Taking a page from the Simeone Foundation, this year’s Autoworld Museum in Brussels created life-like dioramas to for a stunning Italian backdrop to 60 great Italian cars. Here we see an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA with its “assistenza” car.
Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt Click on images to enlarge
Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels
The Autoworld Museum in Brussels devoted its last 2015 special exhibition to “la bella macchina italiana”, featuring some 60 cars ranging from the 50s to this day, representing the most emblematic machines produced by mass manufacturers, renowned coachbuilders or talented craftsmen.
In order to provide the visitor with the proper ambiance, a small “piazza” was been recreated as well as the typical narrow streets of an Italian city, with its traditional architecture.
In this exhibit, this Lamborghini Miura, a 1972 P400 SV version, is the link between the prolific 50’s and 60’s and the supercars of today.
Different themes are presented. On the central “piazza”, you can feel the typical chaos of Italian city centers with many different types of cars, seemingly parked everywhere.
The “Competizione” is evoked through two famous Italian races, the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio, and the “Concorso d’Eleganza”, such the famous Villa d’Este concours, through the many famous coachbuilders.
For the modern era, there is also a showroom of supercars displaying the latest technology from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati.
The exhibition is open until January 31. If you are in the area, don’t miss it!
A Fiat Otto Vu and Siata await their owners in front of the Hotel Venezia.
The wine wagon, a mobile bar powered by Vespa.
In the piazza, a Fiat 500 Giardiniera to the De Tomaso Pantera, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider and the Dino 206 GT evoke the busy chaos of an Italian city of the 1970.
In this diorama, show cars line up before presentation at the famous Villa de Este hotel.
Side by side, the mythical 1952 Disco Volante, on loan from the Turin Automobile Museum, and its modern interpretation by Touring Superleggera.
The competition is illustrated by this Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 which was born as a TZ (s/n 750 004), but later rebuilt as a TZ2 after an accident.
Not only very successful in racing, the Ferrari 250 GT SWB berlinetta Scaglietti is also one of the prettiest competition car ever.
Another legend of the Italian automobile world is the Mille Miglia. Here the Cisitalia 202 SMM which finished fourth in the 1947 edition, surrounded by an Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Touring coupe and a Fiat 500 Topolino.
The Fiat brand was well represented in this exhibit. Fiat produced this 1900B Granluce in 1954 which seems to have an American inspiration.
The convertible version proposed by Ghia on the 1953 model.
Here is the Allemano interpretation of the 1954 Fiat 1100 TV. TV stands for Turismo Veloce.
On show were the three main bodies worn by the Fiat Otto Vu (or 8V). First this version styled in house by Luigi Rapi.
The Zagato Otto Vu version from 1955.
And the spectacular Supersonic from Ghia.
8V again, this time by Vignale, who did this one off body in 1953.
The Fiat 8V engine was also used by Siata for their 208 Motto spider…
…but also on this Bertone coupé version, which remains unique.
This is the Vignale work on the 1950 Lancia B50 coupé, a sober but elegant design.
Back on the piazza we see a 1964 Lancia Flaminia Pininfarina 2.8 coupe and the Alfa Romeo 2600 Touring cabriolet from the same year.
Another interpretation on the basis of the Alfa Romeo 2600, a coupe version from Pininfarina. Only this one was built.
Moretti was a small manufacturer which built this 1959 Moretti 750 Spider.
But what does a Bugatti EB110 in an Italian car exhibition ? It has its place here simply because the first rebirth of Bugatti, in the 90’s, took place near Modena, aptly named ‘Motor Valley’.
An incredible collection cleverly displayed. Nice to see an Alfa Colli included. I remember Steve Fronis driving his to Northern California dealers, the back loaded with special Alfa tools and display parts. I think Griswald got it when Alfa USA sold it.
went to visit this expo , top value for your money stef belgium
Great coverage of “my” exhibition. With Eric Janssen from the Autoworld Museum, I was one of the organizers. It is alway great, that visiters appriciated the hard work.
For some cars it took me two years to convice the collectors of the cars to lent their car(s) for two month to the museum. My own car, an Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Bicolore, is there as well and it is great to see her between the master pieces.
Frank Rameckers
Journalist
Belgium