In 1964 this svelte coupe was manufactured by ex-Ferrari personnel to compete at the market's top. It used a bespoke V8 mounted behind the passengers with a high level of appointments.
Automobili Turismo e Sport SpA (ATS) was an Italian company with engineering support from Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini. The company took full advantage of the ex-Ferrari expertise and financing of Count Giovanni Volpi. Later, when Bizzarrini and Volpi left, Chiti finished the design with his V8.
Central to the 2500 GT was a bespoke 2.5-liter engine far from a Ferrari unit. It was an all-aluminum 90º V8 that could produce from 210 to 250 horsepower using Weber twin-choke carburetors. The 9000 rpm redline took full advantage of the Abarth custom exhaust and five-speed Colotti gearbox. A mechanical fuel injection system was offered as an option.
Holding the car together was a tubular steel spaceframe that sported a double-wishbone suspension both front and rear.
Inside, the 2500 GT received a complete leather treatment with a Nardi wooden steering wheel and electric power windows. Power brakes were also standard.
Bertone stylist Franco Scaglione was responsible for designing the exterior of the car. He penned a sleek fastback with an integrated front bumper and a rear hatch for access to the V8 engine. The standard GT model featured a steel body, while the GTS was equipped with an all-aluminum body for events like the Targa Florio.
The first ATS appeared at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show as one of the first mid-engine sports cars to enter the market. Unlike the racecars that followed it, the show car was lavishly trimmed for touring.
An aluminum-bodied version with an extra 40bhp, known as the GTS, was also offered.
Ultimately, ATS only completed eight cars, with some of the final vehicles using a 3.0-liter version of the engines. As many as four unused chassis were manufactured when the company was liquidated.
Later, Volpi (one of the backers of the failed Serenissima team) reappeared and provided the backing to produce some 2500GT cars as Serenissima's, fitted with a quad-cam V8, but success was never attained.
Source: www.supercars.net
Images: www.ats-autosport.com
