ATS (Automobili Turismo e Sport) was an Italian automotive constructor and racing team that operated between 1963 and 1965, formed after the famous "Palace Revolution" at Ferrari, which led to the formation of ATS by Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini , among others - intending for it to be a direct competitor to Ferrari. Chiti and Bizzarrini built, with sponsorship from the Scuderia Serenissima 's Count Giovanni Volpi , a road-going sports car and a Formula 1 car.
The sports car was the 2500 GT, a small coupé developed by Chiti and Bizzarrini with a bodywork built by Michelotti. The engine was a mid-mounted 2.5 L V8 engineered by Chiti, capable of achieving 245 bhp and accelerating to 257 Km/h. Only 12 cars were reportedly built, and fewer than these are still in existence.
The F1 car was the Tipo 100, a 1.5 L V8 engine powering a chassis that was a virtual copy of the outdated Ferrari 156 . Drivers Phil Hill and Giancarlo Baghetti, also fleeing from Ferrari, were signed to driver the new car, but a dismal season forced to Chiti to close the door on the racing team. The ATS would later be used in the Derrington-Francis F1 project spearheaded by Stirling Moss' former mechanic, Alf Francis .
After the demise of ATS, Bizzarrini moved to Lamborghini before building his own cars, while Chiti founded Autodelta , which would work closely with Alfa Romeo for the following decades.
