Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile

Welcome to the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, or Mah-oo-toh (MAUTO), as it is affectionately known in Turin. We are standing in one of the most ancient and prestigious museums of its kind in the world. …

Our journey begins with the 'dreams' of movement that preceded the internal combustion engine. Long before the first car hit the streets, geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci were obsessing over self-propelled vehicles. …

As we move into the late nineteenth century, the focus shifts to the birth of the Italian automotive industry. Here stands the Bernardi, a three-wheeled vehicle from eighteen-ninety-six. …

One of the most legendary vehicles in the museum is the Itala thirty-five forty-five horsepower model. This car is famous for completing the extraordinary Peking to Paris rally in nineteen-oh-seven. …

The nineteen-twenties and thirties brought about a massive shift in both design and social impact. Following the First World War, where cars were 'transformed from symbols of luxury into soldiers of the trenches,' the industry…

After the devastation of the Second World War, Italy emerged as a global capital of automotive design. This section of the museum celebrates the 'pencil' of the great designers, such as Battista 'Pinin' Farina and Giovanni…

As we reach the final sections of the museum, the narrative shifts from history to the urgent questions of the future. The nineteen-seventies oil crisis, documented here with photos of empty streets and gas rationing, marked the…

As we conclude our journey through the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, we have traveled from the clatter of steam and the scent of coal to the silent efficiency of the electric future. We have seen the car transform from a…