Grand tourer: Difference between revisions

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A '''grand tourer''' ('''GT''') is a type of [[car]] that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes.<ref name=":27">{{cite book|quote=A newer concept altogether is the modern ''gran turismo'' class, which was in effect unknown before [[World War II]]; sustained high-speed motoring from relatively modest engine size and compact closed coachwork |title=The Sports Car, Development and Design |page=179 |last=Stanford |first=John |publisher=B. T. Batsford |year=1957 |isbn=9781135518684}}</ref> The most common format is a [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|front-engine, rear-wheel-drive]] two-door [[coupé]] with either a two-seat or a [[2+2 (car body style)|2+2]] arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of [[Luxury vehicle|luxury]] [[saloon (car)|saloon]]s or sedans. Many iconic car models, such as the [[Ferrari 250 GT]], [[Jaguar E-Type]], and [[Aston Martin DB5]], are considered classic examples of ''gran turismo'' cars.

The term is a near-[[calque]] from the [[Italian language]] phrase ''gran turismo'', which became popular in the English language fromin the 1950s, evolving from fast [[touring car]]s and [[Streamliner|streamlined]] closed sports cars during the 1930s.<ref name=":22" />

In the [[World War II|post-war]] United States, manufacturers were less inclined to adopt the "ethos of the GT car",<ref name="dawson" /> preferring to build cars "suited to their [[Interstate Highway System|long, straight, smooth roads]] and [[Automatic transmission|labor-saving lifestyles]]"<ref name="dawson" /> with wide availability of powerful [[Straight-six engine|straight-six]] and [[V8 engine]]s in all price-ranges like the 1955-1965 [[Chrysler 300 letter series|Chrysler 300]]. Despite this, the United States, enjoying early [[Post–World War II economic expansion|post-war economic expansion]], became the largest market for European grand-touring cars,<ref name="dawson" /> supplying transportation for movie stars, celebrities and the [[jet set]]; notably the [[Mercedes-Benz 300 SL]] (imported by [[Max Hoffman]]),<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/goodwood-festival-of-speed/10879555/Mercedes-Benz-300SL-gullwing-review.html |title= Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing review |last= English |first= Andrew |work= Telegraph.co.uk |date= 6 June 2014 |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.danjedlicka.com/classic_cars/gullwing.html |title= Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe History | first= Dan |last= Jedlicka |website=danjedlicka.com |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/automobiles/18HOFFMAN.html |title= Max Hoffman Made Imports Less Foreign to Americans |last= Osborne |first= Donald |date= 18 March 2007 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date= 17 June 2017 |issn= 0362-4331}}</ref> the [[Jaguar XK120]], and the [[Ferrari]] ''[[berlinetta]]s'' (imported by [[Luigi Chinetti]]).<ref>{{cite news |url= https://petrolicious.com/articles/luigi-chinetti-s-life-was-dedicated-to-motorsport |title= Luigi Chinetti's Life Was Dedicated to Motorsport |last= Parker |first= John i|date= 13 May 2014 |work= Petrolicious |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/20/obituaries/luigi-chinetti-sr-93-automobile-importer-and-champion-racer.html |title= Luigi Chinetti Sr., 93, Automobile Importer and Champion Racer |last= Siano |first= Joseph |date= 20 August 1994 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date= 17 June 2017 |issn= 0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/60-years-ferrari-america-celebrated-rodeo-drive |title= 60 years of Ferrari in America celebrated on Rodeo Drive |work=Autoweek |date= 13 October 2014 |first= Mark |last= Vaughn |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref> Classic grand-touring cars from the [[History of the automobile|post-war era]] especially, have since become valuable cars among wealthy collectors.<ref name=":20" /><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/55-million-world-s-most-expensive-car-n694786 |title= This 1962 Ferrari could be set to be the world's most expensive car |work=NBC News |date= 12 December 2016 |first= Gemma |last= Acton |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref> Within ten years, grand touring cars found success penetrating the new American [[personal luxury car]] market.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.anythingaboutcars.com/1950s-imported-cars.html|title= The 1950s Imported Cars Wasn't Much of a Threat to the Big Three |work= anything about cars |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref>

The terms ''grand tourer'', ''gran turismo'', ''grande routière'', and ''GT'' are among the most misused terms in motoring.<ref name="dawson">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rOjgktooGNMC|title=GT : the world's best GT cars 1953–1973 |last=Dawson |first=Sam |publisher=Veloce |year=2007 |isbn=9781845840600 |access-date=16 May 2014}}</ref> The grand touring designation generally "means motoring at speed, in style, safety, and comfort".<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TUMcAQAAIAAJ&q=The+letters+GT—+gran+turismo+in+Italian,+%22grand+touring%22+in+translation+—+are+probably+the+most+widely+abused+initials+in+the+auto+industry.+Grand+touring+means+motoring+at+speed,+in+style,+safety,+and+comfort |page=129 |title=Made in Japan |journal=California |volume=7 |issue=5–8 |date=1982 |access-date=6 December 2015}}</ref> "Purists define ''gran turismo'' as the enjoyment, excitement and comfort of open-road touring."<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tClPAQAAIAAJ&q=Purists+define+%22Gran+Turismo%22+as+the+enjoyment,+excitement+and+comfort+of+open-road+touring |page=442 |title=Current Events |journal=Financial Mail |date=1983 |access-date=6 December 2015}}</ref>

* "It should be able to transport at least two in comfortcomfortably with their luggage and have room to spare — probably in the form of a two plus two seating arrangement."

Grand tourers emphasize comfort and handling over straight-out high performance or [[Asceticism|ascetic]], spartan accommodations. In comparison, [[sports car]]s (also a "much abused and confused term") are typically more "crude" compared to "sophisticated Grand Touring machinery".<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gaht86fdYhcC&q=crude+to+those+who+were+into+sophisticated+Grand+Touring+machinery,+there+was+no+doubt+that+this+was+truly,+in+every+sense+of+the+word,+a+sports+car.+It+was,+in+fact,+a+rolling,+moving+definition+of+that+much+abused+and+confused+term |page=80 |title=Shelby Cobra Gold Portfolio 1962~1969 |first=R.M. |last=Clarke |edition=Revised |publisher=Brooklands Books |year=1990 |isbn=9781855200234 |access-date=6 December 2015}}</ref> However, the popularity of using GT for marketing purposes has meant that it has become a "much misused term, eventually signifying no more than a slightly tuned version of a family car with [[Alloy wheels|trendy wheels]] and a [[Racing stripe|go-faster stripe]] on the side".<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YYe0huG3_2gC&q=GT+became+a+much+misused+term,+eventually+signifying+no+more+than+a+slightly+tuned+version+of+a+family+car+with+trendy+wheels+and+a+go-faster+stripe+on |page=197 |title=History of the Automobile |first=Peter |last=Roberts |publisher=Exeter Books |year=1984 |isbn=9780671071486 |access-date=6 December 2015}}</ref>

Historically, most GTs have been [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|front-engined with rear-wheel drive]], which createsoffering more cabin space for the cabin than [[rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout|mid-mounted]] engine layouts. Softer suspensions, greater storage, and more luxurious appointments add to their appeal.

File:Jaguar E-Type series 1 coupé 1964.jpg|Front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe: 1964 [[Jaguar E-Type]]. [[Automotive design]]ers call the position of the driver's hip close to the rear axle "close-coupled".<ref>{{cite news|url= http://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/automotive-design-terms/|title=From Pillar to Post: More Automotive Definitions |work=Ate Up With Motor |date=15 August 2009 |first=Aaron |last=Severson |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref>

* GTB: ''Gran turismo berlinetta''<ref>{{cite web |title=1966-1967 Ferrari 275 Gran Turismo Berlinetta Competizione Scaglietti |url= https://www.topspeed.com/cars/ferrari/1966-1967-ferrari-275-gran-turismo-berlinetta-competizione-scaglietti-ar166044.html |website=topspeed.com |date=26 December 2014 |access-date=7 March 2019}}</ref>

* GT/E: "''Gran turismo Einspritzung''" - the German word for '[[fuel injection]]'<ref>{{cite web |title=Audi 80 GT: ringing the changes |url= https://www.influx.co.uk/cars/audi-80-gt/ |website=influx.co.uk |access-date=7 March 2019 |date=13 March 2017}}</ref>

* GTi or GTI: "Grand touring [[fuel injection|injection]]", mostly used for hot hatches following the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf GTi<ref>{{cite web |title=What Does Golf GTI Stand For? |url= https://www.volkswagensantamonica.com/blog/what-does-golf-gti-stand-for/ |website=volkswagensantamonica.com |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

* GTO: "''Gran turismo omologato''" - the Italian word for '[[homologation (motorsport)|homologation]]'<ref>{{cite web |title=Ferrari 250 GTO (1962), "Gran Turismo Omologato" per i 39 esemplari della Rossa più famosa |url= https://www.motorionline.com/2017/11/24/ferrari-250-gto-1962-gran-turismo-omologato-per-i-39-esemplari-della-rossa-piu-famosa/ |website=motorionline.com |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=IT}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The definition of gran turismo omologato |url= https://www.dictionary.com/browse/gran-turismo-omologato |website=dictionary.com |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

File:Mitsu-3000GTVR4.jpg|1990 [[Mitsubishi 3000GT]] GTO: a [[liftback]] [[coupé]]

Italy developed the first ''gran turismo'' cars. The small, light-weight, and [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamic]] [[coupé]]s, named the "[[Berlinetta]]", originated in the 1930s. A contemporary French concept, known as "''grande routière''", emphasized style, elegance, luxury, and gentlemanly transcontinental touring; the ''grande routières'' were often larger cars than the Italian ''gran turismos''.<ref>This emphasis found favor with post-war British commentators as an English definition of the grand tourer. For reference see: ''Les Grandes Routières: France's Classic Grand Tourers'', Stobbs, William, 1990; and ''GT: The World's Best GT Cars 1953 to 1973'', Dawson, Sam, 2007. For examplars see: Bugatti Type 57S Aérolithe/Aéro Coupé/Atlantic, 1935–1938; and Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport, 1948–1951.</ref> Italian designers saw that compared to a [[MG T-type|traditional open two-seat sports car]], the increase in weight and frontal area of an enclosed cabin for the driver and mechanic could be offset by the benefits of [[Streamliner|streamlining]] to reduce [[Aerodynamic drag|drag]].<ref>Wood, p. 25.</ref> Independent ''carrozzeria'' ([[coachbuilder]]s) provided light and [[Weymann Fabric Bodies|flexible fabric coachwork]] for powerful short-wheelbase fast-touring [[chassis]] by manufacturers such as [[Alfa Romeo]]. Later, [[Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera|Carrozzeria Touring of Milan]] pioneered sophisticated ''[[superleggera]]'' (super light-weight) aluminum bodywork, allowing for even more aerodynamic forms.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.velocetoday.com/lifestyle/lifestyle_95.php |title=VeloceToday – Online Magazine for Italian Car Enthusiasts! |website=velocetoday.com|access-date=2 September 2016-09-02}}</ref> The additional comfort of an enclosed cabin was beneficial for the [[Mille Miglia]] road- race held in Italy's often wintry north.<ref name=":30">{{cite web|url= http://www.velocetoday.com/lifestyle/lifestyle_95.php |title=The Development of the Grand Touring car |work=Veloce Today |last1=Vack |first1=Pete |access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref>

The first car to be named "''gran turismo''" was the 1929 [[Alfa Romeo 6C|Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Turismo]], a sporting dual-purpose road/race chassis and engine specification that was available with a wide variety of body styles or ''[[Coachbuilder|carrozzeria]]''. The influential Weymann fabric-bodied ''berlinetta'' version by Carrozzeria Touring, "an early example of what we generally perceive to be a GT car",<ref name=":32" /> was winner of the [[Sedan (car)|Vetture Chiuse]] category at the 1931 Mille Miglia.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Mille_Miglia-1931-04-12.html |title=Mille Miglia 1931 |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref> An improved and [[Supercharger|supercharged]] version, the 6C 1750 GTC ''Gran Turismo Compressore'',<ref name=":32">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vIHDCwAAQBAJ&q=alfa+romeo+6c+1750+gt+berlinetta+touring&pg=PT58|title=Alfa Romeo Berlinas |last=Tipler |first=John |date=2016-03-18 March 2016 |publisher=Veloce Publishing |isbn=9781845849641|language=en}}</ref> won the [[Sedan (car)|Vetture a Guida Interna]] category of the 1932 Mille Miglia.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Mille_Miglia-1932-04-10.html |title=Mille Miglia 1932 |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref> The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was designed by Vittorio Jano,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2275/Alfa-Romeo-6C-1500-Sports-Two-Seater.html |title=1927 - 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Sports Two Seater |website=Ultimatecarpage.com |first=Wouter |last=Melissen |date=29 March 2005 |access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref> who would later be instrumental in the design of the 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT.<ref name=":24">{{cite web|url= http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-2007/114/lancia-aurelia |title=lancia-aurelia|date=7 July 2014-07-07|work=Motor Sport Magazine|access-date=20 April 2017-04-20|language=en}}</ref>

From the basic [[Fiat 508|Fiat 508 Balilla]] touring chassis came the SIATA<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/suffix/Fiat/Siata%20Balilla/Berlinetta%20Ghia.html|title=Fiat Siata Balilla Berlinetta Ghia - Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2017-04-18 April 2017}}</ref> and Fiat<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/suffix/Fiat/508CS%20MM/Berlinetta%20Ghia.html|title=Fiat 508CS MM Berlinetta Ghia - Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2017-04-18 April 2017}}</ref> aerodynamic ''gran turismo''-style ''Berlinetta Mille Miglias'' of 1933 and 1935.<ref name=":31">{{cite web|url= http://www.velocetoday.com/cars/cars_108.php|title=Balilla Berlinetta 'Mille Miglia'|website=Veloce Today |last1=Vack |first1=Pete |access-date=16 February 2016}}</ref> [[Siata]] was a Turin, Italy-based Fiat tuner, typical of a popular class of Italian artisan manufacturers of small ''gran turismo'', sports and racing cars—usually [[Fiat Automobiles|Fiat]] based—that came to be known in the 1970s as ''Etceterini'', such as [[Nardi (carmaker)|Nardi]], [[Abarth]], Ermini and, in 1946, [[Cisitalia]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.velocetoday.com/the-essential-etceterini/ |title=The Essential Etceterini|website=Veloce Today|last1=Vack|first1=Pete|access-date=16 February 2016}}</ref> The Fiat and SIATA ''berlinettas'', influenced by the successful [[Alfa Romeo 6C|Alfa Romeo 6C GT/GTC coupés]], competed in the Mille Miglia endurance race and were significant among Weymann and Superleggera enclosed sporting cars appearing in the 1930s. They featured tuned Fiat engine and chassis, and bespoke ''carrozzeria'', in common with the landmark post-war [[Cisitalia|Cisitalia 202 SC]], and are among the first [[Engine displacement|small-displacement]] ''gran turismos''.<ref name=":30" /><ref name=":31" /><ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.velocetoday.com/fiat-508-balilla-mille-miglia-berlinetta/ |title=Fiat 508 Balilla Mille Miglia Berlinetta |website=velocetoday.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-06-14 June 2017}}</ref>

File:Alfa-Romeo 6C-1750-GTC-Touring.JPG|[[Alfa Romeo 6C]] 1750 GTC Berlinetta [[Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera|''carrozzeriacc touring'']] Mille Miglia 1932

The first recognised motor race specifically for ''gran turismo'' cars was the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa held at [[Autodromo Nazionale Monza|Monza]]. It was initially hoped by Italian motor industry observers<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url= http://forums.autosport.com/topic/12501-1100cc-racing-in-the-fourties/?p=219831|title=1100cc Racing in the Forties |website=Autosport.com |last1=Silva|first1=Alessandro |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref> that the small and struggling Italian sports and racing car manufacturer, Cisitalia, would find in the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa regulations (initially called ''Turismo Veloce''<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.monzatoday.it/eventi/coppa-intereuropa.html |title=Coppa Intereuropa in Autodromo nel weekend|access-date=4 September 2016-09-04}}</ref> or Fast Touring) a category for its [[Cisitalia 202|Cisitalia Tipo 202 SC]]—the road-going production [[coupé]] version of Cisitalia's single-seat [[Cisitalia Grand Prix|D46]] racing car and two-seat 202 open sports car. However, the [[Fiat 1100|Fiat]]-based 1100 cc [[four-cylinder]] Cisitalia was no match on the race track for [[Ferrari 166 Inter|Ferrari's new hand-built 2000 cc V12]], and Ferrari dominated, taking the first three places.<ref name=":12">{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Monza-1949-05-29-4907.html|title=Coppa Inter-Europa 1949 |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref> An 1100 cc class was hurriedly created, but not in time to save Cisitalia's business fortunes—the company's bankrupt owner [[Piero Dusio]] had already decamped to Argentina.<ref name=":3" /> The [[Cisitalia|Cisitalia 202 SC]] gained considerable fame for the outstanding design of its [[Pinin Farina]] [[Coachbuilder|coachwork]], and is credited with greatly influencing the style of subsequent ''[[berlinetta]]'' or [[fastback]] ''gran turismo'' coupés. A Cisitalia 202 "GT" is exhibited at the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2002/autobodies/cisitalia.html |title=Cisitalia 202 GT |work=Museum of Modern Art |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref>

The [[Maserati A6|Maserati A6 1500]] won the 1500 cc class at the 1949 Coppa-Europa. It was driven by [[Franco Bordoni]], former [[Flying ace|fighter ace]] of the [[Regia Aeronautica]] who had debuted as a ''[[Racing driver|pilota da corsa]]'' at the 1949 [[Mille Miglia]].<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":112">{{cite web|url= http://histomobile.com/dvd_histomobile/fr/hommes/Franco_Bordoni_(1789).htm |title=Bordoni, Franco |website=histomobile.com |access-date=29 February 2016}}</ref> The A6 1500 was the first road going production car to be offered by the [[Maserati]] factory, featuring a [[tubular chassis]] with [[Independent suspension|independent front suspension]] and [[coil spring]]s, the 1500 cc [[Six-cylinder engine|six-cylinder]] being derived from the Maserati brothers pre-war ''[[voiturette]]'' racing engines. The body of the A6 1500 was an elegant two-door fast-back coupé body, also by Pinin Farina.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.thefinest.com/hershey-2016/1949-maserati-a6-1500-coupe |title=The Finest Automobile Auctions |access-date=1 December 2016-12-01|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170202000715/http://www.thefinest.com/hershey-2016/1949-maserati-a6-1500-coupe |archive-date=2 February 2017}}</ref>

Ferrari's response for the new Italian ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' championship in 1951 was the road/race [[Ferrari 212 Export|Ferrari 212]]. Twenty-seven short-wheelbase competition versions called Export, some with increasingly popular ''gran turismo''-style ''berlinetta'' coupé coachwork, were produced for enthusiasts (Ferrari called the very first example 212 ''MM''<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/5654/Ferrari-212-MM-Vignale-Berlinetta.html |title=Ferrari 212 MM Vignale Berlinetta |website=ultimatecarpage.com|access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.barchetta.cc/english/all.ferraris/detail/0070m.212mm.htm |title=0070M 51 212 MM (Export) Berlinetta Vignale |website=barchetta.cc |access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>) while the road version was called ''Inter''. The Ferrari 212 Export featured long-range fuel tanks, high compression pistons and triple [[Weber carburetor|Weber 32 DCF carburettors]]; power was 170&nbsp;bhp from the 2600cc [[Ferrari Colombo engine|Gioacchino Colombo-designed 'short-block' V12 engine]], evolved from the earlier Ferrari 166 (2000cc) and 195 (2300cc).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11148/Ferrari-212-Export.aspx |title=1951 Ferrari 212 Export |website=conceptcarz.com |access-date=2 March 2016}}</ref> All versions came with the standard Ferrari five-speed non-synchromesh gearbox and hydraulic drum brakes.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.conceptcarz.com/z23142/Ferrari-212-MM.aspx|title=1951 Ferrari 212 MM |website=conceptcarz.com |access-date=2 March 2016}}</ref> All 1951 Ferraris shared a double tube frame chassis design evolved from the 166. [[Double wishbone suspension|Double-wishbone front suspension]] with [[transverse leaf spring]], and [[Suspension (vehicle)|live rear axle]] with [[semi-elliptic leaf spring]]s and [[radius rod]]s were employed.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Development of the 250GT Ferrari|journal=Motor Sport|issue=March 1963|page=174|last1=D. S. J.}}</ref> The Ferrari 212 Export (212 MM) ''gran turismo berlinetta'' (chassis No. 0070M) debuted in first-place overall at the April 1951 Coppa Inter-Europa, driven by Luigi Villoresi,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Monza-1951-04-15.html|title=Europa 1951 > Race Results |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.barchetta.cc/english/all.ferraris/detail/0070m.212mm.htm |title=212 MM (Export) Berlinetta Vignale |website=barchetta.cc |access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> and in June (chassis no. 0092E) was first in the ''gran turismo'' category at the [[Coppa della Toscana]] driven by Milanese Ferrari concessionaire and proprietor of Scuderia Guastalla, Franco Cornacchia.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.barchetta.cc/english/all.ferraris/detail/0092e.212export.htm|title=212 Export s/n 0092E |website=barchetta.cc |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Coppa_della_Toscana-1951-06-03-4699.html|title=Coppa della Toscana 1951 – Race Results |work=Racing Sports Cars|access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://wsrp.wz.cz/nonchamp1951.html|title=Non Championship Races 1951 |work=World Sports Racing Prototypes |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/13164/lot/204/ |title=The ex-Franco Cornacchia, 1953 Coppa Intereuropa-winning,1952 Ferrari 212/225 Inter Berlinetta 0237EU |website=bonhams.com |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref> The 212 Export continued to serve Ferrari well in the Sports and GT categories until replaced by the 225 S, and although it would later be overshadowed by the internationally famous [[Ferrari 250|250 GT]], the 212 Export was an important model in the successful line of Colombo-engined V12 GT cars that made Ferrari legendary.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.supercars.net/cars/2310.html|title=1951→1952 Ferrari 212 Export |website=supercars.net |access-date=2 March 2016|date=2016-04-16 April 2016}}</ref>

1951 was the stunning debut of Lancia's [[:it:Lancia Aurelia B20|Aurelia B20 GT.]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.supercars.net/blog/1951%E2%86%921958-lancia-aurelia-b20-gt-coupe/ |title=1951→1958 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Coupé |date=2016-04-21 April 2016 |newspaper=Supercars.net |language=en-US|access-date=2016-11-30 November 2016}}</ref>

Four ''semi-ufficiali'' works B20 GTs, together with a number of privateer entrants, were sent to the Mille Miglia in April, 1951, where the factory [[Giovanni Bracco|Bracco]] / [[Umberto Maglioli|Maglioli]] car finished second overall, behind only a Ferrari sports racer of twice the engine capacity. Lancia Aurelias swept the GT 2.0 Liter division.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Mille_Miglia-1951-04-29.html|title=Mille Miglia 1951 – Race Results – Racing Sports Cars|website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2 September 2016-09-02}}</ref> In June 1951, Bracco was partnered with the "father of GT racing" himself, [[Giovanni Lurani|Johnny Lurani]], to race a B20 GT at Le Mans, where they were victorious in the 2.0 liter sportscar division, placing a very creditable 12th overall. A 1–2 finish at the famous Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.barchetta.cc/all.Ferraris/coppa-d-oro---story/index.html |title=Coppa d'Oro – Story |website=barchetta.cc |access-date=2 September 2016-09-02}}</ref> among other victories including the 6 Ore di Pescara,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thornleykelham.com/1950-ferrari-195s/1951-mille-miglia-lancia-aurelia-b20gt-series-1/#ad-image-3 |title=1951 ex-Mille Miglia, ex-Le Mans, Lancia Aurelia B20GT » Thornley Kelham |website=thornleykelham.com |access-date=2 September 2016 |archive-09date=5 August 2021 |archive-02url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805215841/https://www.thornleykelham.com/1950-ferrari-195s/1951-mille-miglia-lancia-aurelia-b20gt-series-1/#ad-image-3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> rounded out an astonishing debut racing season for this ground-breaking car, winning its division in the Italian GT Championship for Umberto Castiglioni in [[:it:Risultati sportivi della Lancia Aurelia|1951]]. Lancia B20 GTs would go on to win the over 2.0 liter Italian GT Championship in 1953, 1954 and 1955 with the [[Lancia Aurelia#Third series|B20-2500]].

=== 1952 Fiat 8V "Otto Vu" Zagato ===

A surprise to the international press,<ref name=":102">{{cite web|url= http://www.rmsothebys.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1064169 |title=1953 Fiat 8V Coupé by Ghia |work=RM Sotheby's |access-date=11 March 2016|date=2017-10-18}}</ref> who were not expecting a ''gran turismo berlinetta'' from Italy's largest manufacturer of everyday standard touring models, the [[Fiat 8V|Fiat 8V "Otto Vu"]] was unveiled at the [[Geneva Motor Show|Geneva Salon]] in March 1952 to international acclaim. Although not raced by the factory, the Otto Vu ''was'' raced by a number of private owners. Vincenzo Auricchio and Piero Bozzinio raced to fifth in the ''gran turismo'' category of the 1952 Mille Miglia, and Ovidio Capelli placed third in the GT 2000 cc class at the [[Coppa della Toscana]] in June, with a special race-spec lightweight [[Zagato]] coupe; the GT category overall at this event was won by Franco Cornacchia's Ferrari 212 Export (refer above).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Coppa_della_Toscana-1952-06-01.html |title=Quarta Coppa della Toscana 1952 > Race Results |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=11 March 2016}}</ref> Capelli and the 8V Zagato topped this accomplishment by winning the GT category of the Pescara 12 Hours in August, ahead of two Lancias.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Pescara-1952-08-16-2079.html|title=12 h Pescara 1952 > Race Results |work=Racin Sports Cars|access-date=11 March 2016}}</ref> The new Fiat 8V garnered sufficient competition points over the season to become the national two-liter GT Champion (a feat it repeated every year until 1959).

[[Elio Zagato]], the coachbuilder's son,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.zagato.it/en/timeline/|title=Timeline – Zagato |work=Zagato |access-date=2017-03-28 |language=en-US |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170328105708/http://www.zagato.it/en/timeline/ |archive-date=28 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> was successful in competition with the Otto Vu in 1954 and 1955,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Elio-Zagato-I.html |title=Elio Zagato |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=11 March 2016}}</ref> attracting further customer interest and leading Zagato to eventually develop two different GT racing versions.<ref name=":102" /> Upon his passing in 2009, Elio Zagato was described as a leading figure of Italian GT racing and design:

<blockquote>Elio Zagato, who has died aged 88, was one of the leading figures of Italian Gran Turismo (GT) racing and car-body design. In the 1950s, driving a Zagato-bodied Fiat 8V, Elio emerged as the consummate gentleman racer in Italian GT championship events. Zagato, his father's firm, provided the lithe, lightweight aluminium bodies for many of the Lancias, Alfa Romeos, Abarths and Maseratis that dominated these meetings. Elio won 82 races out of the 150 he entered, and won four of the five championships he entered. Working with the chief stylist [[Ercole Spada]], Zagato produced some of the most beautiful GT designs of the era; spare and muscular cars such as the [[Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato|Aston Martin DB4GTZ]], the [[Alfa Romeo Giulietta (750/101)|Alfa Romeo Junior TZ and SZ]], and the [[Lancia Flaminia|Lancia Flaminia Sport]]. These were minimalist shapes bereft of superfluous trim that introduced phrases such as "double bubble" roof to the car body design language: twin shallow domes, devised by Elio, to give extra head room and strengthen the roof. For lightness, Zagato pioneered the use of Perspex and of aerodynamics, with trademark forms such as the split or stub tail. Indeed, Elio would take prototypes out on the [[Autostrade of Italy|autostrada]] covered in wool tufts in order to test [[Aerodynamics|air flow]] over the body.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/oct/26/elio-zagato-obituary |title=Elio Zagato obituary| last=Buckley |first=Martin |date=2009-10-26 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2017-03-28 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref></blockquote>

The [[Germany|German]] automotive industry was devastated by the second World War, but in the post-war period a small number of firms brought it to prominence again.<ref name=":28" /> The emergence of the classic [[Porsche 356]] is covered in the accompanying [[sports car]] article. In 1957 author John Stanford wrote:<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/person/cecil-clutton |title=Book Review |date=June 1947 |work=Motor Sport Magazine (archive) |access-date=20 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1957/42/sports-car |title=Books for Christmas |date=December 1957 |work=Motor Sport Magazine (archive) |access-date=20 May 2017}}</ref> "The post-war [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] sports cars are in a way even more remarkable than those of [[Porsche]]. The firm was particularly badly hit by the war and it was several years before anything but a nominal production of cars could be undertaken. In 1951 appeared the [[Mercedes-Benz W186|"300"]], a luxurious and fast touring car with a single-camshaft six-cylinder engine of 2996 c.c. and chassis derived from the pre-war cars with swing-axle rear suspension. The [[Mercedes-Benz W188|"300S"]] was a three-carburetor edition, but in 1952 great interest was aroused by the almost invincible performance in sports-car racing of a team of prototype cars of extremely advanced and interesting design. By 1954 these had undergone sufficient development to be placed on the market as the [[Mercedes-Benz 300 SL|"300SL"]], one of the costliest and most desirable cars of our time. The conventional chassis has been abandoned in favor of a complex structure of [[Space frame|welded tubes]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/classic/history/mercedes-benz-300-sl-gullwing-w-198/ |title=Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing" (W 198) |date=2014-12-19 |website=mercedes-benz.com |access-date=2017-05-20|language=en-US}}</ref> although the coil spring suspension is retained, and exceptionally large brakes are fitted, inboard at the rear. The engine is sharply inclined to the near-side in the interests of a low bonnet-line, and with [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] [[fuel injection]] produces 240 b.h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. Claimed maximum speed is in excess of 160 m.p.h. and although the car is by no means small, [[dry weight]] has been kept to 23 [[Hundredweight|cwt]]. The depth of the multi-tubular frame prevents the use of conventional side-hinged doors and these cars are fitted with the roof-hinged "gull-wing" doors which characterize an exceedingly handsome and practical car. An open touring version is available. In competition the "300SL" has become a powerful contender, and abetted by the success of the [[Mercedes-Benz W196|Grand Prix cars]] [and "[[Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR|300 SLR]]"] has captured a substantial portion of the export market."<ref name=":28">{{cite book|title=The Sports Car: Development and Design |last=Stanford |first=John |publisher=B.T. Batsford |year=1957|pages=178–212|chapter=Since the War}}</ref>

File:Mercedes 300SL Coupe vr silver EMS(1240346857).jpg|[[Mercedes-Benz 300 SL]]

File:Mercedes-Benz 300SL300 CoupeSL hrGullwing silver(4361015614) EMS(cropped).jpg|Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

{{quote|In the Mille Miglia of 1956 the first of the lightweight grand touring ''coupés,'' driven by [[Olivier Gendebien|Gendebien]], battled with the Mercedes 300SL of [[Paul Alfons von Metternich-Winneburg|Metternich]] and Einsendel<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/Wittigo-Einsiedel-D.html |title=Wittigo Einsiedel (D) – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com |access-date=2017-01-21}}</ref> to come in fifth overall and first in G.T. over 2,000 c.c. The G.T. Ferrari had arrived!| Motor Ssport, March 1963.<ref name=":10" />}}

After its 1956 debut, the [[Ferrari 250|250 GT]] "went from strength to strength". Powered by the Colombo 250 engine, output was up to 240 b.h.p. at 7,000 r.p.m. A [[Wheelbase|short-wheelbase]] (SWB) version of the 250 chassis was employed for improved [[Automobile handling|handling and road-holding]] in corners, and top speed was up to 157 m.p.h.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal|year=1963|title=The Development of the 250GT Ferrari|journal=Motor Sport|volume=March|page=175}}</ref> In 1957 Gendebien finished third overall in the Mille Miglia, and won the "index of performance". [[Alfonso de Portago]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-real-story-of-the-man-known-as-portago-archived-feature |title=The Real Story of the Man Known as Portago – Archived Feature|language=en|access-date=2017-01-20 January 2017}}</ref> won the [[Tour de France Automobile|Tour de France]] and GT races at [[Montlhéry]] and [[Municipio XIII|Castelfusano]] in a lightweight [[Carrozzeria Scaglietti]] 250 GT. Gendebien became a ''gran turismo'' specialist in 250 GTs when he wasn't driving sports racing [[Ferrari TR|Ferrari ''Testa Rossas'']] ("Red Heads" for their red engine covers), achieving success in both the Giro Sicilia and Tour de France.

In November 2016, it was reported that a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was being offered for public sale—normally brokers negotiate deals between extremely wealthy collectors "behind closed doors". GTOs had previously been auctioned in 1990 and 2014. The 2017 sale was expected to reach US$56,000,000.00, the particular GTO concerned (the second of just thirty-six ever made) thus set to become the world's most expensive car.<ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/10/classic-ferrari-250-gto-set-to-become-worlds-most-expensive-car/ |title=Classic Ferrari 250 GTO set to become world's most expensive car with £45 million price tag|newspaper=The Telegraph|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-01-21 January 2017}}</ref>

The Italian [[Mille Miglia]] thousand-mile race, held from 1927 to 1957, was central to the evolution of the ''gran turismo'' concept. The event was one of the most important on the Italian motor-sport calendar and could attract up to five million spectators. Winning drivers such as [[Tazio Nuvolari]], [[Rudolf Caracciola]], and [[Stirling Moss]]; and manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, [[BMW]], Ferrari and [[Porsche]] would become household names.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://classiccartrust.com/millemiglia/ |title=Mille Miglia |work=Classic Car Trust|access-date=29 February 2016|date=2016-08-19 August 2016}}</ref>

File:Alfa Romeo 19388C 29002900B BBerlinetta Speciale Le Mans Touring 1938 Museo Storico OCT 2015 (cropped).jpg|1938 Alfa Romeo 2900B ''carrozzeria'' touring Le Mans

Italy's national governing body of motorsport was the ''Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana'' (CSAI).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.csai.aci.it/ |title=CSAI |website=csai.aci.it |access-date=2017-01-21 January 2017}}</ref> [[Giovanni Lurani|Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi]] (popularly known as Johnny Lurani) was a key commissioner.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/dl.htm |title=The Golden Era of GP Racing 1934–40 |website=kolumbus.fi |access-date=4 September 2016 |archive-09date=21 October 2021 |archive-04url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021034743/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/dl.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was also a senior member of the world governing body, the ''[[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]]'' (FIA).<ref name=":23">{{cite web|url= http://www.historicracing.com/driver_az.cfm?type=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=L&driverID=7749 |title=Giovanni Lurani, obit.|website=historicracing.com |last1=Silva|first1=Allesandro|access-date=15 February 2016 |url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160507173501/http://historicracing.com/driver_az.cfm?type=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=L&driverID=7749 |archive-date=7 May 2016}}</ref>

Lurani was instrumental in designing the regulations for the Italian 1937 ''Turismo Nazionale'' championship, whereby production vehicles approved by the CSAI were raced with the original chassis and engine layout as specified in the factory catalog and available for customers to buy;<ref>The concepts of production (or "touring") car racing and homologation (meaning "official approval") originate with the regulations for the inaugural [[1923 24 Hours of Le Mans|1923 24 Heures du Mans]], credited to: Charles Faroux, a motoring journalist for ''La Vie Automobile;'' Georges Durand, Secretary General of ''[[Automobile Club de l'Ouest|l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest]]''; and Emile Coquille, Managing Director of the French branch of the [[Rudge-Whitworth]] detachable-wire-wheel company. The regulations required for each entry a formal document swearing thirty identical examples had been produced conforming strictly to the manufacturer's catalog, and conceiving "of a day-long touring car race featuring the cars, equipment, accessories, fuels and lubricants normal motorists could actually buy" and "presaging the entire Grand Touring concept".--''Le Mans: Before the 24'' by Charles ("Chuck") Dressing, Radio Le Mans, Brumos Racing; originally published on www.speedvision.com in 2000.</ref> engines could be tuned and bored out, but the bodywork had to conform to regulations. The CSAI were concerned that FIA (known as AIACR at the time) '[[Sports car racing|Annexe C]]'<ref name=":21">{{cite web|url= http://historicdb.fia.com/regulations/period-appendix-c |title=Regulations - Period Appendix C {{!}} FIA Historic Database |website=historicdb.fia.com |access-date=2017-04-19 April 2017}}</ref> Sports cars were becoming little more than thinly-disguised two-seat [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]] racers, far removed from the cars ordinary motorists could purchase from the manufacturers' catalogs.<ref name=":19">{{cite web|url= http://forums.autosport.com/topic/36913-campionato-italiano-sport-1937-1965/?p=727413 |title=Campionato Italiano Sport 1937–1965 |work=Autosport |last1=McKinney |first1=David—editor/sub-editor, Motor Racing, Historic Race & Rally, Historic Racing, Victory LaneDavid |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref>

The CSAI was shut down by the Italian [[Fascism|Fascist]] government under [[Benito Mussolini|Mussolini]] at the end of 1937, and replaced with a new organization called FASI.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://8w.forix.com/40s-nice.html |title=8W – When? – Racing in the 40s |website=8w.forix.com |access-date=2016-11-30 November 2016|quote=A federation of teams and drivers affiliated with the Italian Olympic Committee.}}</ref> The [[National Fascist Party|Italian Fascists]], as in [[Nazi Germany]], sought control of motor racing as an important vehicle for national prestige and [[propaganda]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://eu.eot.su/2015/11/05/the-rule-of-italian-fascism-political-formation-and-fascist-practices-part-ii/ |title=The rule of Italian fascism |work=Essence of Time |access-date=15 February 2016 |date=5 November 2015-11-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.grandprixhistory.org/mille_miglia_history.htm |title=Mille Miglia - History |website=grandprixhistory.org |date=November 2007 |access-date=3 May 2017-05-03}}</ref><ref>"The nationalist Fascist government promoted Italian motorsport as one of the pillars of its sporting propaganda under Il Duce Benito Mussolini, who embraced motorsport as one of the most important activities of the new Fascist era."[http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp2701.htm --http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp2701.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630064926/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp2701.htm |date=30 June 2019 }}</ref> FASI replaced ''Turismo Nazionale'' with the less strictly regulated ''Sports Nazionale'' championship, which ran in 1938 and 1939.<ref name=":19" /><ref>"The nationalist Fascist government promoted Italian motorsport as one of the pillars of its sporting propaganda under Il Duce Benito Mussolini, who embraced motorsport as one of the most important activities of the new Fascist era."--http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp2701.htm</ref>

The first [[Sports car racing|race]] specifically for grand touring motor cars (at the time the regulations, designed by Johnny Lurani,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://8w.forix.com/40s-nice.html|title=8W – When? – Racing in the 40s |website=8w.forix.com |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref> were actually called "''turismo veloce''", or 'fast touring')<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.monzatoday.it/eventi/coppa-intereuropa.html |title=Coppa Intereuropa in Autodromo nel weekend |work=MonzaToday |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref><ref name=":9" /> was the 1949 [[:it:Coppa Intereuropa|Coppa Inter-Europa]],<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url= http://www.doubledeclutch.com/?m=201104|title=April 2011 |website=doubledeclutch.com |access-date=5 September 2016-09-05}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{cite web|url= http://motori.corriere.it/motori/attualita/15_giugno_18/a-monza-coppa-intereuropa-pista-bolidi-campioni-e48e497e-15b4-11e5-8c76-9bc6489a309c.shtml?refresh_ce-cp |title=A Monza la coppa IntereuropaIn pista i bolidi dei campioni|language=it-IT|access-date=2 September 2016-09-02|date=2015-06-18 June 2015}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{cite web|url= http://www.newsauto.it/racing-gare-sport/storiche-epoca/16-06-2016/monza-63-coppa-intereuropa-storica-programma-60851/ |title=Monza 63^ Coppa Intereuropa Storica |website=newsauto.it |access-date=4 September 2016-09-04|date=15 June 2016-06-15}}</ref> held over three hours on 29 May, at the 6.3 kilometer [[Autodromo Nazionale Monza|Autodromo Nazionale di Monza]] (Italy).<ref name=":12" /> It was won by a limited production, V-12 engined, Ferrari 166 "inter", originally known as the "sport", with a coupé body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan with the Superleggera system.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.automotivemasterpieces.com/1948ferrari166sportsn005s.html |title=1948 Ferrari 166 Sport Sn005S |website=automotivemasterpieces.com|language=en-gb|access-date=3 May 2017-05-03}}</ref>

After this race, governing body CSAI officially introduced a new category, called ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'', for 1950.<ref name=":4">{{cite book|title=Alfa Romeo & Mille Miglia|date=2010 |publisher=Giorgio Nada Editore|isbn=978-88-7911-504-9 |location=Vimodrone (Milano)|pages=112, 115|last1=Curami|first1=Andrea}}</ref> The regulations were drawn up by Johnny Lurani and fellow Italian motor racing journalist and organizer Corrado Filippini,<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.velocetoday.com/racing/racing_19.php |title=VeloceToday – |website=velocetoday.com |access-date=4 September 2016-09-04}}</ref> requiring for qualification the production of thirty models per year,<ref name="Ottu Vu - Fiat's Masterpiece"/> thereby ruling out, for the time being, Ferrari's hand-built ''berlinettas''. Nonetheless, Ferrari 166 (including the upgraded MM - Mille Miglia - version) were produced and raced in sports car categories as both open ''barchettas'' and closed ''berlinettas,'' including winning the 1950 Mille Miglia outright.<ref name=":25" /><ref name=":26">{{cite web|url= http://www.grandprixhistory.org/mille_miglia_1950.htm |title=Mille Miglia - 1950 |website=grandprixhistory.org |date=29 August 2010 |access-date=4 May 2017-05-04}}</ref>

On the third weekend of April 1950, it was the occasion of the annual Mille Miglia, one-thousand miles from Brescia to Rome and back over closed public roads, to include a ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' category for the first time: twenty-four GT cars were entered, including [[Alfa Romeo 6C|Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS coupé touring]], Cisitalia 202B ''berlinetta'' and [[Fiat 1100 (1937)|Fiat 1100 S]] coupé. The field was rounded out by a solitary Fiat-based [[Siata Daina]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/entry/Mille_Miglia-1950-04-23.html|title=Mille Miglia 1950 Entry List |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=29 February 2016}}</ref> Alfa Romeo took first place in the ''Gran Turismo'' ''Internazionale'' category (a creditable tenth overall) and also second place in category, followed by three Cisitalias. The overall race winning [[Ferrari 195 S]] was also a ''gran turismo''-style coupé, but in the over 2,000 sports car class—in fact a special 166MM/195S ''Berlinetta Le Mans'', chassis No. 0026MM, famously driven by [[Gianni Marzotto|Giannino Marzotto]] in a double-breasted suit, "a fitting advertisement for his family's textile business".<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.barchetta.cc/english/All.Ferraris/Detail/0026M.166MM.htm |title=166 MM s/n 0026M |website=barchetta.cc |access-date=4 May 2017-05-04}}</ref><ref name=":26" /><ref name=":25">{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Mille_Miglia-1950-04-23.html |title=Mille Miglia 1950 Results |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=29 February 2016}}</ref>

Schwelm Cruz and Alfa Romeo repeated their success in the 1950 Targa Florio and Mille Miglia by winning the ''gran turismo'' category at the Coppa della Toscana in June.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Coppa_della_Toscana-1950-06-04.html |title=II. Coppa della Toscana |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=1 March 2016}}</ref> An Alfa Romeo 6C 2500, driven by Salvatore Amendola, was also victorious in the ''gran turismo'' category of the [[Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti]] in July, run through the [[Dolomites|Dolomite Mountains]], starting and finishing in the town of [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Coppa_delle_Dolomiti-1950-07-16.html |title=Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=1 March 2016}}</ref> An Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 took the ''gran turismo'' honours again at the Giro delle Calabria in August.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Giro_delle_Calabria-1950-08-06.html |title=Giro delle Calabria |work=Racing Sports Cars |access-date=1 March 2016}}</ref> The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was based on a pre-war design, and is considered by some to be the last of the classic Alfa Romeos.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.supercars.net/cars/2617.html |title=1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport |website=supercars.net |access-date=1 March 2016|date=2016-04-24 April 2016}}</ref>

For 1951, the CSAI organized an Italian national championship for the ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' category in four classes: 750, 1,500, 2,000, and over 2,000 cc. Interest was attracted from manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat and SIATA. The championship was held over ten events, including all the classic long-distance road races (the Giro di Sicilia, the Mille Miglia, the Coppa della Toscana, the Giro dell'Umbria, the Coppa d' Oro delle Dolomiti, the Giro delle Calabrie and the Stella Alpina) as well as three circuit races (the Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza, the Circuito di Caracalla night-race in Rome, and the 6 Ore di Pescara).<ref>{{cite book|title=Porsche & Mille Miglia|date=2004|publisher=Giorgio Nada Editore|isbn=978-88-7911-320-5 |location=Vimodrone (Milan – Italy)|page=15|last1=Curami|first1=Andrea}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.roadbookmagazine.ch/fr_FR/ottovu-fiat/ |title=OttoVu, le chef d'œuvre de Fiat |work=RoadBook Magazine |access-date=2 March 2016}}</ref>

Prior to 1954, internationally agreed motor-sport regulations existed only for racing cars and sports cars (FIA Appendix C).<ref name=":21" /> After a testy initial period,<ref name=":16" /> the FIA introduced for the 1954 motor racing calendar new "Appendix J"<ref name=":15">{{cite web|url= http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/whistj?open |title=FIA Historic Appendicies J - of the Period |website=argent.fia.com |access-date=2017-03-31 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= http://historicdb.fia.com/regulations/period-appendix-j |title=Regulations - Period Appendix J {{!}} FIA Historic Database |website=historicdb.fia.com|access-date=2017-04-19 April 2017}}</ref> regulations covering production touring cars, tuned special touring cars, ''gran turismo'' cars, and production sports cars. This was the first officially sanctioned international recognition of the ''gran turismo'' category.<ref name=":16" />

The 1954 ''gran turismo'' regulations stipulated cars for personal transport with closed bodywork built by the manufacturer of the chassis, although open bodies and special coachwork were admissible if listed in the official catalog of the manufacturer of the chassis and if the weight of the car was at least the same as the closed standard model. Minimum production was 100 cars during 12 months and cars needed to have only two seats.<ref name=":16">{{cite web|url= http://forums.autosport.com/topic/158484-fia-touring-rules-1952/|title=FIA touring rules 1952 – Historical Research, in memory of David McKinney |work=The Autosport Forums|access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

''Gran turismo'' categories (under 1500 and over 1500) were first included in round three of the [[1954 World Sportscar Championship|1954 FIA World Sports Car Championship]] at the Mille Miglia (the first placed GT being the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT of Serafini and Mancini).<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Mille_Miglia-1954-05-02.html|title=Mille Miglia 1954 – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref> GT entries would become a regular feature alongside their sports car brethren at international races from this time forward: GTs raced in world championship rounds at the Targa Florio from 1955, [[6 Hours of Nürburgring|Nürburgring]] from 1956, [[12 Hours of Sebring|Sebring]] from 1957, [[24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans]] from 1959, and [[1000 km Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]] from 1960 (from which year every round of the world championship included GT cars). In 1960 and 1961 an FIA ''Coupé de Grand Tourisme'' (Grand Touring Cup) was awarded.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/championship/World%20Championship.html|title=World Sportscar Championship – Championships – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{cite web|url= http://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/wscc/nf_ms_home.html|title=World Sportscar Championship |website=classicscars.com|access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xn6eOh525AYC&q=FIA+Coup%C3%A9+de+Grand+Tourisme&pg=PA15 |title=Alfa Romeo Tipo33: The Development, Racing, and Chassis History|last1=McDonough|first1=Ed|last2=Collins|first2=Peter|date=2006-03-18 March 2006|publisher=Veloce Publishing Ltd|isbn=9781904788713|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/championship/FIA%20GT%20Cup.html|title=FIA GT Cup – Championships – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref>

File:Ferrari23NTBC 25016 gt- Ferrari.jpg|Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 1956 -1961

File:Bonhams - The Paris Sale 2012 - Aston Martin DB4GT Coupé - 1961DB4 -GT 017LC22.jpg|Aston Martin DB4 GT 1961

In 1962 the FIA, addressing concerns to reduce the speeds attained in sports car racing following the disastrous accident at [[1955 Le Mans disaster|Le Mans in 1955]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Ferrari 250 GT, Tour de France |last=Starkey |first=John |publisher=Veloce Publishing |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-845847-53-1|pages=15–17}}</ref> shifted focus from Appendix C sports cars to production based GT cars of Appendix J.<ref name=":11" /> The previous World Sportscar Championship title was discontinued, being replaced by the [[1962 World Sportscar Championship|International Championship for GT Manufacturers]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/wscc/tablemsmakes.html |title=World Championship - final positions and tables |website=classicscars.com |access-date=19 April 2017-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/wsc.html |title=World Sports Car Championship |last=Galpin |first=Darren |website=teamdan.com |access-date=19 April 2017-04-19|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055916/http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/wsc.html |archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> won by the Ferrari 250 GTO in [[1962 World Sportscar Championship|1962]], [[1963 World Sportscar Championship|1963]] and [[1964 World Sportscar Championship|1964]].<ref name=":14">{{cite web|url= http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2006/04/the-cobra-ferrari-wars/ |title=The Cobra Ferrari Wars|date=2006-04-22 April 2006 |work=The Truth About Cars |access-date=1 April 2017-04-01 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":17" />

The period 1963–1965 is famous for the "Cobra Ferrari wars",<ref name=":17">{{cite web|url= http://www.thecobraferrariwars.com/ |title=The Cobra Ferrari Wars 1963–1965 |website=thecobraferrariwars.com |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017}}</ref> a rivalry between American former-racing driver and Le Mans winner [[Carroll Shelby]] ([[1959 24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans 1959]], [[Aston Martin DBR1|Aston Martin DBR1/300]]),<ref name=":14" /> and Enzo Ferrari, whose 250 GTs were the dominant grand touring cars of the time. Shelby retired from driving due to a heart condition,<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":18">{{cite web|url= http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/sports-cars/appreciating-carroll-shelby |title=Appreciating Carroll Shelby |date=2012-05-14 May 2012 |work=Motor Sport Magazine |access-date=2017-04-19 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> returning to California from Europe in 1959 with the idea to marry the [[AC Ace]] sports car chassis with [[Ford Windsor engine|Ford's V-8 small-block]] engine: the resulting [[AC Cobra|Shelby AC Cobra]] was a sales success.<ref name=":18" /> Like Enzo, Shelby sold road cars to support his racing team, and like Ferrari the Cobra was a success on the track, at least on the short circuits common in the United States.<ref name=":18" /> On the longer tracks prevalent in Europe however, the Cobra's crude aerodynamics could not compete with the sleek 180 mph Ferrari 250 GTOs: even fitted with a removable roof the Cobra's top speed was 150&nbsp;mph.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.supercars.net/blog/1962%E2%86%921963-ferrari-250-gto-2/ |title=1962→1963 Ferrari 250 GTO |date=2016-04-24 April 2016 |website=supercars.net |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":14" /> At the [[1963 24 Hours of Le Mans]], a Cobra placed seventh; Ferraris placed first to sixth.<ref name=":13">{{cite web|url= http://jalopnik.com/281644/shelby-cobra-daytona-coupe |title=Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe |last=Lieberman |first=Jonny |work=Jalopnik |date=24 July 2007 |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> Shelby team engineer [[Pete Brock]]<ref name=":14" /> hand-designed a [[Wunibald Kamm|Kamm]]-backed aerodynamic body for the Cobra, creating the [[Shelby Daytona|Shelby Daytona coupe]], and a showdown with Ferrari was set.<ref name=":13" /><ref>{{cite web|url= http://jalopnik.com/284200/ferrari-250-gto |title=Ferrari 250 GTO |last=Lieberman |first=Jonny |work=Jalopnik |date=31 July 2007 |access-date=2017-03-28 March 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>