The cars themselves first emerged in 1955, starting with the 750cc Fiat-powered spider above, and continuing in a small series with modified 1,100 cc Fiat engines in the same alloy-bodied chassis. The sleek skins for these tangerine dreams were formed by Carrozzeria Colli, also a Milanese concern, that was started by ex-employees of Touring Superleggera. Colli had also built the competition coupe version of Alfa's Disco Volante that Fangio made famous.
Unlike other specialists, Mandarini stayed with the pushrod version of the Fiat block. This, along with the very small number of cars they built, may have done wonders for their survival as a viable business; more on that later...
As with most handbuilt cars, small detail differences in Mandarinis abound. Some have asymmetrical hood scoops, at least one has a headrest; windshield configurations and even the curves of the instrument hoods vary.
At least three of the Mandarini spiders have survived, and the car below has appeared in vintage races.
The form of Colli's body design has similarities in form and contour to MIchelotti's Ferrari spiders for Vignale from the early Fifties, and also to Rocco Motto's work* on Siata and Nardi chassis, and also Pinin Farina's Lancia D23 & 24 spiders, though in the latter case at a smaller scale...
The grille shape, with its inwardly sloping sides, is common to the Mandarini spiders pictured here, as is the tiny door opening, which occupies an unusually small fraction of a short wheelbase.
Based upon the evidence of surviving cars and their infrequent appearance in vintage car literature, and also on the track, it appears that Mandarini may have saved itself from the financial ruin that awaited most other etceterini builders by simply declining to make more than a handful of cars. In general, if you're losing money on every car you build, it's a good idea to avoid making many. Refusing to tool up for their own engines, or even for twin-cam heads for their Fiat blocks, also was probably a help…
What we're left with, then, are a handful of graceful road racers in classic Fifties Italian style, with easy-to-maintain pushrod Fiat powerplants, and with a record of appearing in races like the Mille Miglia, which makes them eligible for today's vintage races...
Oh, and we're also left with Mandarini Eraldo Officina Auto, at Viale Corsica 35, in Milano. This service and restoration shop is owned by the same family that built these tidy little roadsters. Like only a few other enterprises in our Etceterini Files, it has managed to stay in business, perhaps proof that maintaining and restoring cars is less of a headache than manufacturing them. The Mandarini family deserves extra credit for selecting purposeful, expressive architecture to house their business..
It is, as Hemingway would have it, "a clean and well-lighted place." Here we see two Alfas, a Jaguar Mk 2, and on the lift, a Lancia Fulvia Zagato. One suspects one of those original Mandarini spiders would be welcomed into this shop with open arms...
*Footnote: We found the Mandarini in Encyclopaedia of Classic Cars: Sports Cars 1945-75, by Rob de la Rive Box, which was not able to shed light on the number of Mandarinis built. Rocco Motto's work is surveyed in our post entitled "Unsung Genius: Rocco Motto, the Closer", posted here on March 25, 2018.
Photo Credits:
Top & 8th from top: Encyclopaedia of Classic Cars: Sports Cars 1945-75, Rob de la Rive Box, 1998.
2nd, 6th & 7th:: autobelle.it
2nd, 6th & 7th:: autobelle.it
3rd thru 5th: woiweb.com
9th & 10th: flickriver.com
11th thru 13th: mechanicimport.com
14th & bottom: Mandarini Eraldo Officina Auto
Great post, Bob! Suddenly craving citrus...
ReplyDeleteThese do tend to look best in citrus colors…I think I'd go with orange, myself.
ReplyDeleteThat black alfa guilietta is very very nice!
ReplyDelete...along with the Lancia Fulvia Zagato and the Jag Mk. 2.
ReplyDeleteHi there, I'm one of Mandarini's nieces, Sara. The gentleman in the top pic was my grandad. My uncle Eraldo has now retired and the workshop has closed. He's still active in the vintage cars community.The Mandarini cars built are 3 in total. One of them is currently on sale.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sara, for giving us new information on the Mandarini cars and your family members who built them. It's good to know that these very rare cars survive, and that your uncle is still active in the vintage car community.
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