Mario and Venice

Carnevale Venezia. .. what a fabulous photo spread!! Venice should pay you for advertising. I love the costumes. The costumes look very exotic, slightly oriental. The young women in the blue and gold and black and gold dresses seem to be walking around the Piazza San Marco.
The girl with the long braid has a lovely Renaissance look. The glowing, golden light and highly decorative background are perfect for creating a period piece atmosphere. Mario Marchesini is extraordinarily talented at capturing beautiful things.

Carla White

Attributing an Alfa

In VT and several other recent publications, I have seen this car referred to as the ex-Bill Serri Alfa 8C 2900B. Click here to read the story.. I am aware that Bill owned this car for a number of years and drove it regularly. I also know, having met Bill and discussed the car with him when he owned it, that his stewardship of it was excellent, especially in terms of maintaining its originality and patina, refusing to subject it to a full restoration.

The late Bill Serri driving 412030 at Pocono, captured beautifully by Joe Corbacio.

For that, he should and has been applauded.

But in terms of the lineage and historical significance of a vintage car, particularly one that was raced years ago and owned by some of the most famous drivers in motorsports, why is it referred to as the ex-Bill Serri car and not the ex-Phil Hill or Carlos Pintacuda Alfa 8C 2900B? The ownership and racing by Hill and Pintacuda far outweigh that of Bill Serra. Sure, Bill vintage raced the car. But Hill drove it in real races when he owned it, such as Pebble Beach, and it was an important period leading to his becoming world champion. And Pintacuda, even more importantly, raced it in the 1938 Mille Miglia (as you point out in the article).

I met Serri back in the mid-1990s when I was covering the Louis Vuitton Concours at Rockefeller Center. He had the car displayed there and he was very proud of how original it was, with all of the dings and bent edges remaining as they had been for so many years. He was a delightful raconteur, brimming with enthusiasm and, within 10 minutes, it felt like we were old friends. We even joked about both growing up as Jewish nerds who always were most attracted to and wanted to marry beautiful blondes that were not Jewish (and he had just married one he was very proud of). Good memories. I had hoped to go to Philly and do a story on him at some point, as I knew it would be a wonderful tale that readers would love. But he died all too soon.

So, with all due respect to Bill, who was a wonderful guy and did right by this very important car, why aren't you and others referring to it as the ex-Hill or ex-Pintacuda Alfa 8C 2900B? Am I missing something that justifies the moniker "ex-Serri?"
Best regards,

David

Thanks for writing. I hope you don't mind if we publish your very valid opinion. And the answer is, well, we just never thought about it much. Like you, we knew Bill and appreciated the fact that during his ownership the car was not (by any means) over-restored. When writing of the car, then, we linked it to the person we knew. Sort of like the Brits do when they talk about the 'ex-Dennis Poore' 2900.

Of course there is no official or semi-official guidelines here. And if there was, who should get the ex-credit, Hill or Pintacuda? Or should we list both? Following that we’d have the rather longish ex-Panacea/Hill/Serri etc.

Finally, since the car is no longer in the tender/somewhat-lovingly-neglected-care of Mr. Serri, we subconsciously wish to remember the machine as it was driven at full throttle throttle through the narrow streets of Camden, by the then owner, for I fear it will never be subjected to that kind of glorious punishment again. Ed.

I have a near perfect 1992 Alfa Spider with 32,000 miles on it. I drive it about once a month if the weather is nice. I have owned it about 18 months. I want to take an extended trip say 2 segments of 2 weeks each and drive from Houston around the senic southern part of the United States and up to Jackson Hole WY. The total trip will be about 4000 miles. How should I prepare the car for this, what spares should I take does anyone have any advice.

Bill Crist

Lanciana

Thank you for this series of articles on Italy and the evolution of the Appia. I live in New Jersey USA and thoroughly enjoy crusing around in a \'59 Appia Vignale Convertible, keeping the spirit alive.

Joseph Augstyn

Nice story on the Appia Zagato.. I remember Maury Schlossberg, used to race in H Mod the 1960s.

Jack Gordon

Thanks for the articles on the Appia berlinas, series 1 and 2. They are complete and comprehensive articles. However, one note of concern: for these articles seem a bit gloomy and about the car.

Geoff's Third Series Berlina.

Appias are not grim cars, but rather subtle and cheerful cars, full of substance and careful consideration. They are not sporting like the Alfas of the time, or but they run forever, are unbelievably quiet and civilized, and exude charm and sophistication. Riding in one of these cars is like being inside a Swiss watch - and they tell of a time when quality of engineering was to be celebrated.

Ours is a series 2, and runs without any rattles or vibrations. It never breaks. Railroad tracks are exercises for understanding the suspension, and watching it wind up to 75 mph on the open road is pretty amazing for 1100 cc. It has no vices, and only virtues.

Appias call one to look for the road not taken, for they are about committment to excellence regardless of price or size. In this era of designer sophistication, and our hunt for a good small economical cars, they may yet have more to tell.

Geoff Goldberg

Both Marchesini and I have owned Appias and we both love them. I think you might be noting not a grim feeling about the car--but simply that as a Economist, Marchesini expounds in a much more scholarly fashion than I do, for example.

In any event, we all think the Appia is one of the greatest small sedans ever. Ed.

International Motor Racing Research Center
to display ex-Hill/Ginther Ferrari

I hope all's well! I look forward to receiving VT as always, even when tempted by (now unobtainable...) delights such as the current Ghibli in your classified section. Gorgeous! Amazing depth to your articles, a true service to historians.

The ex-Phil Hill!! 375M will be displayed at the Center. Photo by Werner Pfister.

Meanwhile, I wanted to let you know that we'll be graced with Ferrari 375MM # 0286 here at the Center beginning in March and extending through the summer months. No doubt you've seen the car before; for us displaying this legend of the Carrera will mark our first Ferrari for display! Also, as you likely know, the Ferrari Club of America will have their annual meet here at the Center in Watkins Glen this year. We'll be hosting the club's dinner, also at the Center, on Saturday of that weekend which promises to be very enjoyable event for all concerned. A Ferrari collector has just donated boxes of memorabilia here, some of which will find its way to an auction to be held that night. In any event, best wishes in 2007!

Mark Steigerwald
Watkins Glen International Motor Racing Research Center

Fiats, too

I found you guys while looking on ebay for a fiat 500 or 600. Great articles.... I'm still looking for a mid 60's early 70’s 500 or 600. Am not sure how to find one...help!!

John Dimare

I would like to draw your attention to a VERY extensive bilingual website completely dedicated to the Fiat 124 Sport Spider. Exclusively for this website, the designer Tom Tjaarda wrote HIS story about the 124 Spider. The web-address of this wonderful site is:
www.spidersweb.nl or
www.fiat124spider.eu
Thanks for your appreciated attention to place this web-address as a LINK on your pages.

Ton Westen