience. 

In 1914 Zanussi was hired by FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) as an engine testing specialist, but then Italy entered the war and he was enlisted as a motorcycle courier. 'He was dreaming about aeroplanes, the new, growing force in the Army,' says Zanussi's son Ezio. As soon as he spotted an opportunity, he asked to be moved. His commanding officer did not want to lose his skills and refused to sign the necessary authorisation. So Fioravante was given a promotion but he refused it, even though he would be punished for this gesture. That's the sort of man he was.'