Sports cars and Italy go hand in hand, the mere mention of a fast exotic car conjuring images of stunning Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis, though they are not the only Italian carmakers with a back catalog of desirable machinery.
A fact that is proven by the growing number of modern if slightly obscure brands that crop up from time to time, Pagani only started up in 1992, joined more recently by the likes of Automobili Turismo e Sport, Fornasari, and a handful of Italian coachbuilders turned manufacturers. Business, for sure, is booming, but in terms of obscure rare sports cars we'd like to own, going back in time yields some of the most beautiful cars we've ever seen, many long forgotten.
The good news is, none of the 10 Italian sports cars listed come from the big three, each one the product of countless hours of design, engineering, and soul-seeking perfection, names that deserve more recognition rather than sliding into obscurity.
10 Intermeccanica Indra
The '70s Italian sports car scene is littered with wedge-shaped exotics from all the biggest names, however, there are a few little-known gems out there that drive and look just as good. In 1971 Intermeccanica entered the fray, the Indra sold on both sides of the Atlantic, European cars badged Opel, in the US carrying Intermeccanica branding.
The differences run much deeper too, fortunately, American gearheads getting a better deal with GM sourced 327/350 cu-in engines, higher spec Indras boasting as much as 280 hp. Production details are vague at best, approximately 127 examples were built, a mix of coupes and convertibles, the international collaboration ending in 1974.
9 Ghia 450 SS
Barracuda underpinnings and running gear re-dressed by Carrozzeria Ghia had all the makings of a global car, gorgeous lines, and American V8 power. Sadly, it wasn't to be, buyers unsure or unaware of the Ghia brand at the time resulted in a low run of 57 cars.
Mechanical similarities aside, the 450SS is an entirely different beast built over a custom ladder chassis, shorter, lower, and more purposeful in appearance. The 450/SS model name is derived from the 273 cu-in or 4.5-liter Commando V8 under the hood.
8 Fornasari Gigi 311 GT
Newcomers Fornasari Cars were founded in 1999, defunct in 2015, only to rise phoenix-like from the ashes in 2019 with a new two-seater sports car inspired by the '50s era Mile Miglia racers. Gorgeously styled retro-racers built entirely from carbon fiber, sporting a GM-sourced 6.2-liter V8 producing in the region of 500 hp.
Designed as a bespoke sports car with buyers able to customize the final specifications makes pinning down actual performance numbers hazy at best, Fornasari opting for a self-imposed limit of 186 mph.
7 ATS GT
A self-imposed production limit of 12 cars not only makes the ATS GT one of the rarest modern sports cars, but also one most gearheads are likely never to see in the metal. Undergoing a revival of sorts in 2019, ATS combines styling cues from the previous '60s era 2500 GT with a modern twist, its chassis and drive train borrowed from McLaren's 12C/650S sports cars.
How deeply ATS has altered the GT's driving characteristics remains to be seen, the 12C's biggest criticism being a lack of driver involvement. However, anyone wanting all the 3.8-liter twin-turbos performance in an arguably prettier body should consider joining the GT's waiting list.
6 Alfa Romeo 2600 Pininfarina Speciale
Alfa Romeo's flagship model thought-out the late sixties, the 2600's selling over 11,000 cars in a mix of Berlina, Sprint, Spider, and Zagato versions penned by the greatest of Italian designers is hardly a rare commodity.
One or rather two never made it to production, in 1962 just as production was getting started, Pininfarina created the stunning 2600 Speciale, one of each, a cabriolet and coupe. Beneath the skin, near-identical to Alfa's mainstream models, featuring a straight-six 2.6-liter paired with a 5-speed manual. Stunning as they were, Alfa Romeo rejected the Pininfarina design for mainstream production.
5 Cisitalia 202 Gran Sport
Famed Italian race carmaker turned modern svelte road car producer, Cisitalia is another of those names most gearheads won't recognize, and yet before its untimely demise in 1963, the little-known Italian carmaker in collaboration with Pininfarina created the stunning 202 Gran Sport.
Given a bare rolling chassis, Pininfarina hand-sculpted a stunning aluminum fastback body, which on its debut in 1947 wowed buyers and critics alike, going on to receive praise from the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1951. Conceived as a one-piece design, panels seamlessly integrate into the shell. However, the 202 Gran Sport was not a success, hand-sculpted bodies were expensive, Cisitalia found just 170 buyers for the 202 Gran Sport.
4 Siata 208S Sports
Siata who? The chances are you won't have heard of this long-defunct Italian sports car maker, Siata once famed for its range of two-seater roadsters closed up shop in 1970. More the pity, this Michelotti-designed 208S Sports is arguably one of the best looking if obscure Italian soft-tops ever made.
In all, just 33 examples were produced, powered by Fiat Tipo 104 based 2-liter all-alloy V8 engines putting out 125 hp, aluminum bodywork over a fully independently sprung chassis was considered advanced for the time.
3 B Engineering Edonis
Developed from the criminally brief Bugatti EB110 production run, B Engineerings Edonis picked up the supercar baton and ran with it, using leftover engines and chassis to excellent effect. In all, 21 Edonis' were completed, sporting a revised body bearing little or no resemblance to the EB110.
Under the skin, ex-Ferrari engineer Nicola Materazzi stretched the displacement of the V12 engine to 3.8 liters, downscaling the quad-turbocharger set-up in favor of two larger IHI turbos, resulting in 671 hp and a top speed of 215 mph.
2 De Tomaso Guara
The last sports car launched under Alejandro de Tomaso's leadership, the Guara initially available as a coupe only, the range eventually broadened to include both a Roadster and Barchetta. Launched in 1994, early examples used BMW M60 4-liter V8s tuned specifically for the Guara producing 279 hp, switching to a supercharged Ford V8 later in life.
Overlooked for sure, the Guara for its time was a well-sorted road-legal race built in a lightweight aluminum chassis infused with F1-style pushrod suspension all wrapped up in a sharp mix of kevlar and fiberglass. If anything, the Guara was too good, on the limit agility proving too nervous for average drivers.
1 Iso Grifo 90
More a case of what could have been, the Iso Grifo 90 until recently never got past the "wooden" mock-up stage. In the late '80s, owner Piero Rivolta contracted well-known race car designer Dallara to developed a new chassis and engine, turning to Gandini for the Iso Grifo 90s futuristic wedge profile.
First displayed in 1991, limited production due three years later, the Iso Grifo 90 remained locked away until 2007 when US-based Mako-Shark picked up the pieces finishing the Grifo 90 story. Under the hood, filling in for its missing Dallara engine, a C5 Z06 V8 tuned by Callaway pumps out 495 hp.