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Italian coachbuilders

French vs Italian Coachbuilders

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Story by Gijsbert Paul-Berk

From the VeloceToday Archives, March, 2015

Once a thriving industry in France, by the mid-1950s, French coachbuilders such as Saoutchik, Figoni et Falaschi and Marcel Pourtout had all but disappeared. Yet in Italy, coachbuilders such as Bertone, Pinin Farina and Touring were succeeding beyond their wildest dreams, becoming known the world over as leaders in automotive design. Why was this so? What factors encouraged the coachbuilding industry in Italy, while virtually destroying it in nearby France? Gijsbert Paul Berk reports.

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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

Italian Car Passion Show Part 2

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Frank Ramecker’s outstanding Alfa 1900 Super Bicolore adds to the show its owner helped organize. Super car, super event.

Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt Click on images to enlarge

Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels

This week we catch up on rest rest of the cars at the Brussels Autoworld Museum Italian Car Passion show. This show will open until January 31st, so if you are in Europe, it is an impressive display, a 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.

The other day we received an email from one of the organizers, Frank Rameckers, who wrote, “It is always great that visitors appreciated the hard work. For some cars it took me two years to convince the collectors of the cars to lend their car(s) for two months to the museum.”

We told him that the variety and selection was superb, and that he should take the show to New York and LA.

Wouldn’t that be nice? Don’t hold your breath.

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Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels Part 1

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The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA with its “assistenza” car.

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.

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.

[Read more…] about Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels Part 1

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