Bandini Siluro Chassis # 358 – Car Profile

By Cliff Reuter

In 1946 Ilario Bandini began producing racing cars in Forli, Italy that featured tubular frames made from airplane wing struts, hand hammered aluminum bodies, and Fiat running gear.

Bandini’s biggest success in America came in 1955 and 1957 when the Bandini Siluro (torpedo) won the SCCA National Class H Modified championship.

Bandinis continued to win SCCA Class H-Mod races well in to the mid 1960’s and our feature car, Jack Reuter’s 1955 750cc Twin Cam Siluro #358, was undefeated while winning the SCCA Southwest Regional Championship from 1961-1963.

Chassis # 358 was imported by T.B. Davis of Dallas Texas and raced by Hugh Grammer. Its 750cc engine is Crosley based and has a Bandini twin cam aluminum head which produces 71 BHP at 9,000 RPM. The weight of the car is 750 pounds and it was clocked at 115 MPH at the 1963 Green Valley Texas race.

Long time car collector Jack Reuter purchased it over thirty years ago after searching for Bandinis for many years. Bandini #358 is a true survivor as it retains 100% of its original metal and shows no signs of ever being damaged. It was shown at the 2002 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it was awarded a prize.

Additional Photos:

To learn more about Bandini and Etceterinis, visit www.etceterini.com.

[Source: Cliff Reuter]

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