Intermeccanica, from its modest beginnings in the automotive
mecca of Turin, Italy, conceived, designed and produced a dozen different
models that shook the motoring world and went on to find homes in museums and
collections from Europe to the United States to Japan.
The most notable of the models produced in the 1960s and
1970s were the Apollo, the Italia and the Indra.
From there it was on to California, where Frank
Reisner, a Hungarian-born American, revolutionised the Porsche replicar market
with his groundbreaking fibreglass Speedster design, followed by the Roadster
RS, which the company continues to produce at its Vancouver headquarters.
Along the way, Reisner and Intermeccanica dealt with, and in one case sued, the
largest automotive manufacturers in the world, all the while maintaining an
independent streak and maverick spirit that would come to define the man and
his company.
This is the first published history of Intermeccanica, a
David versus Goliath story which spans half a century and three continents.
Intermeccanica: The Story of the Prancing Bull features images from the Reisner
family albums, examines the combination of classic techniques and modern
production the company employed and reveals how Reisner defied the odds to keep
his extraordinary company afloat.
Among the models featured are the 1960 Formula Junior, 1960
IMP, 1961-63 Apollo GT, 1965 Griffith, 1966 Omega, 1966 Vette Ventura,. 1966
Vetro Titiana, 1966-70 Torino/Italia, 1967-69 Murena, 1969 Italia IMX, 1970
Centaur, 1971-74 Indra, 1974-75 Squire, 1976-present Speedster, 1980 Lexington,
1981-present Roadster RS and 1996-present Kubelwagen.