Melesi

Melesi was one of the strongest makes of the early 1970s. Leo Bartoli bought his car for the 1974 season directly from Sergio Melesi and paid it off over three years; the engines were built by his brother Romano. He won the 1974 championship with it. Bruno Ottini and Antonino Miragliotta also raced Melesi cars that year.

In the 1973 constructors’ standings Melesi finished third behind LAB and Repetto. Before the ninth round of that year the stewards found all the Melesi cars – together with all the Daco and all the Santandrea – not in conformity, but let them start because they had been homologated in that condition.

In the second half of the 1970s Riccardo Calegari and Filippo Baj won the Trofeo Cadetti on Melesi cars; their engines were prepared by Bruno Ruboni and Italo Cristofoletto. Both went on to Formula 3.

The name Melesi already appears in the 1968 standings – but as a driver, S. Melesi, and on a Thiele.