Italian by name, Chinese by birth: Itala 35 dresses a familiar crossover in a historic badge

© DR Automobiles

The Italian brand Itala is coming back almost 90 years after closing. The revival is being led by DR Automobiles, and the first car will be the compact Itala 35 crossover, which made its debut in Turin and will reach the European market from September.

It is a name with a loud history. Itala appeared in 1903 and gained worldwide fame after winning the 1907 Peking — Paris race with the 35/45 HP. But resources ran short, and the marque vanished in 1935. Now it is being brought back under a different formula: an Italian brand, Chinese engineering and final assembly in Italy.

The base for the Itala 35 will be the GAC Trumpchi GS3 Yingsu. The platform, engine and electrics are carried over, which sharply cuts development time and cost. The cars will arrive from China as kits, with final assembly and the tuning of the chassis, electronics and brakes carried out at the DR Automobiles plant in Macchia d’Isernia.

The design has been handed to Italdesign — the studio behind the first Volkswagen Golf and the DeLorean DMC-12. The Itala 35 promises slim LED headlights, a prominent grille, a contrasting black roof and an upmarket cabin, with leather and Alcantara on selected trims. The equipment list includes a panoramic roof, ventilated leather seats, ambient lighting, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 7-inch infotainment screen.

The dimensions sit firmly in the compact SUV class: 4410 mm long, 1850 mm wide, 1600 mm tall, with a 2650 mm wheelbase and a 370-litre boot. Under the bonnet sits a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivering 170 hp and 270 Nm, paired with front-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Top speed is quoted at 190 km/h and the average fuel consumption at 6.8 l/100 km.

The Itala 35 is meant to be just the start: DR Automobiles speaks of a future line-up of six models, including plug-in hybrids and EVs. Italy remains the priority for now, but if the project moves further, Itala may become yet another example of how Chinese platforms enter Europe wearing old local names.

This story is not just selling a crossover. It is selling the feeling that a cheap SUV has a past, even if its hardware came from a completely different world.