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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Abarth

Abarths and Wine at Avignon

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Focusing on Wine and Abarths...

Photos and story by Graham Gauld

Avignon in the south of France is a medieval city famous for the fact that Pope Clement VI actually bought the town in 1348 from its Italian owner, Joanna the first of Naples. Clement then made Avignon the home of the next six Popes of the Roman Catholic Church.

OK that’s your ancient history lesson is over for the day. Now onto more recent history. Avignon also hosted its annual Historic Car festival which is an impressive event that covers no fewer than 13 individual halls on the Exhibition site. It makes Retromobile with its two halls almost look small! Mind you, most of the halls contain small stands selling everything from head gaskets for 1952 Simcas to every known 1/43rd scale motor truck car or racing car ever built. It is a kind of fans-fest on steroids.

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Ah, Vernasca, Saturday in the Paddock

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Lovely Vernasca

Lovely Vernasca

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

The Silver Flag Hillclimb is a relatively new classic racing venue, held in the small and charming town of Vernasca, in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna. The affair sounded like our kind of event, so on the weekend of June 19-21, we flew from London to Milan, rented a car from Malpensa, a Skoda Yeti which of course quickly got the nickname “Spaghetti Yeti.”

We drove about 120km south down the Autostrada Del Sole and we stayed at an Agriturismo place called Casa Dell Abbondanza (the house of abundance) which was about a mile and a half from the main road. The farm was about 6kms from the event but there was no sound of humanity, just deafening bird songs and dozens of fireflies at night. Organic breakfast was served with products made on the farm each day.

In town we ate at the local Trattoria Da Liugi which served good hearty local fair at very reasonable prices. Lunch of freshly sliced salami, Gnocchi for dinner, and Gutturnio Classico Superiore red wine to wash it down – ah, Vernasca.

Saturday morning we walked the paddocks. Abarths, GTs, GTAMs, TZ1s and 2s, 8Vs, Oscas, Morettis, Gianni, Giaur, Griffo, Oselli plus of course Alfa, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati and a smattering of Ferrari for good measure. We spent the afternoon up on the hill enjoying the feeling that this could be the Targa Florio or the Mille Miglia.

This was just a warmup for the main events which took place on Sunday. In the next two segments, we’ve arranged the cars as photographed in action at the hillclimb by alphabetical order.

For more on this event:
Abarth to Ferrari
Lancia to Serenissima

Abarth Monomille GT

Abarth Monomille GT.

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Vernasca, Abarth to Ferrari

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Rappi designed Fiat 8V.

Rappi-designed Fiat 8V running the hill at the Vernasca Silver Flag Hillclimb.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Sunday morning we went back to the hill to view a different corner. Sunday lunch was a Pannini stuffed with freshly sliced prosciutto and a birra alla spina in the village square of Vernasca, surrounded by the competitor’s cars. While we ate, we contemplated the near perfectly circle front wheel arches on the Pininfarina-penned P4/5 in front of us.

One off PF Ferrari P 4/5.

One off PF Ferrari P 4/5.

The current event at Vernasca is based on a series of 17 hillclimbs sponsored by the Automobile Club of Piancenza, held between 1953 and 1972. This means the event is open to cars built up to 1972, so the turnout is more varied than that of the Mille Miglia. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to accept or deny an application, but here are the qualifiers for entry: 1) Racing history of the car in its heyday 2) Rarity 3) Race results in historic cars events 4) Arrival date of entry form.

In this segment we present the cars in alphabetical order from Alfa to Ferrari. Note that not all the cars entered were photographed and owner’s names are not always supplied or known.

For more on this event:
Vernasca overview
Lancia to Serenissima

Philip Van Looy's 1966 Abarth OT1330 Periscopio.

Philip Van Looy’s 1966 Abarth OT 1300 Periscopio.

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VeloceToday Gallery: Vanhoolandt’s Etceterinis

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Ermini 357 Sport: Mille Miglia 2010, San Quirico

Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Click to enlarge

From the archives May 19,2015

Hugues Vanhoolandt

Belgian Hugues Vanhoolandt has been image-making for VeloceToday since 2007, and covered every major event from Monterey to Monaco. Below, he has gathered up 27 photos of what we call Etceterinis.

The term Etceterini may require some explanation. According to Andrea Curami in the indispensable La Sport e i suoi Artigiani (1937-1965), (The Sport and Its Artisans), there were at least 84 different constructors of small displacement racing cars to compete in the Italian National Championship races. There were many more that were simply listed as Fiat Specials, both in the 750 and 1100 cc classes. Etcetera, from which the word Etceterini is derived, means ‘and so on’ or ‘and the like’. Tacking on the ‘ini’ was a stroke of linguistic brilliance; not only were most of the artisan cars built from Fiat components and therefore somewhat like, all but seven of the 84 constructors had names that ended in a vowel such as “Stanguellini”; hence the ‘ini’. So fitting is the moniker that to try to categorize the cars by any other means seems hopeless. We believe the term was first used by an American enthusiast in California in the late 1980s. For more on this, read “The Essential Etceterini.”

In alphabetical order, with the event and year, Vanhoolandt’s Etceterinis:

Alfa Maserati Prete: Museo Mille Miglia, Brescia, 2011

Autocorse Gilco Panhard 750 Sport: Mille Miglia 2010, Urbino

Bandini 750 Siluro barchetta: Villa d\’Este 2013

Bandini 750 Sport saponetta: Museo Mille Miglia, Brescia, 2011

De Sanctis Formula Junior: RM Auction Monaco 2010

Ermini 1100 Sport: Mile Miglia 2011, Pieve Santo Stefano

Ermini sport siluro, Mille Miglia 2010, Brescia

Faccioli Formule Junior: Goodwood Revival 2010, Bonhams Sale

Giannini 750 Sport: Mille Miglia 2010, Urbino

Giaur Champion 750 (Motto): Villa Erba, Cernobbio, 2010

Gilco Fiat 1100: Mille Miglia 2011, Brescia

Monaci 8C Bimotore: Mille Miglia 2007, Buonconvento

Moretti 750: Rétromobile, Paris, 2012

Moretti 750 Grand Sport: Villa d\’Este 2012

Morettini Fiat 508 S: Mille Miglia 2011, Barberino di Mugello

Nardi Danese 1500 Sport: Mille Miglia 2007, Buonconvento

Nardi Danese Alfa Romeo: Rétromobile, Paris, 2010

Nardi-Danese 750 Boby Sport: Techno Classica Essen 2014

Patriarca 750 Sport: Mille Miglia 2010, Brescia

Stanga 750 Sport: Mille Miglia 2010, Urbino

Stanga 750 Sport: Mille Miglia 2007, Brescia

Stanguellini 1100 Bialbero Sport: Gooding Auction Monterey, 2010

Stanguellini 1100 Sport: Mille Miglia 2011, Brescia

Stanguellini Barchetta: Essen Motor Show, 2007

Taraschi Formule Junior: Monterey Reunion Laguna Seca, 2008

Taraschi-Fiat: Goodwood Revival, 2012

Old at Geneva with Alessandro Gerelli

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Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio from the rear.

Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli

A glance at the past at Geneva

Old classic cars are very rarely seen at the Geneva Autos Show. But this year, the number of wonderful old jewels has increased and were very interesting.

In one of the halls there was an exhibition of Le Mans winners and cars from the 20s to today, which attracted the attention of the visitors.

The cars in the show include the first Le Mans winner, a Chenard & Walcker driven by Lagache and Leonard at the speed of 92 km/h, the Ferrari 166MM of Thomson and Chinetti who won the first post WWII edition of the race and many other cars, including the French Matra, Peugeot and Rondeau.

A few more old Alfas were around plus an Ermini and a lovely Abarth 695. [Read more…] about Old at Geneva with Alessandro Gerelli

Graham Gauld at Retro

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Abarth-750

Europe is finally beginning to see an influx of the Abarth Allemanos.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

It’s the first week of February, and to many that means Retromobile in Paris. This large motoring extravaganza is the meeting place of those who are in the know and looking for customers for their cars, as well as those who are there to drink in a truly diverse collection of cars, memorabilia and artifacts that never fail to produce some surprising items.

I tend to overlook the big historic car dealer stands with the major items that are generally covered in depth by most of the historic rags. I tend to look in the corners and on some of the smaller stands where you can find some really interesting stuff.

Stanguellini-Berlinetta

The Bertone-bodied Stanguellini berlinetta.

I have known the Stanguellini family for over fifty years, but this was the first occasion I have seen one of the 1100cc Fiat-engined berlinettas produced in the early 1950s. They were built as a short run of cars aimed at racing, with beautifully styled coachwork by Nuccio Bertone. As you can see from the photo it was very stylish for 1951 and at the Coppa Inter Europa that year, four of them took part, Manzini’s car finishing 8th in the 1100cc class. The one on show was on the Belgian Marreyt Classics stand with a price tag a shade over $180,000.

You had a choice of Cisitalia 202SC cabriolets on offer at Retromobile. This one was the Marryet car finished in blue/grey...

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Fast Tracking the New Fiat Abarth

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By Brian Winer

A VT contributor recently drove a Fiat 500c but admitted later that the speed was lackluster because he failed to press the “Sport” button. Recently, I rectified that by not only driving a 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth hatchback, but driving the diminutive car on a race track at the limits of the tires, the car, and the driver.

The occasion was the annual Track Days sponsored by the Motor Press Guild. These track tests are a little like speed dating—five minutes to get to know each gal. You tend to like the last one you were with, until the next one. During the busy day, we also were able to test drive the Fiat Abarth’s competition so were able to get some idea of where the new Fiat stood with its peers.
[Read more…] about Fast Tracking the New Fiat Abarth

Belgian Race Drivers and Teams: More Than You Think

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Above: Ferrari 500 TRC s/n 0682 MD TR was entered by Ecurie Nationale Belge at Le Mans in 1957, and placed 7th overall with the team of Bianchi/Harris.

Photos and text by Hugues Vanhoolandt

When one thinks of Belgian race drivers, the name of Olivier Gendebien, Paul Frere and Jacky Ickx (whose daughter, Vanina, is also a race driver) naturally come to mind.

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Day of The Scorpion: In English and Italian

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Antony Berni with his Fiat Abath 1000 TCR.

Words and photos by Roberto Motta
Italian text at end of photo selection

The idea of creating a gathering dedicated to owners of Abarths stems from the fact that there are not many opportunities to enjoy Abarths. Therefore, about a year ago, a few friends and sympathizers of the marque decided to organize the Historic Abarth track day.

Giorgio Solda in a 1979 Formula Fiat Abarth, Carlo Abarth's last project.

Friends included Tony Berni, Abarth specialist and founder of Berni Motors, Perry (Pierangelo) Passini of Franzoni’s Auto Brescia, and Giuseppe Giuffré, president of the Italian Abarth Historic Register.

This year was the second event and was held on June 30 2011 at the Circuit de Francia Corta ‘Daniel Bonera’, (located in the province of Brescia in Lombardy) with participants from all over Europe, had both a race and show. Abarth owners were able to prove their car on the track, and a show is held for those not eager to race. This year the show turned the paddock of the circuit in a real open air museum.

Horst-Pichler with SE021, a 2000 sports prototype built for the 1971 European Constructor's Championship.

The event drew about 100 participants and over fifty cars registered for the track. The cars were divided into four categories, and each category was allowed to use the track for a test period of 25 minutes each.

Berlina 1000 TC Radiale of Giuseppe Giuffré, president of the Italian Abarth Historic Register.

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Amelia Etceterini Class a Smashing Success

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Jim Jenne's Stanguellini heads up an impressive line up of entrants.

By Cliff Reuter

The 2010 etceterini meet has come and gone and I must say that it far exceeded my expectations!

Three years ago when I first thought of such an event, the goal was to gather the best etceterini cars in America for a show but most importantly I wanted to get the etceterini ‘isti’ together. [Read more…] about Amelia Etceterini Class a Smashing Success

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