​History of the car

Chassis no. 1855

Engine no. 1556
Coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti 

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It is impossible not to admire it, not to give credit to these little magicians of the 50s. This piece of jewelry is neither a Ferrari nor a Maserati, it is a wonderful one Ermini 357 Sport 1500 from 1955.

Pasquale Ermini, a former driver and pre-war racing mechanic of great experience, specialised largely in the 1100cc national class, notable owners including Piero Scotti, who won his class in the 1950 Giro di Siclia, Targa Florio, Tuscany Cup and other important races, becoming Italian 1100ccc Champion before moving on to Ferraris…’ – The Encyclopaedia of Motor Sport, 1971.

This charming little FIAT-derived competition car is typical of the great upsurge of small independent Italian racing car constructors, whose products populated the circuits and hill climbs of Italy in the years immediately after WW2. Like many of his contemporaries, Pasquale Ermini used FIAT components for his limited edition sports-racers, which were mainly intended for competition in the popular 1100cc class. Typically, Ermini’s own cars used a tubular chassis designed by Gilco (Gilberto Colombo) and were powered by engines constructed around the FIAT 1100 cylinder block. The twin-cam Ermini engine was an immediate success and was sold to many competitors, finding its way into a variety of chassis. There was also a pretty Frua-bodied 1300 Coupé.
A very important Italian barchetta made by Ermini in 1955, this particular car competed twice in the Mille Miglia, in 1956 and 1957, and has taken part in the modern evocation of the famous Italian road race on no fewer than 15 occasions. Chassis number ‘1855’ is one of the three Tipo 357s bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti in Modena and seems to be the only surviving example with the wonderful Ermini 1,431cc four-cylinder engine.