In the annals of classic sports car history, the 1969 Intermeccanica Italia is as much an oddity as it is a rarity. And before getting ahead of ourselves, the question should be asked: Whats in a name? Well, in the case of the Italia, a lot and a little. The 1969 Intermeccanica Italia was a joint European and American project that followed on the commercial failure of an indirect predecessor, the Apollo GT. Frank Reisner, founder of Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica had taken the dual-venture piece seriously at one point, with part of the Apollos construction being undertaken in Italy and the rest (powertrain, specifically) in California. The result was a beautiful and exotic car that few could afford. Later in the 1960s, Reisner partnered with Jack Griffith and developed what was first known as the Torino before Ford objected, and finally as the Italia.
The 1969 Intermeccanica Italias entirely steel frame would be manufactured entirely in Italy before finding distribution in the United States. Modeled on a chassis conceived of by former BRM designer John Crosthwaite, the Italia would be powered by a hefty Ford V-8 and was produced in numbers far greater than what Griffiths GT or Reisners Apollo had seen. Even so, it is estimated that production hovered around 100 to 120 units per year throughout the Italias production run. Exact figures are unknown, but the total count might be lower than 500 Italias in all. Though far more numerous than the Apollo GT, locating an Intermeccanica Italia might prove as difficult as building one from scratch. Thankfully, there are industry experts who know just where to find rare makes and models, as well as how best to safely transport them on behalf of their customers.
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