Ilario Bandini
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Ilario Bandini | |
|---|---|
 Eng. Ilario Bandini (Imola circuit, 1988) | |
| Born | 18 April 1911 |
| Died | 12 April 1992 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Car builder |
Ilario Bandini (18 April 1911 – 12 April 1992) was an Italian businessman,
Early years
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Bandini was born in Villa Rovere, today part of the administrative region of Forlì in Romagna. After finishing elementary school, he apprenticed as a mechanic and turner in Forli. At the age of 25 he moved to Eritrea, then an Italian colony, where he operated a transport business between Dekemhare and Asmara. He returned to Italy in 1939 and, with his savings, opened a garage and car rental/limousine service in downtown Forlì.
In the same year, Bandini started competing as a
1940s racing career in Italy
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In 1947, Bandini raced a
After constructing a second example,[
At the start of the 1950s, Bandini became a dealer in Italy for Alfa Romeo and then for Lancia. Meanwhile, the first Bandini arrived in United States. Here, in the hands of drivers Dick Gent and Bob Said, the car gained early racing successes: its lightness and stability, using a patented elliptical-section steel tube space frame, were particularly appreciated.
1950s racing opportunities in the United States
American importer Tony Pompeo thought this space frame chassis, already winning in 1100 and 1500 cc classes with
With exports increasing, Bandini earned respect and success in races outside Italy, also gaining coverage in the
Engineering evolutions
The cars were designed in the corner of a garage and built by his brother Aurelio with a small trusted team, but it was Bandini himself who personally oversaw every aspect, from design to assembly to testing, whether on the bench, on the street, or on the track. From 1953, the bodywork was produced in-house,[
1950s racing in Italy
In 1953, the Bandini was adapted for new Italian racing regulations, which required fenders (mudguards) to be integrated into the body shell. Entered in the Mille Miglia, the 750 proved the World Sportscar Championship result at Sebring had been no fluke, but failed to finish in Forlì. Nevertheless, it was consistently placed in the top three at
At the Mille Miglia, Massimo Bondi driving a Bandini 750 finished an excellent ninth in his class, out of a field of 69 entrants. A further 13 entries by other driver teams would be undertaken by 1957 (including Zanini-Vitali, Tinazzo-Sintoni, Fouls-Pacitti, Camisotti-Sintoni and Garavini). Notably, in 1955, two years before the final 'true' Mille Miglia, the Bandini 750 shared by Rusconi and Sintoni had to retire after a refuelling fire at Florence, but not before having reached Rome in just 7 hours 35 minutes 30 seconds, which was more than an hour quicker than two years earlier.
In 1954, production of the two seat sport torpedo continued alongside the new single seater
on all four wheels. This car came in second at the championship race at Forlì. Bandini also entered a two-seater at the same circuit in the sports category, but the car was forced to retire while lying third. He nevertheless won the Consuma 'climb, and placed third at the Compiano Vetto d'Enza. At this stage Ilario bought together his racing activities, his vehicle development and production, together with his dealership and service centre business into the "Gruppo sportivo Bandini" ("Bandini Sports Group").Mid-1950s racing in the United States
In America, meanwhile, in the
In 1955, Dave Michaels competing with his 1,625 cc (99.2 cu in)[, among other specials.
The next year saw Bandini wins by Rudkin at Berverly, Yares at Watkins, Michaels at Thompson (FM and time trial) and Bob Major at Bryanfan. Tom O'Brien also registered a Bandini win at Bryanfan when he topped the 2000 cc class with an Alfa Romeo-powered car; he later became an official driver for Alfa.
Also in 1956, a 750 sport siluro fitted with a David Uihlein-tuned 1250 cc
In 1957, Bandinis dominated the 750 cc H Modified (HM) category: Melvin Sachs earned an SCCA title winning 3,600 points in the class; Rudkin (who had switched to Saab power for the season) ended the year second, with 3,200; Gordon Wright was sixth with 1,800: seventh was George Tipsword on 1,400; and Jack Connoly finished tenth in the points chase with 1,000. The fame of the Bandinis was reflected by writer and screenwriter William F. Nolan's choice of the Bandini Torpedo for star billing in his 1957 short story "Across the old man and into Bandini".[citation needed]
Mid 1950s racing in Italy
In Italy Bandini was developing
At
1957 saw the debut of the updated 750 sports, the 750 International Sport, known colloquially as the Saponeta ("little bar of soap"). The overall design and construction were unchanged, but track and ride height were modified, and the car received an altered rear
In 1958, the Saponeta won the Predappio-Rocca delle Camminate (with the Bandini of Achille Galassi placed second) also winning at Compiano Vetto d'Enza, maintaining the winning form demonstrated the previous year at the
The little car also began to winning in North America with James Eichenlaub first at Cumberland and placed second to James Thompson at Toronto. Eichenlaub also managed a third place at Watkins Glen and at Virginia, while Gene Parsons won at Miami (Florida) and again at Washington in the Congressional Cup. The team finished 1957 ranked second in the overall US classifications, having held the top spot until September when they were unable to participate at Watkins Glen following a retirement at the Virginia circuit. Drivers such as Robert Samuelson and Jack Connolly also provided exciting displays and scored outstanding results, notably at Galveston, where Connolly made an astonishing comeback in the wet, recovering 22 positions in just six laps, only to be stopped by a fuel tank rupture.
During this period Bandini also experimented with a mixed 'chain and gear' driven distributor system incorporating
For 1959, Bandini achieved class victories at Compiano Vetto d'Enza (third overall),
Transformation and decline
Formula Junior regulations required an 1100 cc production engine. Very belatedly (seeing Coopers had been offering mid-engined racers for sale since 1946),[1] the Bandini Formula Junior used a rear-mounted Fiat engine, tilted 15° from upright. It also featured drum brakes, and a Formula 3-style quick-change differential. The Bandini was immediately in demand in the United States. After a few months, a version with independent suspension appeared, though this was still no match for the dominating Coopers. Nevertheless, the car caught the attention of the specialist publications, of Juan Manuel Fangio, and of importer Biener, who immediately ordered five. It also gained a following with drivers such as Rodger Ward and Neil Babbs, Jr., who raced it in junior competitions until 1964, and with Roger Penske.
The 850 cc engine was particularly significant because it was the first engine completely built by Bandini: it was the basis for the subsequent Bandini 1000 cc engine. The engine featured a
In 1960, Ilario Bandini was invited to Daytona, where the Racemaster team took part in the famous sports car event with a ‘'Saponetta'’ and a Zagato-bodied Berlinetta, driven by Luckens, Richardson, and Callanan. Bandini was feted as a true "star" by CBS television: he was presented with the Keys to the city by Daytona's mayor. Noticing Bandini himself had just finished working on the team's engines, the mayor pronounced, "... I am happy to give this award to a man who knows how to use his hands, and not just his head."
In
Meanwhile, in the same year back in Italy Bandini were active in the 750, 850 and 1000 classes using Banidini DOHC front and rear engined Formnula Junior, 1000P and Saponetta models.
This was the period of greatest growth for Bandini Automobiles. A contemporary newspaper reports discussion of plans under way to develop a Formula One Bandini, while the production of a prototype go-kart Bandini (with a Parilla engine) and a micro motorbike to serve as a courier for gear and spark plugs to assist rapid repairs at the racetrack.
As Bandini himself reached fifty years of age, he continued to race, including at Sassi-Superga, Aosta-Pila (second), Vergato-Cereglio, and Cesenatico. In the latter, he was joined by Guerino Lelli (fifth in a 750), Teodoro Zeccoli (out after breaking a sleeve of the 1000cc), and Edward Govoni (out after cracking the differential while his 850 lay third). Giorgio Cecchini finished third at Vallelunga in an 850, and Alberto Canali third at Salsomaggiore Monte S. Antonio in a 1000 sports.
While in 1961 the United States welcomed Bandini, Dave Lang (thanks to three victories and a second place that allowed him to take third place in the SCCA's HM Class Championship without even entering subsequent races) led national standings, twenty points up on Osca, in Italy are left engines of one liter engine capacity or less. Bandini himself had little luck in the Four Hours of
Cecchini placed the fourth in Salsomaggiore, forced to retire after a fuel pump failure in the lead at Asiago, and after taking the pole position at Vallelunga suffered clutch failure one lap from the flag. He came fourth at Parma-Poggio of Berceto, sixth in the Shell Trophy at Vallelunga, and third at Trento Bondone. Take part also to Sicily Tour. Race in the same year also Canali and Lelli with the Formula Junior.
In 1962, Scuderia Bandini joined with Team Arcangeli, and Bandini himself ran a 1000 cc, earning back-to-back class wins in Chieti (third overall), repeating[citation needed] at the Gallenga (Rome) cup[clarification needed] event and Vinci-S.Baronto (coming third in the Junior). He[citation needed] also won in Predappio and Reggio Emilia while the fourth is at Bologna-Raticosa and Vallelunga and reaches the sixth Consuma. Giorgio Cechini in his Bandini took revenge at Vallelunga (recording the first absolute fastest lap), the third cup of Asiago, the second trophy settecolli (Vallelunga) and fifth at Bologna-Raticosa.
The
1964 was the year of four for Bandini, finishing in this position at the Predappio-Rocca delle walks (preceded by Bandinis of Cecchini and Benelli) and at Ascoli-Colle S. Marco. He is also fourth Trento-Bondone (valid for the European mountain championship), again behind Benelli, and the Cup Beans at Osimo (preceded by Cecchini). Benelli was third in the Cuneo (Garessio-hill St. Bernard), the Cup of Cimino (in Rome), according to Teramo and Bolzano-Mendola, while finishing ninth at Vallelunga, and retiring for breach of the exchange at the Targa Florio. At year-end, awards League team of social intervene personally Lorenzo Bandini (not a relative, despite the same name) and Enzo Ferrari (very reluctant to come out of Modena) to witness the sympathy and esteem of the "Drake" Ilario for Bandini.
In 1965, a version of the 1000P (unusually, Belgian racing yellow) gave Benelli a win at the Predappio hillclimb and the first Castione Baratti (Parma) then runs Paganelli with the Trento-Bondone Cesana and Sestriere. Cecchini with a front-engined 1000 ran close second to Predappio and retired at the Mugello road circuit. Benelli came fifth in the Shell Trophy at Vallelunga (Bandini himself eighth), retired in the Targa Florio, took third at Vergato Cereglio, and above all keeps Bandini in the limelight with a fourth and valid proof for world title on the Mugello road course.
Despite engines enlarged to 850 cc, and remaining unbeaten from 1961 until 1963 in SCCA's South-West Division championship (led by Hugh Grammar and T. Hotchkiss, who in latter years won in F. Junior at Sebring), in the mid-1960s, production for the United States was stopped for lack of adequate funding, radical changes of regulations, unfunded riscuotibili, and competition from large manufacturers. Many Italian manufacturers were in crisis, and Bandini made front dedicated exclusively to producing
In 1968, at the
A new
At the whip of Dolcetti, Ghini, Benelli, Gatta, Ferrucci, recent prototypes have won the Cup Water Cerelia,
Bandini, in his seventies, as well as dealing with restoration of older models, continued the study of new ones. The company in 1980 presented the
In 1975, Bandini hosted the Group Bandini, an
In 1981, Bandini received from
In 1985, Bandini took the wheel a last time, at the Predappio hillclimb in his 1300.
A few years later came his final creation, the
Ten years after his death, Forlì named a square in his honour.
The Registry Bandini preserves historical documentation, history, and ten Bandini cars, to perpetuate the memory of one brand of cars of the past that has contributed to enhancing the reputation of Italian cars, but especially the memory of a person who has made his life means to achieve their dreams.
See also
Notes
- ^ Kettlewell, Mike. "Cooper: Forerunner of the Modern Racing Car", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 4, p.428.
Sources
- Kettlewell, Mike. "Cooper: Forerunner of the Modern Racing Car", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles, Volume 4, pp. 428–33. London: Orbis, 1974.