ANDREW MCCREDIE / PAULA REISNER
Features
The history of sports car maker Intermeccanica published for the first time
Intermeccanica cars are highly collectible and are still made today
A David vs. Goliath story which spans half a century and three continents
Frank Reisner defied the odds to keep his extraordianry company afloat
Intermeccanica worked with legendary car designers on some of the most famous sports cars ever produced
Classic techniques melded with modern production
Images from the Reisner family albums.
Description
Frank Reisner, a Hungarian-born Canadian, turned a youthful passion for cars into one of the worlds most famous small sports car building companies. From modest beginnings in Turin, Intermeccanica designed and produced a dozen different and exciting models that shook the motoring world in the 60s and 70s.
Synopsis
From modest beginnings based in the automotive mecca of Turin, Italy throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, Intermeccanica 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. Most notable of these models are the Apollo, the Italia and the Indra.
From there it was on to California, where Reisner 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, BC, Canada 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.
Additional Information
Models covered: (Note: All Intermeccanica models)
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, 1996-present Kubelwagen