The Pininfarina lines of a Fiat Dino Spyder contrast nicely with the starkness of the Brooklands memorial erected to commemorate the home of motor racing 1907 - 1939.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Judging by the three lines of cars, all of which were made in Italy, waiting to pass through the Campbell gate of the Brooklands Motor Circuit in Surrey, the Italian car community is alive and thriving.
This was the 21st Italian Car Day to be held at Brooklands. The lure of the Italian car extends to all budgets whether you can stretch to the Gold Daytona parked at one end of the site or whether you pour all of your hard earned pennies into keeping the Fiat 128 parked at the bottom of the banking at the far end in tip top condition. The hobby is open to all.
It is the diversity of cars on display that never cease to impress me. When was the last time you saw a four door Alfa Sud – but there below the members’ bridge, amongst its brethren, was a fine silver example.
Attendees could if they wished, during the lunch break, push their cars to the limit on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz World test track. The queue to enjoy this contained the full gambit of vehicles from Lamborghini’s to Fiat 500s. Highlights had to be the Ferrari 212 single-seater, brought along by DK Engineering, and all the way from Sweden, Glen Billqvist’s Il Drago Ruggente (the roaring Dragon), very much in the spirit of the early days of the circuit, when brave drivers would race Aero-Engined Specials; this special was based on the chassis of a 1924 Delage. The power plant is a 27 liter Isotta Fraschini V12 engine from a Caproni Bomber of WWII vintage.
If driving on the circuit was not sufficiently exciting for entrants, they could also attempt the original test hill, a climb of 352 feet in which the gradient increases from 1 in 8 to 1 in 4. The Roaring Dragon made light work of this, the Piaggio Ape Racing pick up (I kid you not) needed the assistance of four marshals to complete the last 30 feet.
Lancia Aurelia in front of the Malcolm Campbell shed. A car Sir Malcolm Campbell would certainly have appreciated.
Product placement; Moretti 850 F2 coupe entices the visitors to taste the birra.
Later Moretti coupe.
Fiat X19 Abarth prototype evocation and older Abarth Fiats.
A Lamborghini Islero in the shade of the fuselage of a British Airways Vickers VC10, an aircraft originally built at Brooklands.
Fiat 600 by Votti, 1960. The aircraft behind is Handley Page Domini.
Fiat Dino Coupe between the Campbell shed and the Brookland Clubhouse.
Parked on the banking next to 3 Fiat Cabriolets is a Fiat 130 in much better shape than the one I once owned!
Purple Haze while waiting their turn to take to the test track. If you are wondering why the driver/owner of the Ferrari 212 is coughing it is because he has just received a lung full of Isotto Franschini V12 Aero engine exhaust gas, all 27 liters, courtesy of Il Drago Ruggente (Roaring Dragon).
All the way from Sweden, Il Drago Ruggente is built on a 1924 Delage chassis and powered by a 27-liter Isotta Fraschini V12 engine from a World War 2 Caproni bomber. It is owned by Glenn Billqvist.
The Dragon roars up the test hill. A gradient of up to 1 in 4 proved no challenge.
An Iso Rivolta shares its love of speed with the fastest airliner in the world. Concorde G-BBDG was the second production Concorde and the first British built example. At one time this aircraft flew in formation with the 9 bright Red BAE Hawk jets of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic display team 'The Red Arrows'.
An Alfa Montreal at the bottom of the famous banking. It was on this banking that John Cobb lapped at over 143 mph in 1935. The banking was not in much better in condition back then.
Italian Beauty, American grunt. Iso Rivolta 1, Test hill 0.
A Fiat 500 contrasts nicely with the propeller blades of the Rolls-Royce Tyne gas turbine engines. This is the last surviving Brooklands-built Vickers Merchantman (Vanguard).
Fiat Balilla from above.
Fiat Balilla, again.
Not that rare at shows these days but this Daytona is a plexiglass example and look at the color. Contact DK engineering if it appeals.
James Wheeler from Black and White Garage brought along this rather splendid Giulietta; Alfa 1900 behind it.
Blood brothers. Alfa 75 and SZ.
Whale tail and two Fiat 500s. The whale tail is of the Sultan of Oman's Royal Flight Vickers VC10 G-ASIX. Built at Brooklands and delivered in 1964 to British European Airways, she was subsequently sold to the Sultan of Oman in 1974. Its final flight was from Heathrow to Brooklands in 1987.
Fiat Barchettas on the banking.
Cisi Nuvolari on the test hill.
Fiat Dino Spyder.
A great overview!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great pics! Super job!
I was there in my Alfa and thanks for the reminder through great pictures. I’m now back in Africa touring Ethiopia where a reliable contact says that there is a pre-war Alfa cabriolet that was left with an old lady by her tenant in lieu of paying rent. Despite the many years that it has been under control she does not have automatic title and has to seek it through the courts here. I am listening for the latest news!