The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Story by Pete Vack and Howard Banaszak
Read Part 1
Our lead appears whimsical but in fact, Banaszak’s Stanguellini (CS04080), called a “Mercollini” by the wags at Kiekhaefer, did set the Class H land speed record at Daytona Beach on February 28, 1956, at 102.1 mph, driven by Herm Behm. The combination of the Mercury 55 outboard and the tiny, lightweight but sturdy Stanguellini was a winner out of the box.
At Thompson Raceway on September 5 1954 with the PBX in first and the Stanguellini CS04080 driven by John Gordon Benett in second. Here, Benett still has the lead.
By Howard Banaszak
One year ago, we presented the story of Candy Poole’s amazing PBX, which seemed to have no rivals in the east coast’s H Modified class. This month we tell the story of one of the few cars to give the PBX a run for its money, the Stanguellini 750 SN CS04080. Ironically, it found its greatest success after the installation of the all American Mercury outboard motor. It is a remarkable story in many ways.
After owning several Porsches, I decided to focus on the Italian sports racers and of course met Tim Ritter; Tim contacted me around 1985-86. He had found an interesting project car. It had a Devin body, but was mounted on an Italian chassis. Neither of us knew what it was, however, it sounded interesting. I purchased the car and it was shipped back to Florida. I removed the Devin body and gave it to Judge Parker for a project he was working on. [Read more…] about The Banaszak Stanguellini Sport P1
Story by Dino Brunori
Historic photos are Copyright protected from the Andrea Curami Collection
From the Archives, December 2018
In the years between 1930 and 1960 every Italian car enthusiast had only one dream: racing in the Mille Miglia. And in the years after the war, when the sporting regulations allowed it, one might enter the 1000 mile race with a self-built car derived from or built with Fiat components. They could be rewarded with large sums of money if they won the category with Fiat parts.
Story by Dino Brunori
Historic photos are Copyright protected from the Andrea Curami Collection
This is the first of a series about Etceterinis on the Mille Miglia
In the years between 1930 and 1960 every Italian car enthusiast had only one dream: racing in the Mille Miglia. And in the years after the war, when the sporting regulations allowed it, one might enter the 1000 mile race with a self-built car derived from or built with Fiat components. They could be rewarded with large sums of money if they won the category with Fiat parts. [Read more…] about Mille Miglia Etceterinis: The Stanga Brothers
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 and a Formula Junior or two. [Read more…] about Etceterini File: Hugues Vanhoolandt
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
Dino Brunori is the author of “Nardi, a Fast Life“, and has often contributed articles to VeloceToday. He is one of the leading experts in Italian sports cars and owns one of the two remaining Roselli Colli Sport road versions. After he read last week’s article on the Roselli Colli, he added his considerable knowledge of how the car came to be, and why so many think it is a Cisitalia. Here is his report. [Ed.]
By Dino Brunori
Hi Pete, the article is very good. The funny thing is that both of you and the readers were right for opposite reasons. Plus, the real story is even more tantalizing.
The car is a Fiat Roselli with body built by Carrozzeria Colli.
Let me do a short recap of the story of Colli and the other actors named in the article for your readers because there are some mistakes. [Read more…] about Tony Pompeo, Cisitalia, and the Colli Roselli Fiat
Side view of our Mystery Car...the photographer couldn't recall the name of the car or what year, but he did remember his girlfriend, who is standing behind it.
Sometimes, it’s still fun….
Today we have almost dozens of books about rare Italian cars; multiple Internet sources which leave no digit unmolested, no photo left unseen; dozens of seasoned veterans with years of experience identifying, finding, buying, and selling rare Italian cars, and then wonderful resources for information such as the REVS and IMRRC.
All of this means that there are few true mystery cars left out there – the wealth of resources has taken much of the fun away from finding a photo of a car one can’t identify.
Still, once in a while one comes up that we find it hard to figure. When this happens, we put the image up on VeloceToday and we are sure to find the right answer. Or so we hope.
A Jodi Ellis rendition of the Lancia Special as raced in 1953 at Avus.
By Pete Vack
We were just beginning to think that the case of the Lancia Mystery car would go unsolved. It was probably a one off, and it was described as having mechanical components from a Lancia Aprilia, including the engine, transmission, and front end, all connected by a tubular or ladder chassis.
The steering wheel, headlamps and fasteners were of German manufacture. The body was made of thin aluminum and covered with a light layer of fiberglass. It was probably built as a racecar but had a full windshield from an MGA and a spare tire. The style was more Teutonic than Latin, and yet it is attractive despite a very short wheelbase and large wheels. Was it built to race or drive on the streets or both? Was this an Italian or Swiss Etceterini? Or a German home built special that never crossed the Alps?
Etceterinis have truly arrived. Alex Vazeo’s Giaur pulls up next to the Alfa 6C2500SS of Oliver Collins and a Maserati Spyder entered by Mr. Ferretti, owner of the famous Ferretti yachts. Below, Alex tells VeloceToday about his experience in Cernobbio.
The Moretti Barchetta 750 cc of Michael Schwartz is one of the ten final entrants eligible for the most popular Etceterini prize. Vote from the below entrants.
Here are the final entries for the Amelia class of Etceterinis. All have been featured in the past few weeks in VeloceToday.
The entries are numbered 1-10 and the photos are below. Please send us your choice by number or exact description.
Send your vote to me at pete@velocetoday.com before March 8th 2010. The most popular Etceterini will be announced in the March 10th edition of VeloceToday and the owner of the winning Etceterini will be awarded a copy of “Nardi, A fast life”, by Dino Brunori. The book will be presented by Cliff Reuter of etceterini.com, who was the driving force behind the creation of this new class at Amelia.
[Read more…] about Now, Vote for Your Favorite Etceterini
Corrina Fendt's cycle fendered Bandini.
Next week both SportsCar Digest and VeloceToday will present all the cars with voting numbers so that you, our readers, can select your favorite Etceterini. We’re glad it’s you and not us, because everyone one is a joy to behold. We’d vote for them all. But do limit your voting to only one, sorry. [Read more…] about More for Amelia