Piero Dusio first made his name as a footballer at Juventus where a knee injury ended his career at the age of 23 when he had played only three matches for the club. He thenstarted a textile business which evolved into sporting goods as well as becoming supplier of military uniforms. He raced in the Mille Miglia (1929-38), was sixth in the 1936 Italian Grand Prix, winning a class victory in Mille Miglia in a Siata 500cc (1937), and formed the Scuderia Torino (1939).

He commissioned Dante Giacosa of Fiat to develop a racing car (1944), and formed the Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia (1944). The firm became Cisitalia and involved Carlo Abarth, Rudolf Hruska and Ferry Porsche. Dusio won in the Giovanni Savonuzzi-completed car's premiere race at Coppa Brezzi in Turin (1946).

Dusio continued financing racing car projects, but the expenses in engineering the complex 202MM almost ruined Cisitalia (1947), as well as involved the Juventus corporation (where Dusio was president 1941-1947). Consequently, Dusio moved to Argentina and established Autoar (Automotores Argentinos) SAIC His son, Carlo Dusio continued to run a refinanced Cisitalia company in Turin.

Dusio tried but failed to qualify for the 1952 Italian GP in a Cisitalia D46, but he failed to set a time in practice due to engine problems. He raced in the Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1954, and also started Cisitalia Argentina Industrial y Comercial SA, planning cars such as the Cisitalia 750.