Cisitalia Grand Prix

[3][4] An extremely advanced design, it proved too complex to build for the small Italian firm—leading to a lengthy development and eventually to the financial downfall of the company.

Dusio paid a large sum of money upfront, part of which was used to free Ferdinand Porsche from the French prison in which he was being held effectively for ransom.

The Dr. Porsche designed unraced 1939 1,482.56 cc (53.0 x 56.0 mm) 2-stage Roots supercharged flat-12 Auto-Union had been projected to deliver 327 bhp (244 kW) at 9,000 rpm.

The chassis was of chromoly tubing and featured on/off four-wheel-drive with a sequential gear-shift and a rear-mounted transaxle also sending power through a driveshaft to a front differential.

[6] Porsche's experience with the pre-war Auto Union Grand Prix cars showed through in the layout and design of the Cisitalia to the extent that it has been referred to as the "E-Type".