martini publicity car by viotti turin

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Thu 18 Jul 2002 13:52
martini publicity car by viotti turin - bernard
Dear Madam, Sir

I would like to seek your help from to be able to complete the restauration of a unique car.

The car was ordered in 1935-1937?? By Count Rossi (of Martini Italy) from Carrosseria Viotti in Turin.
When the importer of Isotta Frashini in the USA went bankrupt, the remaining chassis were send back to Italy. Count Rossi bought two of them (typo 8B) and had them send to Viotti in Turin who was asked to produce a convertible for the counts own use and a coupe to be used as a publicity car for Martini.
The coupe received a futuristic coachwork with dorsal fin, a hole in the back to place a huge Martini bottle and offered seating for two. The doors were oval and the interior was done in light blue leather. The car was painted a metallic silver with chrome stone guards on the rear wings. On the doors was the logo of Martini and on the roof, a loudspeaker was fitted.
The coupe was used for a whole string of classical manifestations (tours of italy , mille miglia, tour de France, etc.)
Just before the war, the Martini subsidiary in Brussels was opened. They could use a publicity car and the coupe was send to Belgium. The car was used at numerous events like the 24 hours of Franchorchamps, the races at Zolder etc

At the end of the forties, the car was technically outdated, the cable brakes did not stand up to the modern demands and it was decided to place the coupe on a more modern chassis. Unfortunately they did not find a chassis that was large enough to take the coachwork and they opted for a chassis of a Lincoln Zephyr V12 of 1937. The job was performed by the ?Ets. Vermeulen? in Schaarbeek, near Brussels who altered the nose, the wings and bumpers (they used pieces from a Lincoln 1949 amongst other things)
Englebert magazine showed a picture of the car in 1954 and praised the fine job.

Ten years later, at the end of the sixties, the car was no longer suitable as a marketing tool and the coupe was send to the crusher. Fortunately he sold the car and after changing numerous times of ownership (used by a restaurant, discotheque and several second hand car dealers) I managed to buy the car in a rather sad state.
The car was only 90% complete (the dorsal fin was gone as were the bottle and the seats plus some of the interior).Therefore this call for help to all readers who might have pictures, information etc on how the exact look of the nose and the dorsal fin was , which seats were used and any other info regarding the life of this unusual coupe.
The aim is to have the car up and running next year , almost 70 years after the coupe hit the Italian roads.
Thank you

Bernard Berkein
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