ATS 2500 GT History

The ATS 2500 GT was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in April 1963, a startling debut for a company that had barely existed six months. Designed by Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini — two of the engineers expelled from Ferrari in the 1961 Palace Revolution — the car sat its 2.5-litre V8 amidships behind the driver, making it one of the first Italian sports cars and among the first GT or sports cars in the world to use a rear mid-engine layout.

The body was styled by Franco Scaglione and built by Carrozzeria Allemano on a multi-tube spaceframe chassis. The 2468cc 90-degree V8 produced approximately 220 CV (around 217 hp) in standard tune; a higher-output GTS competition variant raised output to approximately 245 CV. The car used a 5-speed manual gearbox and was claimed to reach 240 km/h (about 149 mph).

Only 12 chassis were laid down, and of those only eight received completed bodies. ATS's financial collapse — the company overextended itself building the road car and a Formula One programme simultaneously — ended production before the 2500 GT could reach any real volume. The handful that survive are rare, historically significant machines: tangible proof of what Ferrari's banished engineers could do without Maranello's resources.