Ilario Bandini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ilario Bandini
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Eng. Ilario Bandini (Imola circuit, 1988)
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| Born | 18 April 1911 |
| Died | 12 April 1992 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Car builder |
Ilario Bandini was an amazing Italian inventor, racing driver, and car builder who lived from 1911 to 1992. He wasn't just a businessman; he loved cars so much that he built his own and raced them! His company, Bandini Automobili, became famous for its lightweight and fast sports cars.
Contents
Ilario's Early Life and First Cars
Ilario was born in a small town called Villa Rovere, which is now part of Forlì in Italy. After elementary school, he started learning how to be a mechanic and how to use a lathe (a machine that shapes metal). When he was 25, he moved to Eritrea (an Italian colony back then) and ran a transport business, moving goods between cities.
He returned to Italy in 1939. With the money he saved, he opened a garage and a car rental service in Forlì.
Starting to Race and Build Cars
In 1939, Ilario also began racing motorcycles in places like Faenza and Imola. In 1940, he competed in the famous Mille Miglia car race. During World War II, it was hard to find fuel for cars. So, Bandini cleverly changed his car engines to run on "wood gas."
After the war in 1946, he rebuilt a Fiat 1100 car that he had taken apart and hidden from the German army. He changed its frame and suspension. He then added a special aluminum body made by a company called Rocco Motto. This car became the Bandini 1100, the very first car to carry the Bandini name!
Racing in Italy in the 1940s and 1950s
In 1947, Bandini raced his 1100 Sport car and came in second place in his class. He then built a second car, the 1100 siluro (meaning "torpedo"), for the 1949 Mille Miglia. This car had a sleek, torpedo-like shape and separate mudguards over the wheels. It used a Fiat engine that Bandini had improved with a special cylinder head.
With this car, Bandini raced in many events across Italy. His first big win was a class victory in the Tour of Umbria.
Bandini Cars Go to America
In the early 1950s, Bandini's cars started to be sold in the United States. Drivers like Dick Gent and Bob Said quickly found success with them. The cars were praised for being very light and stable, thanks to their special steel tube frame.
An American car importer named Tony Pompeo thought Bandini's cars could be even better in smaller racing categories. So, Bandini made changes to the engines, making them more powerful. He designed very light frames, weighing only about 18 kg (40 lb). The bodies were still made by Motto, combining good looks with racing rules. This led to the Bandini 750 sport siluro. These cars could race in different categories just by removing their headlights or mudguards!
Bandini's cars became well-known and successful outside Italy, even getting attention in car magazines. Two Bandini cars were shown in Chicago in 1952, and a 750 sports torpedo was displayed at the 1953 New York Auto Show.
Ilario Bandini himself continued to race. He won his first victory with the 750 car in 1952 at the Bologna-Raticosa Hillclimb.
Engineering and Engine Improvements
Bandini's cars were designed in a small garage and built by his brother Aurelio and a small team. But Ilario personally checked every step, from design to testing on the track. From 1953, the car bodies were even made in-house.
The engines, which originally came from Crosley, were greatly improved. Bandini added a new DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft) head, which helps the engine breathe better and produce more power. He also replaced many parts like rods, pistons, and the crankshaft. Soon, only the main engine block remained from the original Crosley engine.
More Racing Success in Italy
In 1953, the Bandini 750 was changed to fit new Italian racing rules, which required mudguards to be part of the car's body. Even though it didn't finish the Mille Miglia that year, it consistently placed in the top three at many other races.
In 1955, a Bandini 750 driven by Rusconi and Sintoni reached Rome in a super fast time during the Mille Miglia, showing how quick these cars were.
In 1954, Bandini also started making a new single-seater Formula 3 car. This car had a very low center of gravity, making it stable. By 1957, it even had disc brakes on all four wheels, which was very advanced for the time. Bandini himself won the Consuma hillclimb that year. He also brought all his racing, car development, and dealership businesses together into the "Bandini Sports Group."
Bandini's American Racing Dominance
In America, Bandini cars continued to win many races in the SCCA championship. Drivers like James Riley and Henry Rudkin often finished on the podium (top three). They raced at famous tracks like Watkins Glen and Sebring.
In 1955, Dave Michaels won a big race at Watkins Glen with his Bandini-Offenhauser car, even beating more powerful Ferraris and Maseratis. Dolph Vilardi won the 750 cc class in the US Championship with his Bandini, showing its speed against many other brands.
The next year, Bandini cars continued their winning streak with victories by Rudkin, Yares, Michaels, and Bob Major. In 1957, Bandini cars completely dominated the 750 cc H Modified category. Melvin Sachs won an SCCA title, and other Bandini drivers filled the top spots. The cars were so famous that a writer named William F. Nolan even featured a Bandini Torpedo in his short story!
New Models and Continued Success
In Italy, Bandini was working on a new car that would use a Maserati engine. He also prepared a Bandini chassis with a special body by Zagato. This Zagato Berlinetta won a beauty contest in Rimini in 1957 and was the first Bandini to race in America.
Bandini himself won races outright in Predappio in 1955 and 1956. His team also won a class victory at Bologna S. Luca.
In 1957, the updated 750 sports car, called the 750 International Sport or Saponeta ("little bar of soap") because of its smooth shape, made its debut. It had improved suspension and a more powerful engine. This car was later used to test Bandini's first 850 cc and 1000 cc engines.
The Saponeta continued to win races in Italy and North America in 1958. Drivers like James Eichenlaub and Gene Parsons achieved great results with it.
In 1959, Bandini cars won several class victories in Italy. That year also saw the first appearance of the Formula Junior car, with a new 850 cc engine.
Changes and Later Years
The Formula Junior car used a Fiat engine placed at the back, which was a new design for Bandini. It quickly became popular in the United States. Even though it faced tough competition, it caught the attention of famous drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio and Roger Penske.
The 850 cc engine was very important because it was the first engine completely built by Bandini himself. It became the base for his later 1000 cc engine. Bandini also experimented with different fuel systems and even turbocharging.
In 1960, Ilario Bandini was invited to Daytona International Speedway in Florida, USA. He was treated like a "star" by CBS television and even received the Keys to the city from Daytona's mayor! The mayor praised Bandini for being a man who knew how to use his hands and his head. Bandini was even invited to move his company to Cincinnati, Ohio, but he preferred to return home to Forlì.
This was a time of great growth for Bandini Automobiles. There were even talks about building a Formula One Bandini car! Bandini also made a prototype go-kart and a tiny motorbike for quick repairs at racetracks.
Even in his fifties, Ilario Bandini continued to race and achieve good results. In the mid-1960s, however, production for the United States stopped due to lack of money and changing rules. Many Italian car makers faced similar problems. Bandini then focused on building special prototype cars for Italian "gentleman drivers" who mostly raced in hillclimbs.
In 1966, a new Bandini 1000 car appeared, with its engine placed in the middle. This car was later given by Bandini to the town of Forlì, where it is still kept.
In 1968, the new Berlinetta Saloncino was shown at the Turin Exhibition of Sports Cars. Later, in the 1970s, Bandini introduced cars with aerodynamic features like a rear wing.
Even in his seventies, Bandini continued to work on new car designs. In 1980, his company presented the 1300 with advanced features like 16 valves and fuel injection. Bandini even started making his own alloy wheels.
In 1975, Bandini hosted a special exhibition for his car brand, where famous Formula One champions like James Hunt and Niki Lauda visited. Bandini also helped restart the Predappio-Rocca delle Camminate hillclimb race in Forlì.
In 1981, Bandini received an honorary doctorate in mechanical engineering from New York University. A Bandini car was also placed in the Marconi Museum in Los Angeles. He received many other awards for his contributions to Italian sport.
In 1985, Bandini raced one last time at the Predappio hillclimb in his 1300 car. A few years later, at the age of 80, he created his final car, the Berlinetta 1000 turbo 16v, just before he passed away in 1992.
Ten years after his death, Forlì named a square in his honor. The Bandini Registry now keeps historical documents and ten Bandini cars, making sure that Ilario Bandini's amazing work and dream of building cars are remembered forever.
See also
- Bandini Automobili
