This Is The Modern Italian Roadster Of Your Dreams
Photography by Rosario Liberti
I had an opportunity to visit the ATS factory and also to be invited for a test drive of the Stile50, a lightweight, sleek, and bright red speedster that will be the first road-going car under the ATS name in more than 50 years, and let me tell you: it’s a classic in every way.
It’s lightweight, with a small turbocharged engine from the Opel Corsa OPC, and enough attitude to make you smile. Daniele Maritan, the owner of the ATS brand, told me that the idea behind the Stile50 is, “to build something like a typical British sports car, but with more care and overall quality. I do not like to have my cars constantly under repairs”.
So what we have here is a modern vintage car: a hand-welded chrome molybdenum chassis, reinforced with aluminum plates, fiberglass bodywork, and a five-speed manual transmission. And it’s fast, too, at just 1,433 lbs (650 kg), with around 200 horsepower to control with its wooden Nardi steering wheel. A limited-slip differential and side pipe exhaust complete the throwback to 1964.
Driving the Stile50 on a fast, curvy road is a delight: the engine is wonderful and has enough torque to pull the car in any gear, at nearly any rpm. There aren’t any electronic aids onboard, and the car feels real: you feel everything through wheel, and the wind in your hair tends to create a more engaging experience.
It’s more of an ultimate Mazda MX-5 Miata than track day special, and was tuned to be a simple and practical sunny-day car. The only thing not a throwback is its price; at €58,000 (~$65,000 Usd.), you’re definitely paying for its handbuilt nature, a relatively rare quality these days. Still, it’s not out of reach, as Daniele puts it: “You do not have to win the lottery to have one”.
Thanks to Daniele Maritan, Matteo Marchiorato, and the staff at ATS Automobili and Roberto Cupia for allowing us to shoot the car in the “Villa Voli Biscaretti di Suno”.
