1915 A.L.F.A 40/60HP Aerodinamica Torpedo

No one knows why Ricotti, after building and using his “famous” Siluro, decided to further develop the idea. Probably, the Siluro’s large windows made it hellishly hot and uncomfortable in the summer months.

The roadster has the same cockpit as the 40/60 Aerodinamica Ricotti.

But the fact is that good ideas never come alone, and the Futurist dynamism of the previous car was followed by a model — the Torpedo — whose sheer elegance made it a huge success in the prewar years. Although Ricotti cannot be recognised as the creator of this open, enveloping and protective bodywork, the Milanese aristocrat nevertheless deserves credit for showing the world that a tapered body was far more elegant and harmonious than the boxy, square models of the period.

Count Ricotti with his family in the futuristic Torpedo.

As we will see in the next chapter, Ricotti’s Siluro idea was taken up again, and further rationalized, during the process of developing the modern automobile.

The front of the Torpedo is exactly the same as that of the Aerodinamica on which it was based.