INTERMECCANICA

Initially, the company made tuning kits. The first car was a Formula Junior single-seater using a Peugeot engine, in 1960, which was followed by 21 aluminium-bodied Intermeccanica-Puch (IMP) 500 cc-engined cars, of which one won at the Nürburgring.

Larger American V8 engines were used in the Apollo GT, of which 88 cars were made for International Motor Cars, from 1961 to 1965. The Veltro prototype, however, had a small Ford Anglia-sourced engine. These cars and some other prototypes were designed by Franco Scaglione. The Italia was a larger GT sports car, of which approximately 500 were made, from 1966 to 1972, followed by eleven Murena GT models in 1971. The same year, with Erich Bitter and Opel, Intermeccanica developed the Indra, followed by a few years of assembling the Squire car.

The company relocated to Santa Ana, California, in 1975 and started to build replica cars, such as the Porsche 356 Speedster in 1976 and Checker Taxi in 1979. It is now known as Intermeccanica International Inc., and has been based in Vancouver since 1982.

Intermeccanica today manufactures the Roadster, a replica of the 1959 Porsche 356 convertible, as well as offering a replica of the 1940 World War 2 Volkswagen Kubelwagen "Type 82". Other products include a 1958 Speedster and "turbo look" versions of both the Roadster and Speedster.

Intermeccanica was founded in Turin, Italy, in 1959. Its first project was speed equipment kits for Renault, Simca, Peugeot, and DKW. Kits consisted of dual throat carburetors, intake manifolds, high-performance cams and oil filters.

A full line of free-flow exhaust systems was developed for 50 or more European cars in cooperation with an Italian tube company. These were marketed under the Intermeccanica label everywhere but North America, and sold particularly well in South Africa. In North America, they were distributed by Stebro, who eventually made the systems themselves.

In 1960, from modifications of Peugeot engines a Formula Junior de-stroked, a counterweighted engine was developed, using the facilities of Conrero. A Formula Junior racing car, one of the first with a rear engine, was also built and sold. When the English Formula Juniors with Ford-based engines in the rear came out a few months later, the IM was outclassed. However, about ten engines were sold.

A small aluminium two-seater coupe was developed by Intermeccanica, based on the Austrian Puch 500. The Puch was a hybrid, with part Fiat 500 chassis and body and part Puch mechanicals, namely a 500  cc air-cooled opposed twin engine, special brakes, and transmission. After a presentation of the prototype car to Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG in Graz, Austria, 21 of these small coupés were built. Some were touring cars, and some lightened for racing. The IMP won the 500  cc class one year at Nurburgring.

During 1961–1963, the Apollo GT body was developed by Intermeccanica for International Motor Cars, a company based in Oakland, California. There was one aluminium prototype completed by Intermeccanica. The company then supplied body/chassis units in steel to International Motor Cars; final assembly was done by IMC, using the new Buick aluminium V8 engine and all Buick running gear. The cars were upholstered in leather and used Borrani wire wheels. Altogether 77 coupés (including the original alloy prototype and a 2+2 prototype) and 11 convertible Apollos were built between 1961 and 1965. In 1963 Intermeccanica exhibited the Apollo coupe at the Turin Automobile Show.

In 1965 the prototype Apollo 2 + 2 was built and exhibited at the New York Automobile Show. It was judged best of the show. Also, a Mustang station wagon prototype was built for some J. Walter Thompson advertising agency partners. The car was presented as an idea car to Ford Motor Company.

A prototype English Ford 106E based car was built, called the Veltro.

In 1966, a new project was started with Jack Griffith of Long Island, New York, for a larger production all steel car with more financing. Griffith had previously been responsible for a similar transatlantic venture, the TVR Griffith 200. Ex-BRM chassis designer John Crosthwaite, working as a consultant for Griffith (and later for Reisner on the Italia), designed the chassis for the Robert Cumberford shaped car called the Griffith GT. The Cumberford designs were finished and refined by Franco Scaglione and a Griffith was shown with a Plymouth 4.5 L V8 engine at the 1966 New York Motor Show.

Tooling was built and production started. Around fourteen cars were shipped when Griffith's company closed. A new customer, Steve Wilder, decided to take over the project, called the cars Omega and had them assembled by Holman and Moody in North Carolina. A total of 33 of these were delivered to the US.

It became obvious at this stage that the only way to pursue the construction of cars was if the cars left Italy fully assembled and running. In cooperation with an Italian bank, Credito Italiano, Intermeccanica found a distributor in Genser Forman of New Jersey, and finally, production and sales reached the 100 to 120 cars per year level. These cars were Ford V8 powered, with Ford running gear.

The distribution was occasionally changed, but up until 1970 about 500 cars were built, first called Torino and later Italia (Ford already had the name Torino registered). The Italia was eventually produced as both a coupe and a very successful convertible.

A Corvair-based all steel prototype called the Phoenix was built for racing driver John Fitch.

During 1965-66 it is believed just two stretched Ford Mustang sports wagons in Highland Green and Signal Red with Ford 429 Hi-Performance engines were built to showcase to FORD what a family wagon could look like as a production vehicle, These luxury packages (four leather seats, bars with cut glass, deep pile carpets and aircraft switches) were constructed again as running cars for an importer in New York. Although FORD declined to take these prototypes onto production the originals exist to this day as fully restored and running show cars looking exactly as they would have back in their day, At the 1969 April New York Automobile Show Intermeccanica had cars on three different stands. For the 1969 Turin Automobile Show, a modified Italia, which conformed to Italian requirements, and added a few features such as a rear movable airfoil, was built. It was called the Italia IMX but remained a prototype.