Itala 61 Speeder Garavini

The Itala 61 (1928) was bodied by Carrozzeria Garavini on an Itala ladder-frame chassis and designed within the Garavini workshop. The example shown in period photography presents an open two-seater tourer layout with a low scuttle, upright windscreen, and a cockpit set rearward relative to the wheelbase. The fenders follow a continuous curved profile, linked by narrow running boards. A rear-mounted external spare wheel is fitted in accordance with contemporary touring-car practice. The side panels incorporate vertical louvres for engine ventilation, and the doors are plain, without decorative brightwork. The model employed an inline-six engine typical of Itala production in the late 1920s, using a side-valve configuration and moderate displacement suited to touring applications. The drivetrain was coupled to a separate manual gearbox, transmitting power through a conventional propeller shaft to the rear axle. Suspension consisted of semi-elliptic leaf springs at both ends, and braking was provided by mechanically actuated drum brakes on all four wheels. Production of the 61 series was limited, with bodies supplied individually by coachbuilders such as Garavini. Surviving examples are recorded in private collections and archival holdings, forming part of the documentation of late Itala engineering and Turin coachbuilding practices. At the 1928 Concours d’Elegance Milano, a Garavini-bodied Itala 61 received first prize in the Vetture Aperte class, noted in period concours records.