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Italian car day brooklands

2025 Italian Car Day at the Brooklands Museum

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Modern Fiat 124 Spider Abarths were popular.

Story and photos by Gary Axon

The gridlock traffic and the sight of a stricken and steaming Pantera pushed to the side of the road to cool off in the log jam leading to the historic Brooklands Museum near Weybridge, Surrey could only mean one thing. The traffic chaos caused by the now traditional first Saturday in May annual Italian Car Day being held at Brooklands suggested it was going to be an exceptionally busy event at the significant banked ex-motor racing circuit, the oldest in the world.

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Italian Car Day: Alfa, Lancia, Maserati

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Alfa Romeo Giulia enjoys the shade offered Vickers Vanguard G-APEP (EP). EP first flew from Brooklands on the 29th November 1961, joining BEA (British European Airways) on the 13th December of that year. After 9 years of passenger service EP was converted into a Merchantman before re-entering service carrying freight in the early 1970s, retiring on the 30th September 1996.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

This year’s Auto Italia Italian car day, held on April the 29th at Brooklands in Surrey was, as you can see from the number of people in the background of many of the shots, particularly popular with the general public. When I arrived just after the museum had opened the place was already filling up nicely.

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Brooklands Italian Car Day: Fiats

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Welcome to Brooklands.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

When visiting the annual Italian Car day at Brooklands (April 30) you really do need to keep circulating the site, as cars come and go throughout the day. Some stay all day, some for just a few hours, owner’s club groups meet up and picnics get laid out. During lunchtime a group of vehicles selected by the event sponsor Auto Italia Magazine, ranging from Abarth Grand Prix to a Ferrari SF90, took to the adjacent Mercedes Benz World Test track for some demo laps in front of a large crowd that had crossed the river Wey to join them.

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Italian Car Day, Brooklands, May 5, 2018

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The organizers of the annual Brooklands/Auto Italia Italian car day like to coral the marques and models together, So…. “Fiat 500 sir? Next to the Concorde please, Lancia! Top of the finishing straight next to the banking by the flight shed. Maserati, over there, next to the bottom of the test hill. Moretti 2500SS! Wow, in front of the club house please.”

However by the time I arrived, and I was earlier than usual, the place was nearly full so my Alfa had to go at the end of a line of Abarths. When it comes to numbers, the Alfa Romeos outnumbered the other marques by at least 3 to one. For a marque that is not that common on the roads of the UK there was an awful lot of them in their coral.

For me, the show is not about the 20 modern Lamborghinis on the finishing straight, or the Ferraris in front of the Jackson shed; it is the as-new, early model Fiat Panda parked on the banking, the group of Fiat 131s by the Shell petrol pagoda, the Bianchini below the members bar.

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Italian Car Day at Brooklands, Part 2

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In a coral full of newer and rather too noisy modern Lamborghinis it was great to see this rather elegant Islero taking pride of place in front of the new 4D Theatre.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

VeloceToday is about Italian and French cars. Italian cars, we got. Jonathan Sharp went to Brooklands to find a huge variety of Italians, some as rare as honest politicians. The editor has not seen an Alfetta sedan since he sold his in 1983. And how about that Moretti, or the Quattroporte 3? Part 2 continues Sharp’s venture into the world of “haven’t seen one like that for years!”

Read Part 1

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Italian Car Day at Brooklands, 2015

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This is billed as a 1905 Fiat with an Isotta Fraschini 250 hp engine. Apparently Fiat drew plans to create record car in 1905 but aborted the effort. The drawings were picked up by Mike Vardy who recreated the monster using a Gar Wood supplied I-F aero engine.

Probably the most appropriate Fiat for Brooklands Italian Car Day. This is billed as a 1905 Fiat with an Isotta Fraschini 250 hp engine. Apparently Fiat drew plans to create record car in 1905 but aborted the effort. The drawings were picked up by Mike Vardy who recreated the monster using a Gar Wood supplied I-F aero engine.

Story and 40 Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Having just returned from the annual Italian Car Day at Brooklands in Surrey (May 2-3 2015) I think they will need to come up with a new cliché to fit the event. It’s still the right crowd but as to crowding, I do not think I have seen the old place so full…Italian cars everywhere. Lamborghini’s under Concordes, Fiat 500s around the Vickers Vanguard, Alfas not just in their main display area but also spilling out along the old banking as well.

Probably the most appropriate Fiat for Brooklands Italian Car Day. Note the chain drive which is an unusual reverse drive set up. Whichever direction, one does not wish to have the chain break at speed, which is limited to 120 mph though no doubt would go faster with a brave man.

Note the chain drive which is an unusual reverse drive set up. Whichever direction, one does not wish to have the chain break at speed, which is limited to 120 mph though no doubt would go faster with a brave man.

I think I have mentioned before but this event is not just about the exotics, of which there are plenty. It’s the stuff you just do not see any more. Immaculate Mk1 Fiat Pandas rub shoulders with 850 Coupes. Fulvias behind a line of Fiat X19s. New Giuliettas next to the original models. Abarths old and new. I felt like a kid in a sweet shop, these were the cars I wanted to own back in the 1980s but could not afford them then, and with certain cars still can’t.

Brooklands is also about aircraft, so you will see some photos of significant WWII aircraft interspersed with the Fiats; we hope you don’t mind. In fact, we’ll begin with a Loch Ness Legend…

Vickers 290 Wellington MK1A N2980 R. 11,461 Vickers Wellingtons were built, 2515 of which were constructed at Brooklands. Only two Wellingtons remain and this is the only Brooklands-built example. First flown on the 16th November 1939 by Vickers chief test Pilot Matt Summers the aircraft was then issued to 149 Squadron based at RAF Mildenhall. The aircraft took part in the infamous Heligoland Bight raid on the 18th December 1939. 22 Wellingtons took part, 11 returned. During a training flight on the 31st December 1940 she developed engine trouble and the pilot was forced ditched into Loch Ness. All of the crew managed to escape but alas the rear gunner was killed when his parachute failed to deploy. In 1976 a group of American divers searching for the Loch Ness Monster found her and she was finally returned to the surface on the 21st September 1985. After 45 years under the water she had remained in a remarkable state of preservation-even the tail lights worked when connected to a new battery.

Vickers 290 Wellington MK1A N2980 R. 11,461 Vickers Wellingtons were built, 2515 of which were constructed at Brooklands. Only two Wellingtons remain and this is the only Brooklands-built example. First flown on the 16th November 1939 by Vickers chief test Pilot Mutt Summers the aircraft was then issued to 149 Squadron based at RAF Mildenhall. The aircraft took part in the infamous Heligoland Bight raid on the 18th December 1939. 22 Wellingtons took part, 11 returned. During a training flight on the 31st December 1940 she developed engine trouble and the pilot was forced ditched into Loch Ness. All of the crew managed to escape but alas the rear gunner was killed when his parachute failed to deploy. In 1976 a group of American divers searching for the Loch Ness Monster found her and she was finally returned to the surface on the 21st September 1985. After 45 years under the water she had remained in a remarkable state of preservation-even the tail lights worked when connected to a new battery.

The annual Italian car day at Brooklands just seems to make people smile!

The annual Italian car day at Brooklands just seems to make people smile!

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