Alfa’s Exclusive Swiss Facility Part 3

By James Lanoway

Regarding the many exotic Alfas that Peter Zahnd saw and worked on at the Agno facility:

“The rare cars like the TZ, TI Super, GTA 1.6 and 1.3, went to wealthy customers or the sports drivers. Prominent Swiss drivers well-known on the TZ 1 included Clay Regazzoni,

Silvio Moser, Karl Foitek and Charles Ramu-Caccia, and also many less-known Swiss drivers on the SZ short and long tails later moved on to the TZ1 and GTA. Regazzoni and Silvio Moser were both customers at Martinelli & Sonvico in Lugano. At Agno, there were Autodelta cars to buy, plus a kit for the 1300 to build a GTAM which cost a good additional 22,000 CHF. You bought the kit and installed it yourself or had it installed at Saligari AG (in Bottmingen, Basel-Landschaft), or at Autodelta, where they set it up and then tested it at Balocco. Tuners like Balduzzi, Conrero, and Monzeglio were not represented at Agno.”

The Martinelli & Sonvico Racing Team was based in Lugano and gave both Silvio Moser and the young F1 star-in-the-making Regazzoni their starts in Formula 3 in 1966 and 1967. Amilcare Martinelli Garage from Chiasso and Aldo Sonvico Automobili of Lugano were the Swiss Maserati importers. The famous Galleria restaurant bar in Lugano was located in the same building as the Aldo Sonvico Garage showroom, and this was a popular hang-out for many up-and-coming drivers in the 1960s.

When Peter returned from Agno to work in Zurich, he was kept busy with all the new Alfas bought by eager customers.

“Yes, in the golden times, we sold around 1,000 new cars a year with all branches and sub-agents in the canton of Zurich alone. We had a new car warehouse outside the city of Zurich with a good 200 cars in all colors and so everything was available for delivery in a short time. Of course, there were shortages of coveted colors back then. At that time, police in Zurich drove white Giulia Supers (they had 10 of them), while police in Ticino had the only Giulia 1600 Super Carrozzerie Colli (also called a “Promiscua”) as well as two regular Supers. All three cars were white with two black side stripes and bore the Ticino coat of arms. They later were sold at Sonvico, and the Colli today is part of a private collection in Munich. Incidentally, before the GTA 1600 came in 1965, many Giulia TI Super 1600s were first delivered to Switzerland in 1964. Besides those TI Super 1600s coming into Agno, I imported many of them from France to Switzerland back then. The importer was Sofar France. They were driven in 1964 by Karl Foitek from Zurich and Carlo Brändli in Grenchen. I kept one of them for myself.”

Being from a family whose involvement in the Alfa Romeo business runs deep for four generations, you would expect Peter today to own some interesting Alfas and indeed he does. He owns examples of three of the most coveted: a 1600 GTA Corsa, a 1300 GTAM with SPICA, and he still has that Giulia 1600 TI Super.

Peter participated in many classic-car competitions with his three Alfas and has driven on most of the European circuits, with Brands Hatch, Donnington Park, the Nordschleife, and Mugello being amongst his favourites. Driving the Targa Florio course in a 1600 GTA with a Facetti motor was a highlight, first with co-driver Luigi “Gino” Pozzo, ex of Monzeglio Squadra Corse, and then with Bernd Hahne, Jürgen Zerha, and Hans-Joachim Rössing.

Among all the professional Alfa drivers of the ’60s to ’80s, if you ask him, Peter will tell you that he believes Carlo Facetti was the best. Carlo, presently living in Lugano and doing well at the age of 88, is also well known as a tuner not only in Alfa Romeo circles but also in the Lancia world.

If asked what is his most favourite Alfa Romeo of all time, with all that Alfa heritage and experience in his blood, you would expect Peter to answer with something very special indeed, such as one of the 2500s, or Zagatos, or maybe the 33 Stradale. His answer is unhesitant and striking: “The Giulia TI Super, that was a really great car.” Peter furthermore responds to the question of which is the most under-rated Alfa by naming the Giulia Biscione or Bollino D’Oro, cars definitely under the radar for a lot of auto enthusiasts.

When Peter drove in the Historic Touring Car competitions of the 80s and 90s with Scuderia del Portello, his best friend was the legendary Bruno Bonini. The Boninis are well known to Alfisti, both father and son having played important roles in the company’s history. Pietro Bonini, Bruno’s father, started as the racing mechanic for Antonio Ascari, Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi. With his mastery of the German language, he managed to save pre-war Alfetta 158s from patrolling German troops during World War II and then hid them in Abbiategrasso with the help of Consalvo Sanesi and powerboat–racer Achille Castoldi. He was even sent on a mission to Berlin by Alfa Romeo general manager Ugo Gobbato to negotiate with Albert Speer, minister of Armaments and War Production, to plead with the Germans to stop taking material from the Portello warehouses. As well, Pietro fine-tuned and personally delivered from the factory several 8C Alfas to various royalty, heads of government, and well-moneyed clients over his career.

Pietro’s son Bruno followed the example of his father’s dedication to Alfa Romeo and began his long career there as a test driver for most of the models released by Alfa after World War II. Bruno was a respected member of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ test drivers (the others being Brignoli, Distani, Galvan, Moroni, Sanesi and Zanardi) and seeing him in his later grey-haired years taming the wild beast of a 159 while exiting the pits in the video “Alfetta 159 pilotata da Bruno Bonini” (available on YouTube) is a sight to behold and not soon forgotten. In addition to being a test driver, Bruno was also an accomplished racer and co-drove a 6C 2500 with Felice Bonetto in the 1950 Carrera Panamericana (won outright the ninth and final stage, finished eighth O.A.), co-drove a 1900 SC Corto Gara with Mario Tadini in the 1952 Mille Miglia (fifth in class, 17th O.A.), and co-drove a 1900 TI Berlina with Piero Zanavoni in the 1954 Carrera (DNF, but was sporting director for the Alfa team which finished 1–2–3–4 in class). Once Bruno reached official retirement age, he still continued on with Alfa Romeo as Restoration Director in the Museum Alfa Romeo and team manager for Scuderia del Portello, as well as taking the position of the conservator of Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo (R.I.A.R.).

Entered in many classic events throughout Europe as part of Scuderia del Portello, Peter got to know Bruno well and the two soon became good friends. They twice drove the Carrera Panamericana revival together in a 1900 Berlina and they were together at the 1985 Tribute to Alfa Romeo at Laguna Seca, where Fangio at age 74 drove his 159 for Alfa Romeo’s 75th anniversary. Bruno confided to Peter his despair about the damage received to the rear of the 159 while unloading in Oakland after shipping from Italy.

Then tragedy stepped in to obviate their maturing friendship when, on July 4, 1994, Bruno suffered a massive cardiac arrest at Eau Rouge while driving Peter’s 1600 GTA during practice for the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. His passing was staggering and similar to that of the F1 and Can-Am champion Denny Hulme, who suffered a cardiac arrest while racing a touring sedan along a high-speed section of the Mount Panorama circuit two years earlier. Bruno Bonini was just a youthful 71, and this great father figure at Alfa is still sorely missed by his good friend Peter and the rest of the Alfisti community today.

After Fiat acquired Alfa Romeo in 1986, Alfa’s entire Swiss operations were moved to Geneva. Peter says the Agno facility’s workshop contents were bought by Loris Kessel, a Swiss driver from Lugano who had three starts in F1, went on to own the Ferrari dealership in Lugano, and to compete in the Ferrari Challenge Series in Italy and the FIA GT3 European Championship. According to Peter, the leftovers of the Agno workshop are still stored in a warehouse somewhere in nearby Chiasso.

With the takeover of Alfa Romeo by Fiat and the latter’s decision to close Agno, as well as with the loss of Bonini, many believe that something soon was lost in the Alfa Romeo world. Some say it was a sense of zest and adventure that could no longer be sustained in a huge corporate environment. Others say that it was because those qualities would no longer be endured. Regardless, Peter’s enthusiastic fondness for his years with Alfa Romeo in Agno and Zurich and his willingness to share his memories helps to belay their disappearance into the ether, and we are all richer as a result.

As Peter says: “Yes, it was a crazy time when Alfa Romeo had those golden times in Switzerland and we had the best clientele from all walks of life.”

Postscript: Today Peter works in Zurich with his son Dino Von Koerber at Garage Von Koerber (430 Birmendorferstrasse, 044/461 18 55, the site of the former Garage Peter Zahnd) while passing on his years of Alfa experience and enthusiasm.

Bibliography:

1. Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo – Arese [Alfa Romeo Documentation Center], Viale Alfa Romeo, 20020 Arese (Milano) – Italia
Email: centrodocumentazione@museoalfaromeo.com
Tel. 02.444.255.11

2) Peter Zahnd, personal communication, 2024.

3. Borgeson, Griffith. The Alfa Romeo Tradition. Sparkford, Somerset: Haynes Publishing Group, 1990.

4. Hull, Peter. Alfa Romeo. New York: Ballantine Books, Inc., 1971.

5. Witting da Prato, Vito. Alfa Romeo TZ-TZ2 Born to Win. Milan: Giorgio Nada Editore, 2016.

6. “La Nuova Filiale in Svizzera.” Alfa Romeo Notizie, Anno 1 Numero 10, June 11, 1963.

7. “L’Alfa Romeo Svizzera Compie Trent’Anni.” Il Quadrifoglio, No. 5, October 1967.

8. “Neues Alfa-Zentrum in der Schweiz” Automobil Revue, Nr. 38, Aug 29, 1963, p. 25.

9. Fondazione Archivi Architetti Ticinesi, Fonds 036, 037. (accessed Dec 14, 2023).
www.fondazioneaat.ch

10. Latham, Stephen. “Loris Kessel.” The “Forgotten” Drivers of F1. (accessed Dec 14, 2023). www.f1forgottendrivers.com

11. Vecchi, Andrea (a.k.a. arese73). “Vittoria Tenaglia Alfa GTV6 2.5 Milano-Lugano 2004.” Youtube. Feb 24, 2008. 5:23 (Agno test track: 2:42–3:17). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Wex0xxpCQ

12. Floris, Cristian. “Alfetta 159 pilotata da Bruno Bonini.” Youtube. Oct 2, 2016. 1:29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC8-6c_ONO0