Ceirano GB & C

1899 Welleyes
Ceirano intended to build cars and the first prototype appeared in 1899 under the name Welleyes. Source

1901 Ceirano 5 HP

Ceirano & C., Welleyes, F.lli Ceirano, Star Rapid, Matteo Ceirano & C., Ceirano-Ansaldi, SPA, Junior, Scat, S.A. Giovanni Ceirano, Itala. Eleven brands, eleven companies united by two names, began in Turin and had all sorts on the initiative of either of the Ceirano brothers. Delving into the lives and hectic activity of the "incredible" brothers, distinguishing the contribution of each is not always easy.

The Ceirano is a Piedmontese family, originally from Cuneo, composed of father, mother and four brothers: Giovanni the Baptist, born in 1860, Giovanni, born in 1865, Matthew considered the playboy, the playmaker of the family, five years younger, and Ernest, born in turn after another five years.

To these are added at a later time, the son of Giovanni, by a certain lack of imagination, was baptized and named Giovanni Ernest. As you can see there were all preconditions for a beautiful mess, regardless of their characters, which were certainly crucial, if not quarrelsome and stubborn, because one after another devoted themselves to a single identical trade: founding car companies. Base, then leave or merge with others, or withdraw them, or detect, in a kaleidoscope of companies that enliven the landscape and enriched much industrial Turin and Italian. The first move was of course Giovanni Battista, the oldest. He founded the Ceirano & C. in 1898 and Welleyes (union of the English words "good" and "yes") in 1899. Then in 1901, along with Matthew, F.lli Ceirano, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 9, where he was put into production a hundred carts with engines the French De Dion Bouton and Aster. This liquidated in 1903, a year later became the Ceirano & C. STAR Company Cars in Rapid Torinese.

That same year Matthew, the third son. founded his company which originated in 1904, Italy. He already left in 1905 to give to form Ceirano-Ansaldi who in 1906 became the PPS.

The second Giovanni was even more enterprising. In 1904 he founded the Junior Corso Massimo d'Azeglio 56, Turin ovviamente. Years later he decided to leave and created the SCAT marque, between Via Madama Cristina and Corso Raffaello, which moved in 1907 to France and ten years later in 1917, was sold to Hispano-Suiza. In 1920, together with his son, Giovanni started Ceirano SA, located in Corso Lecce, but in 1923, seized by nostalgia regained the SCAT marque; which was later incorporated into the consortium of Fiat Trucks. In 1931, Giovanni gave up on starting automotive companies, including the skepticism of many who expected his umpteenth resurrection in this role, which he was probably capable of, founding yet another car factory.

Hypothesis frowned upon by Fiat but (Agnelli it must have enough of all those brands Ceirano House that sooner or later, were to get under his control) and at the time of acquiring the Scat, made the commitment to subscribe to Giovanni Ceirano to refrain from car manufacturing. And he went around the obstacle in part, noting the company with his son (FATA Anonima Fabbrica Automobili Torino) shall be converted to the production of spare parts for military and civilian vehicles. Activity that continued until 1945.

Finally, there was Ernest, the fourth brother, who, in terms of cars, being a bit on the sidelines, limiting his role to that of an employee.

For thirty years the saga of the Ceirano was marked by constant bickering between the brothers, who are much more alike than they were willing to admit: for example, none of them had the slightest concern about the financial aspect of their enterprises . This may explain why so many companies: amused almost always put in competition with new initiatives, including making war and in opposition to one another. Moreover, in their own way, were the artists, creators, certainly not for commercial or technical pure and brought them only the creative phase, that of the foundation, constitution, setting a new company. Once this had started, or even larger, was no longer reason of overriding interest in any of them.

Certainly the contribution of the birth of Italian motoring Ceirano was decisive. Suffice to stress the fact that it originated from the Fiat "Welleyes" Ceirano of Giovanni the Baptist, whose prototype small car was so pleased to have them by Agnelli and associates note in the entire block Ceirano small company, including employees, for the sum of 30,000 lire. The major industry was born so thin on the foundations laid by the eldest son of a watchmaker Cuneo, who came to Turin with his brothers and could not imagine that their names would be entered in the history of the motor vehicle. * Consortium. Created in 1929, focused the organization controlling the production of Fiat SpA and Ceirano trucks. It was an original and innovative initiative in the field of industrial and commercial vehicles, which stimulated the spread in Italy of the road haulage industry.

The Ceirano GB & C was a historic automobile company, founded in October 1898 by Giovanni Battista Ceirano, Emanuele di Bricherasio, Attilio Calligaris, Pietro Fenoglio and Cesare Goria Gatti.

The headquarters of the new company was set at Turin, where in 1899 it began to build a small car with two seats, the Welleyes designed by Aristide Faccioli. When Welleyes was on markets it was a great commercial success for Ceirano, but managers found themselves unable to cope with the orders of the vehicle. Then in July 1898, the owner of the company, Giovanni Battista Ceirano, decided to sell the plants and patents to Giovanni Agnelli. Therefore, Ceirano had to work for a period in Fiat, but in 1901 left the company for getting to work on their own, along with his brother Matteo Ceirano.

The beginnings of Giovanni Battista Ceirano

The Ceirano brothers (Giovanni Battista and Matteo), were significant figures in the years of the emerging Italian automobile industry.

The elder brother, Giovanni Battista founded in Turin in 1866, the first company that brought his name to build bicycles.

In 1898 the company was renamed "Ceirano and C" and the following year, in 1899 appeared the first car, a design Welleyes 2-cylinder and 3.5 hp.

That same year, Giovanni Ceirano sold his company to a group of investors who founded the "Fabbrica Italiana Automobilia Torino (FIAT) (See story).

The relationship with his brother Matteo

Giovanni Battista Ceirano, remained in the new company (FIAT) about a year, after which and, together with his brother Matteo, founded a new company "Fratelli Ceirano", also in Turin.

In 1903, Matteo left the company and founded "Matteo Ceirano and C", located on the same street. Matteo in 1904 renamed his company "Matteo Ceirano and C - Mark Vetture Itala" (See story ITAL), more popularly known as "Italy". Finally, Matteo left the latter company the following year in 1905 to create, along with Michele Ansaldi, a company called "Ceirano-Ansaldi" in 1906 that eventually led to the formation of SPA-Società Piemontese Automobilia Ansaldi Ceirano, renamed in 1908 SPA Società-Ligure Piemontese Automobilia (See story SPA).

Since 1903, the business lives of the 2 brothers passed separately. Source

SCAT (1906-1923)

Returning to thread the mark "Ceirano" in 1905, Giovanni Battista Ceirano renamed the company "Fratelli Ceirano" which he had founded with his brother Matteo, and gave him the name "Fabbrica minor Torinese Automobilia."

In July 1906, also in Turin, and leaving behind the "Fabbrica minor Torinese Automobilia," Giovanni Ceirano founded SCAT (Società Ceirano Automobilia Torino) (see story). SCAT's headquarters was located in Via Madama Cristina of that Italian city.

The factory was activated immediately (the name of Giovanni Ceirano was a guarantee).

The company began a large way, with 50 workers and produces about 130 cars annually. The first models were produced on 12 hp, 16 hp to 22 hp and finally 1909.

The victories of 1911 and 1912 in the Targa Florio was a sample of Ceirano involvement in the sport of motor.

The company expanded, and in 1914 opened a new plant with 600 workers.

During the War, Scat was obliged to convert their military to civilian production.

Due to accumulated losses, Giovanni left the company in 1917, taking over her a French group of investors (controlled by Henri Brasier, holder of the license to build the Hispano-Suiza V8 engine for aeronautical use).

The French group used the factory Scat for some time to produce aircraft engines. It is estimated that about 1,500 were produced from these prestigious monoblock engines.

After the First World War, Giovanni Ceirano had created another company along with his son Hernesto (Ceirano SA). SCAT had serious financial difficulties and cash flow and over time, Ceirano be managed to take back control of SCAT, merging with its other company in 1923. Source

Ceirano (1925-1932)

1925 Cierano-SCAT 150S

In 1925 restarted production of SCAT under the brand CEIRANO. The launch of the Type 50, or "Ceiranina", formed the basis of production until the end of the 20s in the financial problems that surfaced.

During this period, a car appeared and 1458 cc 4-cylinder with side valves, the 150. This car had a body similar to the Lancia Lambda. Later came the version 150 S.

Later came a derivative of the 150 S, the VVV, with independent suspension.

In 1926 he was presented the type 250, 2297 cc. This car was the last model produced.

Financial problems led to SCAT-CEIRANO outside absorbed by the Consortium Fiat in 1929 to produce exclusive vehicles.

The production of old models continued for some time until 1932, the year in which Fiat decided to cease production. Source

The car

The Welleyes was presented on 30 April 1899, and was designed by Aristide Faccioli, one of the most brilliant car engineers at the time. The car was equipped with two horizontal cylinders, transmission with leather belt and with two gears. The first Fiat made car, the FIAT 3 ½ HP, was a direct derivative of the Welleyes.

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