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Italian car museums

Casa Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena

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Taken during the audio visual presentation and lightly photoshopped.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

It was back in 2014 that I had last visited the Ferrari Museums in Maranello and Modena. This year, whilst planning my trip to Bologna for Auto Moto d Epoca, it dawned on me that Modena was just down the road, so to speak, and with a late evening flight back to the UK we could, after spending a day and a half at the Bologna show, jump on the train and visit the Casa Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena.

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Ferrari Museum Circa 2014: California Dreaming

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Thomassima

Thomassima. Tom Meade's third creation and probably his most famous. Tom Meade was an American living in Modena who had his own ideas as to how Ferrari's should look. This example is based on a 250GT Coupe.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

From the VeloceToday Archives, November 2014

The article covers the cars and current displays at the Ferrari Museum. Click here to read about the items and artifacts at the Ferrari Museum

2014, in addition to being the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Maserati concern is also the 60th anniversary of the presence of Ferrari in North America.

This anniversary also ties in rather nicely with the recent launch of the new Ferrari California T. These two events are currently being celebrated at the

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The Mario Righini Collection

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By Alain Raymond

From the Archives, May 2019

Italy, 2012

“The Mario Righini automobile collection is one of the finest private collections in Italy. Would you like to visit?” asks Signora Adriana Zini, Director of Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, in Modena.

How do you say “of course,” in Italian? Admittedly, I had never heard of the Righini Collection, but here I was the next morning, entering the 15th century castle of Panzano at Castelfranco Emilia, near Modena. Waiting in the inner court, a tall distinguished looking gentleman greets us with a smile. “Io sono Mario Righini. Benvenuti in Italia” says the charming host in a soft voice to the travelling journalist and his two friends. Luckily one of those friends is Salvatore Montana, from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, ex-Ferrari master race mechanic, who also serves as our interpreter.

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Museum Enzo Ferrari, Circa 2014

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The Alfa Bimotore is on display in a quiet, beautiful, chapel-like setting.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

From the VeloceToday archives, November 2014

Nestling, as if being protected, in the curve of the new display hall is the original workshop of Enzo Ferrari’s father Alfredo. A long and narrow building lit by many large arch shaped windows. The building was built during the latter half of the 19th century and would not have benefited from electric lighting, hence the many windows. At the far end of the hall, roughly where the “Enzo” is now displayed, was, along with the machine tools that Alfredo used to shape metal, a stable which housed the horses used to draw the sulkies (2 wheeled trotting rig) and carts of the time.

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Italy’s Nicolis Museum

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Museo Nicolis, Dell’Auto – Della Tecnica – Della Meccanica

From the Archives, October 2017

Luciano Nicolis was born on the 19th of January 1933, the second of six children. At the age of 14, after school had finished for the day, he would cycle to Mantova to find and collect empty cement sacks discarded by the local stone masons. He would then resell them to the local cement company, sometimes carrying 300 empty sacks on the back of his bicycle.

It is no surprise then to learn Signor Nicolis went on to become a very successful industrialist in the field of paper recycling. Lamacart, the company he founded in 1963, is still a leading player in the recycling field today and remains family owned.

From an early age Luciano was fascinated by all things mechanical and technical, and he had a dream to one day open a museum dedicated to his fascinations. Luciano’s dream came true with opening of the Museo Nicolis in the year 2000. Located just a few minutes’ drive from Verona Airport in Villafranca, the Museo is a modern steel and glass structure housing Luciano’s private collection of 200 cars, 500 cameras, 100 motor bikes, 110 bicycles,100 musical instruments, 100 typewriters , 100 Formula 1 steering wheels, and on the roof of the building, three aircraft. Other than the aircraft most mechanical items still work. The cars are regularly maintained and are driven in many classic rallies and events. [Read more…] about Italy’s Nicolis Museum

Jonathan Sharp’s Visit to the FCA Heritage Hub

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Lancias are featured in the new FCA Heritage Hub.

This week we are happy to present to our readers a sneak preview of Fiat’s fantastic new museum, thanks to the assistance of Fiat Public Relations agent Umberto Hardouin. For this special feature, VeloceToday has installed a slide show feature, so you can enjoy the 36 images at your own speed. If you wish to speed up the slide show viewing, simply click on the right arrow.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

As we related last week, we visited the Fiat Centro Storico and then had lunch at the New Holland staff canteen. Our journey to the afternoon destination was a walk of just a few meters, as it was located in Workshop 81, situated next door. It is called the FCA Heritage Hub and it is not yet open to the public. [Read more…] about Jonathan Sharp’s Visit to the FCA Heritage Hub

Jonathan Sharp at Centro Storico Part 2 Postwar

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

We spent the morning at the Centro Storico Museum, as we related in last week’s Part 1 and below in Part 2. But it now was time to eat in Italy.

So where does an Italian working for Fiat go to take lunch? A nice little trattoria hidden down a small side street in Turin? No. Signor Hardouin has graciously arranged for us to eat at the Mirafiori factory where most of the workers eat. [Read more…] about Jonathan Sharp at Centro Storico Part 2 Postwar

A Visit to The Nicolis Museo

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Museo Nicolis, Dell’Auto – Della Tecnica – Della Meccanica

Luciano Nicolis was born on the 19th of January 1933, the second of six children. At the age of 14, after school had finished for the day, he would cycle to Mantova to find and collect empty cement sacks discarded by the local stone masons. He would then resell them to the local cement company, sometimes carrying 300 empty sacks on the back of his bicycle.

It is no surprise then to learn Signor Nicolis went on to become a very successful industrialist in the field of paper recycling. Lamacart, the company he founded in 1963, is still a leading player in the recycling field today and remains family owned.

From an early age Luciano was fascinated by all things mechanical and technical, and he had a dream to one day open a museum dedicated to his fascinations. Luciano’s dream came true with opening of the Museo Nicolis in the year 2000. Located just a few minutes’ drive from Verona Airport in Villafranca, the Museo is a modern steel and glass structure housing Luciano’s private collection of 200 cars, 500 cameras, 100 motor bikes, 110 bicycles,100 musical instruments, 100 typewriters , 100 Formula 1 steering wheels, and on the roof of the building, three aircraft. Other than the aircraft most mechanical items still work. The cars are regularly maintained and are driven in many classic rallies and events.

Luciano died in 2012 but his passion lives on, His daughter Silvia is the president of the museum and the Nicolis family are very involved in the day-to-day running. During our recent visit, Luciano’s sister even served us a cafe Latta in the museum cafe. When asked about his collection Luciano would reply, “We are not the owners of all this, just the safekeepers for the future…”

Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00

Viale Postumia – Villafranca di Verona (VR) – Italy – T. +39 045 6303289
info@museonicolis.com

Below are a few of the items we had a chance to photograph for our readers. As usual, cars are in alphabetical order.


I was surprised to learn that the coachwork on this 1925 Alfa Romeo RM was by Zagato. The RM used mechanical and chassis parts from the more expensive RL model. Powered by a 4 cylinder engine derived from the 6 cylinder engine of the RL the RM was designed more for the family man than sporting motorist.

Supplied as a rolling chassis to Australia this 1923 Alfa Rome RL Normale is fitted with bodywork by Martin and King coachbuilding of Melbourne Australia.

This Castagna-bodied supercharged Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GTC dates from 1931. The paint applied when restored was mixed with fish scales as would have been the case when the car was first constructed.

Castagna of Milan bodied this 1933 Alfa Rome 8C 2300 (no other info available.)

In 1853 a university teacher by the name of Giovanni Ansaldo returned to Italy after spending time in Northern Europe and decided to form a company to manufacture steam trains and ships. By the middle of WW1, the company Gio Ansaldo & Co decided to go into car production. This example however predates that decision. Built in the company’s workshop in 1906, based on a Peugeot chassis with a monocylinder Peugeot engine, chain drive, and wheels with wooden spokes.

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Crossroads: Italy – USA at the National Automobile Museum of Turin

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As part of our ongoing series of articles about Italian coachbuilders, Brandes Elitch provides some thoughts about the recent Crossroads Exhibit in Turin. One of the cars in the exhibit is this superb blend of cultures as penned by Giovanni Michelotti on a Lancia B24 chassis. Hugues Vanhoolandt photo.

Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt and the Nuvolari Museum

Currently, and until June 25th, the National Automobile Museum of Turin (MAUTO) features an exhibit called “Crossroads: Italy – USA Intersections from after the war to the postwar economic boom.” It explores the cross-pollination and cultural themes of American and Italian designers and their work from 1945-1975. It is an important exhibition, and if you are able, do not miss the opportunity to see this remarkable combination of American and Italian styles. [Read more…] about Crossroads: Italy – USA at the National Automobile Museum of Turin

California Dreaming at the Ferrari Museum

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Thomassima

Thomassima. Tom Meade's third creation and probably his most famous. Tom Meade was an American living in Modena who had his own ideas as to how Ferrari's should look. This example is based on a 250GT Coupe.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The article covers the cars and current displays at the Ferrari Museum. Click here to read about the items and artifacts at the Ferrari Museum

2014, in addition to being the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Maserati concern is also the 60th anniversary of the presence of Ferrari in North America.

This anniversary also ties in rather nicely with the recent launch of the new Ferrari California T. These two events are currently being celebrated at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello with an exhibition by the name of “California Dreaming”. The display covers five halls, each with a different theme, whether that be racing cars that won in the States, street cars, American-designed one-off’s, and even the films of Hollywood. [Read more…] about California Dreaming at the Ferrari Museum

Alfas and Ferraris at the Enzo Ferrari Museum

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The Alfa Bimotore is on display in a quiet, beautiful, chapel-like setting.

Last week Jonathan Sharp wrote a report on the Maserati 100th anniversary celebration at the Enzo Ferari Museum. But he didn’t forget about the Ferraris, engines, and Alfas also on display, many in the new engine room–plus a replica of Enzo Ferrari’s office. We saved that part of the story for this week.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp Clic on pics to enlarge

Nestling, as if being protected, in the curve of the new display hall is the original workshop of Enzo Ferrari’s father Alfredo. A long and narrow building lit by many large arched shaped windows. The building was built during the latter half of the 19th century and would not have benefited from electric lighting hence the many windows. At the far end of the hall, roughly where the “Enzo” is now displayed, was, along with the machine tools that Alfredo used to shape metal, a stable which housed the horses used to draw the sulkies (2 wheeled trotting rig) and carts of the time. [Read more…] about Alfas and Ferraris at the Enzo Ferrari Museum

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