Monaco-Trossi, 1935
The Monaco-Trossi was a truly maverick design, influenced heavily by aircraft technology. At its heart lay a 16-cylinder two-stroke twin supercharged radial engine. Mounted as far forward as possible it gave the car a menacing and unforgettable look, quite unlike anything ever seen. Ultimately, the positioning of the engine would play a major part in the car's downfall.
The brainchild behind the car was Augusto Monaco, an ambitious technician. He had previously designed and built a racing car with Enrico Nardi. In later years Nardi would design the futuristic looking twin-boom racer which competed at Le Mans. Monaco was initially allowed to use FIAT’s facilities to develop his radial engine but, when numerous problems appeared, he had to look elsewhere.
Salvation came in the form of Count Carlo Felice Trossi, a racing driver of some note. At one time he had been president of Ferrari and scored several major victories during his career. The Italian aristocrat allowed Monaco to build the car in his family castle. It featured a space frame chassis, front wheel drive and hydraulic brakes.
By the summer of 1935 it was completed. Both Trossi and another driver, Giulio Aymini, tested the car, but it was immediately apparent that the design was fundamentally flawed. The Monaco-Trossi suffered from terrible weight distribution, causing understeer which was incurable without a complete redesign. Although it was clocked at over 150mph in a straight line at Monza it was deemed too dangerous to race and the car was retired. Following Trossi’s death his widow donated the car to the Museo dell’Automobile in Turin, Italy. In recent years it has appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Guidobaldi, 1951
Construction of this radial-engined racer began before the Second World War, but was not completed until several years after hostilities had ceased. The machine, designed to compete in Formula 1, featured a 1.5 litre, eight-cylinder engine which was supercharged and sir-cooled.
The other notable feature of the car was its extraordinary suspension system which allowed the wheels to bank when negotiating a corner. In 1947 the German designer Ernst Neander incorporated a similar design into a three-wheeled car, and may have played a part in the story of the Guidobaldi.
The Guidobaldi was never raced but deserves its place in motor racing history as one of the truly bizarre designs. The man behind the car, M.Guidobaldi, died in the 1980s. Following his death the car was donated to the Musee de l’Automobiliste, which is situated near Antibes in France.
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