Macale Motori - Style, Speed and Sophistication

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Macale Motori - Style, Speed and Sophistication

Since its establishment in 1946, Macale Motori has been known as a purveyor of high-performance sports cars renowned for their engineering and design advances, and a strong international competition record. Its founder, Antonio “Toni” Macale, started the brand when he discovered a gap in the market for a sports car immediately after the Second World War. So he hired a team of engineers that had previously developed military vehicles during the war, but were left unemployed afterwards. Thus the brand’s first car, the Merope, was born.

Built on a tubular spaceframe chassis clad in aluminum panels, the Merope was powered by a 3.0L SOHC I6 developing just over 120 horsepower - enough to send the sub-1-tonne car to 60 mph from rest in 8.7 seconds. It also handled tidily for an early postwar car, and as such became a favorite among a new breed of sports car enthusiasts. Its success paved the way for the introduction of Macale’s longest-running nameplate - the Madeira.

Introduced in 1955, the original Madeira was the first Macale to be built using steel monocoque construction, and as such was produced in far greater numbers than the Merope. Initially, it was powered by a dual-overhead-cam, 24-valve version of the inline-six used in the Merope. With more than 160 horsepower on tap, the extra power was more than enough to cancel out the added weight, even if the Madeira was ordered as a 2+2 or a 2-seat convertible - another first for Macale.

From 1960, the Madeira was available with a 4.5-litre single-overhead-camshaft V12 - the first such engine that Macale had ever made. With almost 100 more horsepower than the straight-six, the Madeira was transformed from a relatively gentle cruiser into a straight-line bruiser, capable of exceeding 150 mph and now able to reach 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds. In fact, the bigger engine was so popular that it became the only engine available from 1963, up until production ended in 1966. Moreover, the 1960 update brought four-wheel disc brakes - another company first. But this was only the beginning of Macale’s rise to the top of the sports car hierarchy; the best was yet to come.

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The 1967 Macale Lineup: Macale Comes Of Age

Macale’s first mid-engined car, the Malaga, was born out of a desire to create a smaller, more overtly sporting companion to the Madeira. The first generation, introduced in 1967, was a legitimate exotic, with sweeping, curvaceous lines and a race-bred 3-litre dual-overhead-camshaft flatplane V8 mounted transversely. The Malaga was thus the first Macale ever to be powered by a V8, which made 280 horsepower in this application and could rev to 7000 rpm. It was one of the most agile sports cars of its day, with stunning straight-line acceleration to match.

Buyers in search of a more comfortable and practical experience could still order a Madeira, but by now it had been redesigned with a radical new wedge-shaped body. Now powered by a 5.0-litre dual-overhead-camshaft V12, it was even more of a grand tourer than its illustrious predecessor, with a dash of supercar thrown in. All examples were built as four-seaters for the first time ever.

These models were the first to have aluminum bodywork, as Macale believed that mass production was not necessary for commercial success. More importantly, they marked the debut of five-speed gearboxes, replacing the four-speed units used previously. Nevertheless, the two were strong sellers throughout their lifespans, until the oil crisis forced Macale to redesign both of them in the name of efficiency. But could this be done without losing too much performance?

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1974: Down But Not Out

The oil crisis brought the rapid rise in power figures to a shuddering halt as unleaded fuel and catalytic converters were adopted across the lineup. However, thanks to the introduction of mechanical fuel injection (another first for the marque, true to its slogan), the newly redesigned cars retained enough of their performance to remain legitimate contenders in the sports car arena.

The Madeira III won many fans thanks to its clean, crisp styling and exemplary dynamics, even though its 5.3-liter V12 developed just under 300 horsepower thanks to new emissions regulations. It was still fast enough to make anyone forget about the 55-mph speed limit, though; it could reach nearly triple that given enough room.

Seeking to restore some of the performance that had been lost, Macale upped the displacement to 5.5 litres in 1979. These revised cars had a pronounced hood bulge to differentiate them from their predecessors.

Also new for 1974, the Malaga II quickly became one of the most recognizable designs of the era, with its wedge-shaped profile. Despite an increase in displacement, it was actually less powerful, though lighter than its immediate predecessor. Nevertheless, it was fast and agile enough to be a favorite among the automotive press, which praised its highly responsive dynamics; unsurprisingly, many wealthy enthusiasts snapped them up.

The new models helped Macale weather the storm that was the turbulent '70s, but by the start of the next decade it was clear that rivals were encroaching on the marque’s hitherto unassailable position as one of the world’s foremost sports car manufacturers. So, Toni Macale embarked on a plan to embrace the impending electronic revolution. Recovery from the hard times following the oil crisis was just around the corner… and what a recovery it would turn out to be.

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The MX12: A Racer That Never Made It

Macale’s first purpose-built prototype race car, the MX12, was intended to bring the team its very first overall victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans. Certainly it looked the part, and on top of that, it had enough power and outright speed to give the opposition a serious fright… in theory.

In practice it was hindered by poor reliability and high fuel consumption, and of the three examples entered at its only outing in 1970, only one of them finished - well outside the top 10. At the end of the season the program was abandoned, but Toni Macale kept one of the race cars and converted it to road-legal specs. After a thorough restoration, it now occupies pride of place in the company museum. However, it is occasionally brought out of retirement to run in assorted historic car events, and has been regarded as one of the best-sounding prototype racers of all time.

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Macale In The 80s: The Road to Recovery

At the start of the 1980s, Macale was facing a dilemma; despite constant mechanical updates, its range was aging while its buyers weren’t. Toni Macale reasoned that the only way his company could stay relevant was to invest in a new and hitherto untried technology: electronic fuel injection. So in 1982, the Malaga received this more advanced fuel system as part of its second redesign.

Originally, the Malaga III was powered by a 3.4-litre engine, enlarged from the 3.2-litre unit in its predecessor. The resulting car was not only more powerful even than the original Malaga, it was also lighter. As such, the sales decline that the brand had been suffering from for several years began to slow and eventually reverse.

To keep the Malaga III at the top of its class, Macale upped the displacement to 3.5 litres in 1987. Surprisingly, it was more economical than the 3.4-litre version, thanks to refinements in the EFI system. These later cars were distinguished by a large rear wing instead of a small lip spoiler.

Another significant development was the introduction of the MTX, powered by a twin-turbo version of Macale’s all-alloy flat-crank V8. This model line served as the brand’s performance flagship and was the first Macale ever to use any form of forced induction.

Originally, the MTX was powered by a 400-bhp twin-turbocharged 3.2-litre V8 driving the rear wheels. Unlike the related unit used in the Malaga, however, this engine was mounted longitudinally rather than transversely. The timing of the MTX’s launch in 1984 could not have been better, since the supercar market was about to enter a boom period.

In 1988, the Evolution (or “Evo” for short) version replaced the original MTX. The engine was enlarged to 3.5 litres, and power went up to a fearsome 500 horsepower, making it the most powerful Macale ever built up to that point. Compared to the pre-Evo MTX, the Evo had a reshaped rear spoiler and two smaller air intakes on each side instead of one large intake. Production continued until 1992, but it would be a long time before Macale even considered using turbos again. Fittingly, the MTX Evo was the last car to be commissioned personally before Toni Macale passed away from natural causes at the age of 92.

Meanwhile, the Madeira had received yet another redesign for-'85, giving it a much more curvaceous, though still understated, appearance, even though it retained many front-end styling cues from its angular predecessor, such as square fog lamps, indicators adjacent to and below the retractable headlights, and a large, low-mounted grille. From the rear, however, its wraparound taillight strip made it even more distinctive, especially to motorists left trailing in its wake. In short, the Madeira IV was a legitimate aesthetic masterpiece.

The venerable Macale V12 still displaced 5.5 litres, but thanks to the fitment of electronic fuel injection, it now developed a heady 360 horsepower. It was also as well-appointed as ever inside, with seating for four and loads of standard equipment. Once again, the Madeira was one of the best grand tourers available anywhere - and well worth the price of admission ($20500 without markups, or 28700 with a 40% profit margin, at a time when a Malaga III cost $16800 and $21840 without and with a 30% markup respectively).

But the end of the decade brought a new threat: that of a new wave of Far Eastern machinery which could at least come close to the performance and dynamics of anything offered by Macale, with a superior reliability record to boot. Macale’s response would have to be swift and effective if it wanted to remain one of the world’s preeminent sports car manufacturers well into the 90s; fortunately for the company, it turned out to be just that.

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The '90s: Meeting the Challenge

After enjoying a period of unprecedented prosperity in the '80s, Macale was facing the prospect of being surpassed by other manufacturers, especially a few Far Eastern ones. So they updated the Madeira IV and gave it a 6.0-litre V12 developing over 440 horsepower - the largest engine the brand had ever used in a road car up to that point, and the most powerful since the MTX Evo’s twin-turbo V8.

Visual changes were limited to quad exhausts at the rear, a new front fascia, and a bulged hood. The exterior color palette was expanded from just six colors (Rosso Macale, Giallo Velocita, Azzuro Pacifico, Argento Luna, Nero, and Bianco Stelvio) to ten (all of the above colors, plus Rosso Rubino, Blu Adriatico, Verde Scuro, and Viola Monsanto, the last of which is shown above). And yet Macale wasn’t done with the Madeira IV yet; the final revamp in 1995 brought a reworked version of the 6-litre V12 developing over 500 horsepower, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. These “S” specification cars had a set of vents on the front quarter panel, a hood scoop and a revised wraparound taillight strip to differentiate them from the earlier cars. Moreover, fit and finish had been significantly improved over the earlier cars - a consequence of Macale’ buyers demands for more reliability from their products.

Also by 1992, the Malaga III was looking dated on the outside, and being increasingly left behind by rivals for driving thrills and ergonomics; a replacement was quickly needed. It arrived in the form of the sleeker Malaga IV, whose engine was enlarged to 3.6 litres. Flat-floor aerodynamics and revised suspension tuning made it one of the top sports cars of its time, but even this new model, despite being better to drive and more usable than its predecessor, still had room for improvement.

In 1995, the Malaga IV received an all-new 4.0-litre flatplane V8 mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, as used in the Madeira. With over 400 horsepower on tap and a downforce-generating undertray, it was even faster across the ground than ever before. The Malaga 4.0’s more curvaceous nose, enlarged side intakes and fastback rear made it easily distinguishable from its predecessor, which was no slouch itself. Equally significant was that this was the first Macale with a redline of 8000 rpm or higher.

The third and last model that Macale introduced in 1995 was the MXR12. Built as a homologation special to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it boasted a 600-horsepower version of the Madeira’s V12, and was the first Macale to use a carbon-fiber composite chassis and body panels. 300 were built between 1995 and 1997. While the race cars notched up several wins over five seasons, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was not one of them; the model’s best overall placing was fifth in the 1997 event. Still, as a way to show that Macale could still compete at the top level of sports car racing, and also celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary, the MXR12 did its job admirably, especially since it replaced the acclaimed MTX after a brief hiatus.

By the end of the 20th century, Macale was riding the crest of a wave. The challenge now was to increase production volumes without losing the sense of exclusivity that had defined the marque for over a half-century. So, under the guidance of Toni Macale’s grandson Marco, the main factory in Milan was refurbished in preparation for the introduction of a new, more technically advanced generation of sports cars, all of which would push the performance envelope further than ever before.

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Macale in the 21st Century, Part 1: Motoring Masterpieces for the New Millennium

The 2000 Madeira V was a significant model in Macale’s history. For once, its predecessor was finally showing its age after an unprecedented 15 years on the market, and as such, an all-new design was needed to keep the model competitive in the grand touring segment. This time, Macale opted for all-alloy construction - a first for the brand - resulting in a lighter, stiffer car than its predecessor. More significantly, Macale developed an all-new V12 engine with two-stage variable valve timing and an aluminum-silicon block and heads. This made 40 more horsepower than the previous engine, but was more efficient.

As always, the Madeira was available as a four-seater, but this time it would also be offered as a two-seat coupe or convertible. In fact, this generation of Madeira would be the last one to be built with four seats, either as standard or as an option.

The first-ever Madeira Spyder retained the sleek looks of the two fixed-head variants, and crucially, much of their rigidity was preserved.

For purists, there was a new two-seat coupe version. The omission of the rear seats and shorter rear window made it instantly recognizable alongside the other two body styles.

A reworked version of the Madeira’s new V12, with more aggressive cam profiles and an extended redline, would also be used in the 2000 Mantella, which replaced the short-lived MXR12. This time, Macale’s mid-engined flagship would not have a limited production run, but it would not be raced in any capacity either.

It was lighter than the front-engined Madeira thanks to all-carbon construction, and with 700-odd horsepower on tap, it was also much faster in a straight line. And all this was done with a mechanical LSD, passive dampers and a manual gearbox. Today, the original Mantella is regarded as a truly legendary analog hypercar, with minimal electronic interference (and no hybrid hardware or forced induction) to get in the way of enjoying the intense driving experience it delivers.

The reaction from the motoring press to the two cars’ introduction for the 2000 model year was one of instant shock and disbelief. Few, if any manufacturers, had anything to touch these two in terms of looks, pace, and dynamics, and on top of that they were even more usable than their predecessors. But the Malaga was by now getting long in the tooth, and its replacement would have a tough act to follow.

The fifth-generation model, introduced in 2002, debuted an all-new all-alloy 4-liter flat-crank V8 with direct injection. Like the Madeira V, this model had an aluminum body and chassis, helping to minimize weight gain over the previous generation, while at the same time increasing torsional rigidity.

Although the Malaga V was intended to have a full carbon-fiber structure like the Mantella, cost constraints saw this plan abandoned early in development. Nevertheless, this entry-level mid-engined supercar was regarded as one of the best cars in its class. But if the public had thought that Macale couldn’t improve on their scintillating lineup, they were very much mistaken.