Carrozzeria Colli

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Carrozzeria Colli

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1931
resolution 1973
Seat Milan , Italy
Branch Body shop

Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM
Alfa Romeo Giulia Promiscua

The Carrozzeria Colli was an Italian coachbuilder that manufactured special bodies for Fiat and Alfa Romeo . In the post-war period, Colli was best known for converting Alfa Romeo sedans into station wagons.

Company history

The company was founded in 1931 by Giuseppe Colli in Milan . After his death in 1936, Colli's son Mario took over the management of the company, and later Mario's brothers Beniamino, Tarcisio and Candido joined as equal partners.

In the years before the Second World War , Colli manufactured numerous sports car bodies for chassis for Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia . During this time, the Colli brothers dealt intensively with aerodynamics and lightweight construction; many bodies were made of aluminum alloys. They were often used in automobile races.

During the Second World War, Colli produced exterior panels for military aircraft, but also field kitchens and ambulances .

1946 constructed together with Colli Luigi Pellarini the flying car PL 2C Aerauto whose prototype received one made in Colli outer skin. Series production did not materialize. In the early postwar years Coli in turn built lightweight sports car bodies for Fiat and Alfa chassis, also created unique pieces such as the Formula 1 race car Arzani-Volpini .

In 1952 Colli became Alfa Romeo's official contract partner. The company produced numerous special bodies on behalf of the works, including the 6C 3000 CM racing car , with which the Alfa Romeo works team took part in the 1953 Mille Miglia , a 1900 Barchetta (1954) and individual components for the 1900 Disco Volante . From the mid-1950s, extended limousines based on 1900 and armored versions of popular Alfa models were added. In the 1960s, Alfa Romeo transferred the production of station wagon versions of its own mid-range sedans to Colli. This primarily affected the Giulia series, from which Colli not only produced five-door family station wagons , but also delivery vans with windowless rear sections called Promiscua (German: dealer).

Since the 1960s, Colli was effectively dependent on Alfa Romeo. When Alfa Romeo ran into economic difficulties in the early 1970s and the orders to Colli fell, Colli's existence was also in jeopardy. Since no other orders could be acquired, Colli ceased operations in 1973.

literature

  • Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani. Società Editrice Il Cammello, 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 .

Web links

Commons : Carrozzeria Colli  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alessandro Sannia: Enciclopedia dei carrozzieri italiani. Aesthetica 2017, ISBN 978-8896796412 , p. 188.