Itala Tipo 11 Racing Prototype History

Designed by Giulio Cesare Cappa and debuted in 1925, the Tipo 11 stands as one of the most technically extraordinary racing prototypes of the inter-war period. Its 1,050 cc V12 engine with a Roots-type supercharger produced 60 CV at 7,000 rpm — a remarkable specific output for the era — and drove the front wheels through an integrated transmission and differential.

All four wheels were independently sprung, a suspension philosophy that would not become mainstream in racing for another 30 years. The car was constructed around a reinforced wooden chassis with the engine, gearbox, and differential forming a structural unit, and its estimated top speed was 150 km/h.

Despite its extraordinary specification the Tipo 11 never competed. Itala lacked the resources to develop and homologate it through to a race start, and the prototype remained a monument to what the company could have achieved under better financial circumstances.