Nazzaro
Italy.
Nazzaro Fabbrica Automobili was an early Italian automobile manufacturer closely tied to the pioneering years of motorsport and the birth of Italy’s performance-driven car culture.
The company was founded in 1904 in Turin, Italy, by Felice Nazzaro, one of the most celebrated racing drivers of the early 20th century. Turin at the time was Italy’s automotive capital, home to firms like FIAT, Itala, SPA, and Diatto. Nazzaro’s reputation as a fearless and technically astute driver gave the brand instant credibility.
Unlike many manufacturers founded by industrialists, Nazzaro was created by a racing driver for racing-minded automobiles—a philosophy that strongly shaped its products.
Felice Nazzaro (1874–1948) was among the greatest drivers of the pre-WWI era. His victories included the Targa Florio (1907), the French Grand Prix (1907) and multiple wins driving for FIAT, including the legendary 130 HP racer.
Nazzaro produced high-quality touring and sporting cars, typically powered by large-displacement four-cylinder engines. Although smaller than FIAT or Itala, Nazzaro cars were respected in long-distance road races and reliability trials, where durability mattered as much as speed. The brand benefited from Felice Nazzaro’s fame, but it never scaled up to industrial volumes.
By the early 1910s, competition in the Italian automobile industry intensified. Large manufacturers with greater capital began to dominate, and small specialist firms struggled. Production at Nazzaro slowed significantly, and the company ceased automobile manufacturing before World War I, likely around 1915–1916.
