Ceirano

Italy, 1901 – 1904

(1) Fratelli Ceirano, 1901 – 1903

(2) G.G. Fratelli Ceirano, Turin, 1903 – 1904

(3) Ceirano & Cia, Turin, 1904

The first car to bear the Ceirano name was Renault-based, with single-cylinder engine by Aster or De Dion, four forward speeds, and shaft drive, but in 1903 Aristide Faccioli (late of F.I.A.T.) designed a 16hp four, also shaft driven. Initially the brother Giovanni Battista and Matteo were in partnership at Ceirano, but after Matteo’s resignation Giovanni the younger took his place, and the Ceirano firm concentrated on De Dion-engined light cars. In 1904 Giovanni set up on his own Ceirano company as manufacturer of the Junior car, and shortly afterwards Giovanni Battista reorganized the company as S.T.A.R. (rapid).

Italy, 1919 – 1931

(1) Giovanni Ceirano Fabbrica Automobili, Turin, 1919 – 1924

(2) Società Ceirano Automobili Torino, Turin, 1924 – 1931

Giovanni Ceirano and his son Ernesto sold their S.C.A.T. interests in 1917, but two years later they were back with a new make; Ceirano, obviously inspired by 1914 S.C.A.T. models. Early Ceirano cars had sv fixed-head 4-cylinder engines, the 16/20hp Ceirano C1 having a capacity of 2.3-litres. The bored-out 2950cc Ceirano Corsa was credited with a mere 35bhp, in spite of which it had a successful career in national sporting events. Like SCAT, Ceirano tried their luck with a six, this time an ohv 3-litre Ceirano Tipo 30. However, when Ceirano repurchased SCAT and closed down his own works, all these models were dropped to be replaced by a modern 1½-litre, the Ceirano 150, with 4-wheel brakes, a 4-speed gearbox, and tourer bodywork in Lancia Lambda style – though Ceirano, unlike Lancia, favoured a conventional chassis frame. The Ceirano 150 Normale had side valves and was capable of 55-60mph on 30bhp, but the ohv Ceirano 150S wore wire wheels and was good for 65mph: Newton & Bennett sold it in England as the Newton-Ceirano. In 1926 there wa a short-lived ohv 2.3-litre, the Ceirano 250, but latterly Ceirano concentrated on lorries that were marketed by the Consortium FIAT selling group. The last Ceirano 150S variant, announced for 1930, had independently-spung front wheels and resembled a scaled-down Lancia Artena saloon, but very few of these Ceirano cars were made and in 1931 Ceirano sold out to S.P.A., by now a wholly-owned subsidiary of FIAT.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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