Carnevale Adelaide 2010

Story and photos by Vince Johnson

February means Carnevale to Italians the world over and in South Australia it’s no different. Held indoors once again at the Adelaide Showgrounds, the summer sun couldn’t daunt the annual festival of Italian culture held February 6th-7th. Style on wheels never fails to attract attention and Italian machinery is always a popular drawcard. The local Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati importer, Prestige Formula, had current models on show to contrast with the impressively turned out classics.

The ubiquitous Bambinos rate highly with the public and the Fiat 500 Club of SA showed several cars celebrating their half century. The variations of body types were well represented on the poster resting alongside the 1960 Giardiniera. The Ducati Owners Club displayed larger engines on fewer wheels while the Lambrettas on view included a very fuel efficient 3 wheeled workhorse.

New to the event this year was the display by the Scuderia Italian Car Club. With its emphasis on social activities there was an interesting mix of members’ cars. Club president Michael D’Acierno’s Fiat 124 spider was sold new in the USA in 1975 and had been imported by an Australian who then planned to restore it for his daughter. When Michael took it over fifteen years ago, he stripped the car to a rolling chassis and converted it to right hand drive. Everything was repaired or rebuilt and the benefits of its bare metal respray are evident. The Maserati Merak SS close by had been delivered to Sydney from the factory in 1980. Garaged for ten years before being taken over by its current owner, its cream leather interior mirrored its 24,000 original kilometres.

Fiat Dino spiders aren’t exactly thick on the ground, even in Italy, and few remain completely original. This 206 engined example spent the first 40 years of its life in Palermo, Sicily, before its then 71 year old owner put it up for sale on Ebay. It’s well known that most things which seem too good to be true probably are, and no bids were offered. However its present caretaker contacted the seller, Stefano, who turned out to be a trusted friend of the owner.

The car was with him in Rimini on the Adriatic shore so he flew over and was taken to an old warehouse along the coast. The spider was 100% complete, with factory leather and a small sticker by the registration label that read “Ferrari Club Palermo Sicilia”. In the glove compartment were the original registration documents. Shipped from Venice, it arrived in Australia in September 2008.

Also V6 engined and wearing a Dino badge was Gary Savis’ 246 GTS, one of the impressive contingent in the South Australian Ferrari Club annual concours. A previous Masters’ Class winner, this year it took out the ‘Best Pre-1990 V6 & V8’ category. Rescued from the ravages of the UK climate in 1979, it was eventually road ready in 1995 after a restoration spanning 15 years. Another 37 year old car and a similar credit to its owner was Carmelo Calabro’s 365 GT4 2+2, winning the ‘Best 12 Cylinder’ class. Pat Rechichi’s Dino 308GT4 claimed 2nd overall behind George Papillo’s 355GTS which was also judged ‘Best Post-1990 V8’.

The president’s Encouragement Award went to Silvio Madrussani’s 355 Spider. In the Masters’ Class the honours were presented to Frank Russo’s 575M from Dominic Tallarida’s 355 GTS F1. This November the Ferrari Club Australia’s national concours will be held in Adelaide and it will be interesting to measure these cars against those from the other states.