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A '''grand tourer''' ('''GT''') is a type of [[car]] that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving
The term is a near-[[calque]] from the [[Italian language]] phrase ''gran turismo'', which became popular in the English language
==Origin in Europe==
The grand touring car concept originated in Europe in the early 1950s,<ref name=":27" /> especially with the 1951 introduction of the [[Lancia Aurelia|Lancia Aurelia B20 GT]],<ref name="dawson" /><ref name=":0" /> and features notable luminaries of Italian automotive history such as [[Vittorio Jano]],<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db2=LWF&db=ct&n=78 |title= Vittorio Jano |work= The Motorsport Memorial |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref> [[Enzo Ferrari]]<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/keith-botsford/the-pride-and-passion-of-enzo-ferrari/ |title= The pride and passion of Enzo Ferrari: CAR+ archive, August 1977 |date=24 September 2015 |work=CAR Magazine |first= Keith |last=Botsford |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.grandprixhistory.org/fer_bio_main.htm |title=Enzo Ferrari - Biography |work=grand prix history |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref> and [[Giovanni Lurani|Johnny Lurani]].<ref name=":23" /> [[Motorsport]]s became important in the evolution of the grand touring concept, and grand touring entries are important in [[Sports car racing|endurance sports-car racing]]. The grand touring definition implies material differences in performance, speed, comfort, and amenities between elite cars and those of ordinary motorists.
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 |
==Characteristics==
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
According to Sam Dawson, news editor of ''[[Classic Cars (magazine)|Classic Cars]]'', "the ideal is of a car with the ability to cross a continent at speed and in comfort yet provide driving thrills when demanded" and it should exhibit the following:<ref name="dawson"/>
* The engines "should be able to cope with cruising comfortably at the upper limits on all continental roads without drawbacks or loss of usable power".
* "Ideally, the GT car should have been devised by its progenitors as a Grand Tourer, with all associated considerations in mind."
* "It should be able to transport at least two
* The design, both "inside and out, should be geared toward complete control by the driver".
* Its "chassis and [[Suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] provide suitable handling and roadholding on all routes" during travels.
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]],
<gallery widths="240" heights="180">
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>
File:Jaguar XJ-S rear seats.jpg|Rear seats of a 1982 [[Jaguar XJ-S]] HE coupe, showing the 2+2 seating layout
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Among the many variations of GT are:
* GTA: ''Gran turismo alleggerita'' - the Italian word for 'lightweight'. ''GTAm'' indicates a modified version. GTA is also sometimes used for [[automatic transmission]] models.
* 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>
* GTC: Various uses including ''gran turismo compressore'' for [[supercharger|supercharged]] engines, ''gran turismo [[convertible|cabriolet]]'', ''gran turismo'' compact, ''gran turismo'' crossover and ''gran turismo corsa'' - the Italian word for 'racing'.
* GTD: "''Gran turismo'' diesel"
* 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>
* GTE: "Grand touring [[station wagon|estate]]"
* 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>
* GTR or GT-R: "''Gran turismo'' and racing"
* GTS: sometimes "''Gran turismo'' spider" for [[convertible]] models. However, GTS has also been used for [[saloon (car)|saloons]] and other body styles.
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Grand touring car design evolved from [[Vintage car|vintage]] and [[History of the automobile|pre-World War II]] fast [[touring car]]s and [[Streamliner|streamlined]] [[Coupé|closed]] [[sports car]]s.<ref name=":22">{{cite book|title=Speed in Style: The Origins and Development of the Grand Touring Car |last=Wood |first=Jonathan |publisher=Patrick Stephens |year=1991 |isbn=9781852600808 |page=11}}</ref>
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
===1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GT===
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===1935 Fiat 508 Balilla S ''berlinetta''===
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=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=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=14 June 2017}}</ref>
<gallery widths="240" heights="180">
File:Alfa-Romeo 6C-1750-GTC-Touring.JPG|[[Alfa Romeo 6C]] 1750 GTC Berlinetta [[Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera|''carrozzeriacc touring'']] Mille Miglia 1932
File:Fiat 508-S-Balilla BerlMM.JPG|[[Fiat 508]] Balilla S ''berlinetta'' Mille Miglia 1935
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=== 1951 Ferrari 212 Export ===
Ferrari's response for the new Italian ''Gran Turismo Internazionale'' championship in 1951 was the road/race [[Ferrari 212 Export|Ferrari 212]].
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<blockquote>This outwardly conventional saloon bristled with innovation and ingenuity, in which the masterly hand of [[Vittorio Jano]] is apparent. In the B20 are elements of the Cistalia of 1947, coupés which Pinin undertook on a 6C Alfa Romeo and Maserati in 1948, along with the Fiat 1100 S coupé with its rear accommodation for children. The original Aurelia had been under-powered and, in 1951, the V6 was enlarged to 1991 cc, which was also extended to the coupé, though in 75 rather than 70 bhp form as the B20 was developed as a sporting model in its own right. In addition the B20 had a shorter wheelbase and a higher rear axle ratio, making it a 100 mph car. Lancia chose the ''Gran Turismo'' name for its new model and the suggestion could only have come from Vittorio Jano himself, for had he not been responsible for the original 1750 Alfa Romeo of the same name back in 1929?<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>
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}}</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}}</ref> among other victories including the 6 Ore di Pescara,<ref>{{cite web |url=
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=== 1952 Fiat 8V
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.
[[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 8V Otto Vu earned its name courtesy of its high-performance V8 engine (Ford having already trademarked "V8").
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=== 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ===
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.
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1953 saw the first serious attempt to series produce the Ferrari motor car, two models of the [[Ferrari 250|Type 250 Europa]] being produced. The cars were an evolution of the previous models, available with either the [[Ferrari Colombo engine|Colombo]] or [[Ferrari Lampredi engine|Lampredi]] versions of the 250 V12 engine, coil spring front suspension, an improved sports gearbox (four speeds) with [[Porsche]] [[Manual transmission|synchromesh]], large [[drum brake]]s and luxurious outfitting. A few appeared in motorsports but did not initially threaten the international [[Mercedes-Benz 300 SL]] and [[Porsche 356]] competition.<ref name=":10" />
{{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.
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=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.
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===1937–1948 CSAI===
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=21 January 2017}}</ref> [[Giovanni Lurani|Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi]] (popularly known as Johnny Lurani) was a key commissioner.<ref>{{cite web |url=
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=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=
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=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}}</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}}</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>
Postwar, the CSAI was re-established and in 1947 Italian national championships were held for both ''Sports Internazionale'' (FIA Annexe C sports cars) and ''Sports Nazionale''. ''Sports Nazionale'' was abolished in 1948, creating the opportunity for a new category in 1949.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://forums.autosport.com/topic/36913-campionato-italiano-sport-1937-1965/?p=727526 |title=Campionato Italiano Sport 1937–1965 |website=Autosport.com |last1=Silva |first1=Alessandro |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/championship/Italian%20Championship%20Sport.html |title=Campionato Italiano Sport |work=Racing Sports Cars|access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref>
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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=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=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}}</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|date=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|date=15 June 2016}}</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}}</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}}</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''.
=== 1950 Mille Miglia ===
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=== 1951 Campionato Gran Turismo Internazionale ===
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.
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