The H-Modified class in American road racing was derived from the FIA small-displacement sports racing machines popularized in Italy and France. In the fifties, it was dominated by cars derived from the Italian National Racing classes, which were in force from 1937 to 1965. Development of the 750-cc class in the U.S. was spurred by the availability of the Crosley engine, a lightweight, very-tunable, single overhead camshaft design. It was widely used, both in Italian chassis and in American racing specials. There were eight dominant Italian builders in H-Modified, powered by tuned Crosley engines or by engines of their own manufacture (mostly Fiat based). These often featured DOHC cylinder heads and exquisite billet-machined crankshafts, as well as speed equipment that was more difficult to identify.

These cars fell into the group that enthusiasts like to call the Etceterini cars. These are those miscellaneous Italian machines characterized by big quick-release aluminum gas caps, pin-style Marelli ignition switches, aluminum bodies, Borrani wire wheels, Weber carburetors and wood-rimmed steering wheels—whether they were Nardi cars or not. Of course, these were all low-volume automobiles and no two of them were exactly alike, because the Italians find that boring in the extreme. The large American H-M (and G-M) market helped make some of these builders true "constructors" rather than mere "special" builders. Some people feel it is not right to lump all of them into a single descriptive, noting that it tends to minimize the distinctive personality of each marque. They are quite right. To those people, we ask their forbearance for occasional use of this collective term Etceterini, which generally means anything Italian except Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Fiat.

The marques we're talking about here are SIATA, Bandini, Stanguellini, Giaur, Nardi, Moretti, Abarth and OSCA. Of course, a SIATA is very different from a Bandini, as we will see in a moment. These cars occupied the small-bore class from 1951 through about 1966 along with the numerous specials with Crosleys and SAAB two-stroke engines, well into the years that saw the transition to midengined machines powered by Ford, BMC, OSCA, Abarth and even the Hillman Imp.

SIATA

The Siata 750 Spyder was one of the first imported cars in the class. Built in 1952 and 1953 by Giorgio Ambrosini and his son Renato, these charming little machines were bodied by Bertone and imported by Tony Pompeo.

A car built as early as 1948 became the conceptual prototype of the competition Spyder. It had a lightweight aluminum body and the same general specification as the 300BC Spyder. It had a tube steel frame that was either "SC" ("Sport Corsa") or "Amica" in origin. The car had a rather plain body, unlike the ones to come later.

Otto Linton drove this "Amica Sport" for Tony Pompeo at Watkins Glen and at Elkhart Lake in 1951. Noted Etceterini expert John de Boer notes that the chassis was designed by Augusto Monaco, who was also a draftsman and a consultant on the Nardi-Danese cars. "According to Renato Ambrosini," de Boer says, "the tubular chassis was difficult to make straight, as a lot of warping occurred during welding and cooling. So the decision was made on the platform box section. This was quite rigid, sturdy and effective, particularly in the version that was under the 300BC."