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TheCisitalia Grand Prix is asingle-seater car for the postwar 1.5-litresuperchargedGrand Prix class, built by Italian sports car manufacturerCisitalia and introduced in 1949.[1][2] It was designed on behalf of Cisitalia byPorsche between 1946–47, and is therefore also known by its Porsche project number,Type 360.[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. Between Cisitalia's 1949liquidation and the fact that supercharged engines were banned for the 1952 Formula One season, the car never raced.[5]
TheType 360 is also noticeable for using an early form ofsequential manual transmission, and was one of the firstrace cars to do so.
The car was commissioned byPiero Dusio in 1946. Dusio paid a large sum of money upfront, part of which was used to freeFerdinand Porsche from the French prison in which he was being held effectively forransom. Dusio gave Porsche only 16 months to complete the car which proved too short a time to sort out the advanced design.
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. This provided the basis of the Cisitalia 360 car which was built in Italy by Cisitalia personnel with help from former Porsche employee Robert Eberan von Eberhorst[6] around amid mountedsupercharged 1,492.58 cc (56.0 x 50.5 mm)flat 12 engine giving a conservative 300 hp (224 kW) at 8,500 rpm and a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). A fully enclosed streamlined body for fast circuits was planned giving over 200 mph (320 km/h). Later bench tests showed about 385 bhp (287 kW) at 10,500 rpm. The chassis was ofchromoly tubing and featured on/off four-wheel-drive with asequential gear-shift and a rear-mountedtransaxle also sending power through adriveshaft to a frontdifferential. Suspension was independent with Porsche typetrailing arms in front and parallel acting arms in the rear.[6] Porsche's experience with the pre-warAuto 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".
By the time the only prototype was finished Dusio was out of cash. The car languished in development until 1951, at one point being shipped off toArgentina to try to persuade presidentJuan Perón to invest in the company. By 1952Formula One rules had changed and while Dusio attempted to source a 2-liter motor for the car a lack of funds relegated one of the most advanced Grand Prix cars of its day to a fewFormula Libre events and quick retirement. The car is currently on display in thePorsche Museum inStuttgart.
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