Fiat actually has the second best record for Italian manufacturers (car and engine) at Indy, leading the race early and finishing second in 1912.
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Fiat actually has the second best record for Italian manufacturers (car and engine) at Indy, leading the race early and finishing second in 1912.
I rather depends whether you consider Dallara to be an Italian make or not doesn't it? ;)
It looks like three Ferraris were entered in the 1953 500 but none made it onto the track. Two were listed as of the 1952 type but one was powered by a 3 liter supercharged 500 hp V12 engine that apparently wasn't ready in time and project was then terminated.
Enzo Ferrari's attitude towards Indy appears to have been ambivalent. On the one hand he would have loved to win, if only to match Maserati, but he was unwilling to commit time and resources that a multi-year plan would have required.
The 1953 effort was pitifully weak and stood little chance of even making the show. In the light of Kurtis Kraft innovation and Offy development, (32 of 33 starters were Offy powered), only a full press effort from the factory stood any hope for success. To be fair, Ferrari had other priorities, namely the World Championship and Le Mans, it would have been extremely difficult fit to an Indy program into the month of May in 1953-54. Even a decade later, Lotus and Ford, with vastly more resources, experienced the same logistical problems.
Perhaps Ferrari's attitude was somewhat similar to his Can Am effort with the 612P and 712P with Chris Amon. Again a half hearted attack was mounted when only a full works effort could have succeeded.
As best I've found, the best finishes of Italian marques in the Indy 500:
Maserati 1st
Fiat 2nd
Alfa Romeo 6th
Isotta Fraschini 17th
Ferrari 31st
Corrections welcome
The Lister Jaguar Special was also an Indy roadster type layout but I don't think it was ever entered for the Indianapolis 500. The 420 Eldorado Maserati roadster was actually entered for the 1959 500. It was driven by Ralph Liguori but was 4 mph too slow to qualify.
The Lister only raced once as a single seater in the 1958 "Monzanopolis". Afterward it was cannibalised to repair Ecurie Ecosse's Lister sports car. The body ended up with cycle wings as Phil Scragg's hillclimb car.
Ferrari any time ...