{"id":16895,"date":"2016-10-05T10:14:24","date_gmt":"2016-10-05T08:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.museonicolis.com\/en\/?p=16895"},"modified":"2024-07-12T12:35:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T10:35:58","slug":"fongri-prototipo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.museonicolis.com\/en\/fongri-prototipo\/","title":{"rendered":"Fongri, 1919, prototipo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fongri “prototipo”, 1919<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Fongri was founded in Turin<\/strong> in 1913<\/strong> by the brothers Grignan<\/strong>i, who already gained experience in the motorcycle field, and Fontana, a financier who provided the necessary capital. Initially the company adopted Jap and Fafnir engines, but in 1914 the first Fongri engine<\/strong>, a 494cc 2-cylinder unit<\/strong>, was introduced.
\nOn order the company also built racing motorcycles; Nuvolari<\/strong> himself raced a Fongri at the 1923 Circuito di Rapallo<\/strong>.
\nEarly after WWI Fongri designed a micro car<\/strong> with a tubular steel chassis<\/strong> fitted with a 577cc 2-cylinder engine<\/strong>, already fitted to the production motorcycles; also the other mechanical components, the 3-speed gearbox, pull cord starter, rear brakes and chain transmission were of motorcycle origins. The car shown in the museum is the prototype<\/strong> the firm tried to launch on the market in 1920<\/strong>.
\nThe body has quite particular wings for the period: in iron and joined by footboards<\/strong> with tool boxes. The small bonnet<\/strong> is in thin sheet in order not to lose its shape with the engine heat. The radiator<\/strong> is fake as the engine is air-cooled<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2001<\/strong> \u2013 Exhibition \u201cL\u2019Autominima\u201d<\/strong><\/a> at Museo Bonfanti-VIMAR,<\/strong>\u00a0Bassano del Grappa.
\n2007<\/strong> \u2013 Inauguration of \u201cTriennale Design Museum<\/strong>\u201c.<\/a><\/p>\n\r\n\r\n \r\n