Old name, Chinese bones: how Italy is bringing Itala back to life

© Itala

The Italian Itala marque has been brought back to life after 92 years. But instead of an old-school grand tourer, the first modern car under the badge is the Itala 35 crossover — a reworked GAC Trumpchi GS3 measuring 4.4 metres in length.

The project is being handled by DR Automobiles, which has spent roughly 20 years selling rebadged Chinese cars in Europe. A familiar name is in charge of the engineering: the adaptation is overseen by former Ferrari technical director Roberto Fedeli. According to Italian media, he focused on suspension tuning, Italdesign refined the exterior, and the cabin was reworked with an emphasis on red leather, Alcantara and upgraded trim.

Under the bonnet sits a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 170 hp and 270 Nm. The price is expected to be around 35,000 euros. For the buyer, this isn't a cheap Chinese car wearing a new badge but an attempt to sell a familiar platform through Italian design, chassis tuning and a historic name.

Itala was once famous for winning the Peking — Paris race of 1907. Now the brand will sit alongside another revived name — Osca, founded by the Maserati brothers and active from 1947 to 1967. The plan calls for 50 dealerships across Italy for Itala and Osca, with the first opening in Turin.

DR will invest 50 million euros in two new production sites in Macchia d’Isernia, where the company already assembles Chinese cars from CKD kits. Around 500 jobs have been promised.

The strangest part of this story is the gap between the badge and what's under it. Itala isn't coming back as a museum legend but as a business model for the new Europe: a Chinese base, Italian fine-tuning and an old name meant to give the car some soul.