Automobili Turismo E Sport

Automobili Turismo E Sport

ATS (Automobili Turismo e Sport) was an Italian automotive constructor and racing team that operated between 1963 and 1965, formed after the famous "Palace Revolution" at Ferrari.

The company was formed by Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini, among others – intending for it to be a direct competitor to Ferrari both on the race track and on the street. Chiti and Bizzarrini built, with sponsorship from the Scuderia Serenissima's Count Giovanni Volpi, a road-going sports car and a Formula One car.

The sports car was the ATS 2500 GT, a small coupé developed by Chiti and Bizzarrini with a bodywork built by Allemano. The engine was a mid-mounted 2.5 L V8 engineered by Chiti, capable of achieving 245 hp (180 kW) and accelerating to 257 km/h (160 mph). Only 12 cars were reportedly built, and few exist today.

The F1 car was the Tipo 100, a 1.5 L V8 engine powering a chassis that was a virtual copy of the outdated Ferrari 156. Drivers Phil Hill and Giancarlo Baghetti, also fleeing from Ferrari during a period of political turmoil, were signed to drive the new car, but a dismal season forced Chiti to close the door on the racing team. The ATS would later be used in the Derrington-Francis F1 project spearheaded by Stirling Moss's former mechanic, Alf Francis.

Count Volpi subsequently backed the Serenissima marque which used much technology similar to ATS. Bruce McLaren used a Serenissima engine for a few Grands Prix in 1966.

After the demise of ATS, Bizzarrini moved to Lamborghini before building his own cars as Bizzarrini, while Chiti founded Autodelta, which would work closely with Alfa Romeo for the following decades.

in 2012, 50 year after, ATS starts to build 2 new cars: ATS SPORT 1000 and 2500 GT.