The story of Intermeccanica is a long and roundabout tale of good ideas, roadblocks, hiccups, missteps and just a bit of success. The company was founded in Turin, Italy in 1959 by Frank and Paula Reisner; two enthusiasts who had a particular love for all things Italian. Frank had experience with designing racing cars for Giannini, and their new business, named _Intermeccanica_, initially focused on tuning parts such as carburetor kits and big-bore exhaust systems for Fiat, Peugeot, Simca and other smallbore European cars.