Cisitalia 360 Grand Prix History

Emboldened by the D46's racing success, Piero Dusio commissioned Porsche (then operating in exile from Gmünd, Austria) to design a full Grand Prix car. The resulting Type 360, developed under Ferry Porsche from early 1947, was technically astounding: a mid-mounted supercharged 1,492 cc flat-12 engine producing around 300 PS at 8,500 rpm, switchable four-wheel drive, a rear-mounted transaxle, and a chromoly spaceframe chassis. It was arguably the first racing car with a mid-engine/rear-transmission layout — a configuration Formula 1 would not universally adopt until the early 1960s.

The project's ambition vastly exceeded Cisitalia's means. By the time a single prototype was completed in 1948–49, Dusio's funds were exhausted. The car never raced. With Cisitalia facing insolvency in 1949, Dusio relocated to Argentina, where he arranged for the Grand Prix car to be shipped to the Autoar company in Buenos Aires by 1950. The prototype eventually returned to Italy and is now preserved in the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin.