Work on the car – two cars, in fact – started in 1956 based on small-capacity engines specially developed alongside aerodynamic capabilities. The package allowed the Monoposto to cover 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) at an average speed of 118.7 mph and run for 72 continuous hours at an average of 116 mph. Both records were set at the Monza race circuit, and that’s just two of the nine International and World Records set by the car. And all of that was achieved with a 1.0-liter, 105-horsepower engine that revved out to 8,000 rpm through a four-speed transmission. With a cockpit as pressed for space as this one, driving the car must be quite a frantic experience, particularly since the car weighs just 500 kilograms, or just over 1,102 pounds.
