Effeffe Berlinetta by Officine Fratelli Frigerio Races Towards Production

The Effeffe Berlinetta is the brainchild of brothers Leonardo and Vittorio Frigerio, two Italians who wished to create a unique machine. Inspired by the grand turismos of the 1960s and the coachbuilders that defined this car segment in Italy in the 20th century, the Berlinetta is a bite-the-back-of-your-hand pretty creation with a cornucopia of flair.

Look beyond the aluminum body shell and the interior greets you with a mixture of hand-stitched leather, wool carpets, a 330 mm Nardi Classic steering wheel with aluminum spokes, and a dashboard that is tastefully minimalistic. The tubular frame, on the other hand, is a more modern affair because it was designed with the aid of CAD systems to be stiff and light at the same time.

In terms of road holding, the car employs wishbones at the front, a rigid axle with lower trailing arms at the rear, and disc brakes from Wilwood on all four corners. And yes, the steering is rack and pinion. Care to guess what’s under the hood? You’ll be surprised to find out that the Frigerio brothers chose four cylinders instead of more, all in the name of saving weight.

A 2.0-liter Alfa Romeo powerplant motivates the rear wheel with 180 horsepower (DIN). Two Weber 45 DCOE carbs feed the four-banger with air and high-octane jungle juice and a five-speed manual handles cog-swapping duties. Dry weight? 790 kilograms or 1,741 pounds. This makes the Berlinetta lighter than a Mazda MX-5 Miata (ND).

Heaven knows how 4,38 kilograms per horsepower translates into get-up-and-go in the real world, but I’m willing to bet the Effeffe Berlinetta will be a fun car to drive. It remains to be seen how much the Frigerio brothers will ask for one and how many are going to be built. We’ll find out more on this Italian masterpiece at the thirteenth edition of Top Marques, which will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in ritzy Monaco.