Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
May 4, 2019 Brooklands
Driving into the designated Alfa Romeo parking zone at the Brooklands circuit brought to my mind the long-term car park at Turin airport, except that the Turin long term car park nowadays is full of Kias and Volkswagens, not Fiats and Alfas.
Passing through the gate at Brooklands into the museum, this year we Alfa drivers had our own entrance, which avoided the queue at the Campbell gate. The Alfa section was 360 degrees of Alfas, so I placed my creaky old GT Blackline next to another GT.
Fiat 124 Sport attracted attention.
I went off to see the goods. I have been attending the Brooklands event for at least 7 years and for most of those years I would see a very rusty Maserati Bi Turbo Spyder with even more holes appearing each year; alas it was a no show, hopefully it is away being restored. (BTW, scroll down to accesss the links to all the reports on the Italian Car Day since 2013.)
The area in front of the club house is home to the more unusual stuff, and again this area did not disappoint. One of my favorites was the silver ISO Lele, but it was the amazing blue Fiat 124 AC Sport that kept drawing me back. Parked in front of the Fiat, and hard to photograph, was a late model Maserati Quattroporte except this one was a Bellagio Cinqueporte by Touring.
Very interesting Maserati, the rare Touring Bellagio Cinqueporte.
This year the modern Abarths had taken over the banking under the members bridge, mostly 500s but a few Puntos and an earlier 130TC Strada for good measure. Tuned Abarth 500s seem popular, the most spectacular being the Countach-doored example.
Abarth ‘Countach.’
Talking of custom cars, which are rare at this event, whilst peering into the engine bay of a chopped Fiat 600 I was surprised to see a tuned VW Boxer engine lurking there.
During the lunch break at the Mercedes-Benz world test track right next door, a selection of interesting cars were demonstrated by their proud owners, who this year had to wear crash helmets because of, as I understand, previous off-track excursions by a few over-enthusiastic Lamborghini owners.
This Fiat 600 is now powered by a Volkswagen boxer engine.
The finishing straight was home for Lancias, modernish Fiat Coupes and the previously mentioned Lamborghinis. Ferrari owners have their own area near the entrance but the event does not seem to attract the classic stuff- mainly V8s and the modern and loud V12s.
For me the event has never been about the exotic stuff, which is no longer rare at car events in the UK. Rather, it is the “when was the last time you saw one of those Fiat 127s, Lancia Betas, Alfa Suds,” etcetera that brings me back every year.
Here are two handy links to the Brooklands Italian Car Day..and many more photos below. Is your car included?
https://auto-italia.co.uk/events.asp
https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/whats-on/auto-italia-italian-car-day
Fiat 127 Sport with the Concorde in the background.
Abarths entering the test track.
Abarth Scorpion
Alfa 8C2300
Alfa Sud Trofeo
Alfa breakdown truck with Balilla.
Alfa GTV race cars
Ferrari 206 SP Recreation
Ferves Ranger
Fiat 124 Sport
Fiat 125
Fiat 128 Rallye
Fiat 128 with VC10
Fiat 131 Mirafiori
Fiat 500 powered by an Alfasud engine.
Fiat 500 lineup
Fiat 600s on the banking
Fiat 750 Vignale
A modified Fiat 850 Sport
Stock-looking Fiat 850 Coupe
A pair of Fiat Abarths
Fiat Abarth sperimentale
Fiat Coupe, 1500
Noddy car, the Fiat-based Gamine
Iso Lele and DeTomaso Deauville
Iso Rivolta
Lamborghini Islero
Lamborghini Espada
Lamborghini Diablo
Lancia Aurelia
Lancia Beta saloon series-3
Lancia Beta Coupe
Lancia Kappa Coupe
Lancia Lambda
Lancia Fulvia Safari
Lancia High Fidelity
Monteverdi
What the heck is a “Ferves ranger”? Good to see photos of Brooklands, which I consider easily the best car museum I have seen. Not just the sheds in the paddock, but the whole racetrack and its tangible, but unseeable ambience. The ghosts of the past! Human and mechanical. Of course which are the great car museums is a topic for another article. or series of articles.
Good to see, not just one, but three Fiat 124 Sport Coupes, especially the earlier, prettier AC versions. The Coupes and the 124 Spiders were introduced to most Americans in a July ’66 Road & Track. As a 12 year old at the time, I was smitten by both, but couldn’t decide which one I was going to buy — as soon as I got my license, of course. It took a little longer than that, but some years later, a 1969 Sport Coupe came up for sale at a price I could (barely) afford. I spent the summer patching, painting, and rebuilding the head and brakes, but I got three great years out of it before the rust returned, ultimately outpacing my ability to keep it in check. Two decades later, and in a rather better financial position, I fulfilled the other half of the dream and picked an ’82 Spider. Fiat had solved the rust issues by then, and the fuel ignition of the later models made for a reliable and anxiety-free driver. Unlike the Coupe, the Spider never stranded me in 14 years of ownership. But I still miss the Coupe.
What a splendid collection of Italian cars at Brooklands. Great photographs of many Fiats, such as the elegant 124 Sport Coupe AC and the black Fiat ‘Coupe’ 1500, which is not a coupe but a cabriolet with hardtop. For many years already I have the same black 1500 with hardtop lingering in my garage waiting for lots of TLC to get it back on the road. Can’t wait, when will I start?
I was delighted to spot what appears to be an OT1600 Fiat Abarth Berlina or a very good replica in the photo gallery… I once owned one of three in the States, circa 1971, an absolutely ferocious little road rocket and a head-turner wherever it appeared.
The Fiat 124 Sport Coupe has always been a favorite, a wonderful design. Too bad they were so rust-prone and so few remain.