Beyond The Restomod With This Handbuilt Effeffe Berlinetta

With a name like that, it sounds like something from Maranello. Its form is the same as it was sixty years ago. True, ‘Effeffe' stands for Fratelli Frigerio, an Italian niche vehicle manufacturer managed by the Frigerio brothers, and sounds like ‘FF' in Italian. And the automobile is, in fact, a classic Berlinetta.

Also, this isn't a meticulously preserved barn find: you can purchase a brand-new one now. Why not construct a new automobile that looks like a vintage instead of restomodding an old one? That's presumably what the Frigerio brothers wondered. 

The outcome is an amazingly good-looking 2-seat coupé, so stylish and vintage that it was able to compete with the other antique vehicles on display at the Concours d'Elegance Villa d'Este in 2014. If you think of the Ferrari 250 MM or, you won't say, the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, it's difficult to resist those ‘Series 250' sensations. Moreover, the Effeffe Berlinetta is not only designed but also fashioned like a masterpiece.

The chassis was developed using current CAD tools, enabling all of the necessary virtual testing and simulations, but aside from that, the Berlinetta is a jewel of craftsmanship, handcrafted according to 1950s standards. The aluminum body is hammered by hand. Grids, frame strips, and handles are all fully handcrafted, frequently over Fratelli Frigerio's patterns. 

An Alfa Romeo-derived four-straight DOHC 1962 cc engine powers the Effeffe Berlinetta and was tuned to deliver 180-hp. The front-mid engine enables better weight distribution and better handling. Up to a 3000 cc - 230 CV Busso V6 engine is available as an option.

At the time of its unveiling in 2014, the Effeffe Berlinetta was said to have cost 280,000 Euros. On the Italian classic automobile market, that's around the price of a mint Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA Junior 1300. It didn't qualify for many of the races it inspired since it lacks Biscione's pedigree.