Diatto was an Italian car maker founded in 1905 in Turin.
The company initially built two and four cylinder cars based on the Clement-Bayard, a pioneering French manufacturer that was eventually absorbed by Citroën.
By the 1920s, Diatto was making quality cars of its own design, including race cars with supercharged eight-cylinder engines. Diatto also supplied frames to Bugatti which used them for their own race cars.
Interestingly the Diatto insignia is markedly similar to Bugatti's with both having horizontally oriented ovals surrounding the name of the maker all in capital letters. Some Diatto racers were prepared and raced by the renowned Alfieri Maserati who left Diatto in 1926 to establish with his brothers, his own marque, Maserati, which would eventually become much more famous than Diatto.
A Diatto driven by Guido Meregalli was first in the 2-litre class and overall winner of the 1923 'Circuito del Garda'.
Diatto cars were known for their innovative engineering and as early as the 1920s they were equipped with four-wheel brakes and four-speed gearboxes.
Diatto ceased production in 1929.
1926 UK agent was Cyril Durlacher
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia