ATS (Automobili Turismo e Sport) is an Italian low-volume high-performance sports car and racing car manufacturer. The brand was founded by several former Ferrari senior technicians who left after ideological differences with Enzo Ferrari, aiming to develop road cars and F1 racers capable of defeating Ferrari. Due to financial difficulties and poor business operations, ATS went bankrupt in 1964, having been active for less than three years after its debut. After remaining silent for nearly half a century, the brand was reactivated in 2012 by Daniele Maritan and others, continuing its pure Italian racing heritage with extremely limited production.
ATS's story is rooted in a famous "coup" inside Ferrari in the 1960s. At the end of 1961, due to multiple conflicts such as Ferrari's wife Laura intervening in team operations, at least eight key Ferrari executives including team manager Romolo Tavoni, chief engineer Carlo Chiti, and legendary designer Giotto Bizzarrini collectively resigned.
In 1962, with funding from consortiums including oil tycoon Jaime Ortiz Patino and Count Volpi, this group of core defectors founded ATS in Bologna, Italy. The factory was located in Sasso Marconi, a suburb of Bologna, with the goal of manufacturing F1 racers and supercars. In 1963, ATS made its debut at the Belgian Grand Prix with its self-built Tipo 100 F1 racer, equipped with a 1.5-liter V8 engine capable of outputting 190 horsepower at 10,000 rpm, but both cars retired due to mechanical issues. The team scored no points all season, with 11th place at the Italian Grand Prix being its best result. At the Geneva Motor Show that same year, ATS presented the road version 2500 GT—the world's first mid-engine Italian road car, which had a profound influence on later Ferraris such as the Dino and the Lamborghini Miura. However, a major investor's sudden withdrawal of funds caused the financial foundation to collapse instantly. Only about 12 to 15 units of the 2500 GT were produced, and the brand announced closure in 1964. Afterwards, the remaining R&D force continued to compete under the name Sport 1000 SP until 1969.
In 2012, after nearly half a century of silence, ATS was successfully revived by Daniele Maritan and others. In 2017, ATS unveiled the new generation supercar ATS GT at the London Salon Privé luxury car show, paying homage to the 1963 2500 GT. The new car continues the mid-mounted V8 high-horsepower engine and carbon fiber monocoque structure, with a limited run of 12 units. According to public information from January 2026, the ATS GT is driven by a 3.8T twin-turbo V8 engine, with a maximum power of 699 horsepower, a vehicle weight of only 1,300 kg, and 0-100 km/h acceleration in under three seconds. ATS has also launched track versions and road versions such as the Dieci, Leggera, Sport 1000, RR Turbo, and Sport 490 Stradale, with an even smaller production scale.
The ATS product line is centered on three core elements: extreme limited production, high customization, and track orientation.
2500 GT (1963–1964): The pioneering work of ATS, and also the world's first mid-engine Italian road car. Length 4.33 meters, wheelbase 2.5 meters, curb weight only about 810 kg. Equipped with a 2.5-liter V8 mid-mounted engine, maximum power 220 horsepower, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, top speed approximately 242 km/h. There is also a lightweight version, the 2500 GTS, which uses an aluminum body and enlarged engine displacement to 2.7 liters, producing 245 horsepower.
ATS GT (2017–present): The flagship work after the brand revival, designed by Emanuele Bomboi, who previously worked at Fiat and Bertone studios. Dimensions are 4.70 m x 1.96 m x 1.21 m, wheelbase 2.67 m, curb weight 1,300 kg. Core power features a 3.8-liter V8 twin-turbo engine with a maximum power of 699 horsepower, optionally upgradeable to 800 horsepower, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, using a mid-mounted rear-wheel drive layout. The standard version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds, with a top speed of 330 km/h; the high-performance version can reduce 0-100 km/h acceleration to within 2.9 seconds, with a top speed of up to 340 km/h. The model was produced in only 12 units as a way of commemorating the classic.
Racing and Track-Specialized Cars: The ATS Dieci (2016) is an open-cockpit racer compliant with FIA E2B Sport prototype specifications, with an empty weight of only 387 kg. Initial power comes from a Honda CBR 1000RR 1.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing a maximum power of 190 horsepower, with a starting price of 39,900 euros. The Sport 1000 is the first planned two-seater prototype racer after the ATS revival, using a tubular chassis and high-performance motorcycle engines such as those from the Suzuki Hayabusa and Yamaha R1. The ATS RR Turbo is equipped with a 600 horsepower engine and has a self-weight of only about 800 kg.
Other Concepts and High-Performance Models: According to 2026 public data, ATS also planned a high-performance GT derivative model reaching the 827 horsepower level, as well as the all-new Sport 490 Stradale street-legal racer. In 2015, ATS co-released the Wild Twelve plug-in hybrid concept car with Torino Design, equipped with a 3.8-liter V12 twin-turbo engine and two electric motors, with a combined power of 860 horsepower. Company records from March 2026 show that the brand's legal branch in British territories has entered a state of dissolution, with some business shifted to the Canary Islands, overall continuing to maintain an extremely low scale and high independence.
Since its revival in 2012, ATS has adhered to extreme limited production and high customization strategies, with annual and total production extremely limited. The inventory of the 2500 GT (1963) is fewer than 15 units, and the approximately five existing units are all owned by collectors. The ATS GT is sold with a global production of only 12 units. Model reference prices vary across different periods: the ATS GT is priced at approximately 1.15 million USD to 1.5 million USD; the 827 horsepower high-performance version has a starting price of about 740,000 euros. The brand has no public agency channels for sales, and its consumer base is extremely niche. Competitors include high-end supercar brands such as the McLaren P1 and Ferrari. ATS still appeared on the comprehensive network competitiveness ranking list for the Chinese market in March 2025, but due to extremely low actual delivery volumes, it does not constitute conventional production and sales statistics.
ATS's core technology features are concentrated in three major aspects: lightweight structure, power platform, and race-level chassis settings. Regarding the powertrain, in addition to its self-developed V8 naturally aspirated engine (maximum power 640 horsepower, maximum rpm 10,000 rpm), ATS has extensively introduced external top-tier engine resources, including the Cosworth inline-four turbo engine and high-rpm motorcycle engines from Honda. The body and chassis largely use a carbon fiber monocoque structure and aluminum alloy frame, with the ATS GT's overall curb weight controlled at the 1,300 kg level, and the Dieci racer weighing only 387 kg. The suspension system adopts an independent double wishbone structure, and the track versions as well as high-end road models are equipped with a Brembo carbon ceramic braking system, a Quaife limited-slip differential, Michelin Pilot Sport series high-performance tires, and an electronic driving mode switching system that provides precise support for performance indicators.
Since its inception, ATS has maintained an independent Italian operating model, with the brand name and chassis numbers once requiring confirmation by an Italian court. After entering the revival stage in the 2010s, company management and business distribution showed a trend toward fragmentation: some company entities and limited business were transferred to the UK and the Benelux region, where branches were set up, but by March 2026, that branch had been formally dissolved. Other public records indicate that some new model launches and market activities have moved the base to the Canary Islands, Spain. ATS's racer and custom supercar business is primarily aimed at global top collectors and track sport enthusiasts. The brand has not established a regular dealer network, and orders are completed through direct contact with the factory. ATS has no public official outlets in the Asia-Pacific region, but some of its technology and racer parts supply reaches worldwide through partners such as Quaife in the UK, Brembo in Italy, and Michelin in France.
As of 2026, ATS overall maintains extremely limited production and an independent manufacturer identity as its tone, with legal entities and business layout in a phase of differentiation and adjustment. Development of high-performance GT models is still underway, and the previously disclosed 827 horsepower version along with upgraded product plans continues to be supplied in limited quantities. Hybridization and electrification, although having early attempts such as the Wild Twelve, have not formed a mass production product line. The overall production scale is expected to continue to remain in an extremely rare range, with the production quantity of each model typically below 20 units, continuing ATS's original intention and tradition as a niche hand-built supercar. The brand's focus lies in maintaining its unique presence in the extreme performance field through high customization and track-exclusive services.
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