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The Moretti-Cadillac Revealed

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By Frédéric Levaux, Moretti Registry Curator
All photos courtesy of Jay Nichols except when otherwise noted

After reading Part 1, it is easier to understand who we were dealing with; you see why a modified Cadillac wearing Moretti emblems could actually make sense.
But why would Moretti customize a Cadillac for a Nicaraguan client?

Moretti was no stranger to one-offs, after the end of their mass production as a full-fledged car manufacturer at the end of the 50s, Moretti switched to body making exclusively on Fiat chassis. But there were exceptions, the most notable one being the Maserati 3500 GT rebodied by Moretti in 1965 as pictured in Part 1. This was based on an accident-damaged customer car from Denmark that had left the Maserati factory in Modena in 1962 as a normal coupé. Instead of simply having the car repaired, the owner at the time decided to have an independent fastback body built at Moretti. Moretti rebuilt the body but the car kept its original Maserati ID plates.

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The Moretti Cadillac and the Man Who Almost Saved Beria

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By Frédéric Levaux, Moretti Registry Curator

For more than 10 years now, I’ve been managing the Moretti registry. Having lived through the crazy adventure of restoring one of these diminutive Italian spyders from the 50s, I fell in love with this little brand, so innovative and so unloved. So much so, that over the years I’ve continued to add to the register of discoveries I’ve made through discussions, conversations, phone calls and e-mails with owners and lovers of these little cars all over the world. And indeed, as the register has grown in size, a certain reputation and visibility has now been attached to the site I manage (www.moretti-registry.com).

That is why I wasn’t all that surprised to receive a somewhat unreal message from Forest (Jay) Nichols, an American cattle farmer, in October 2023. Jay wrote that a Moretti, which looked very much like a Cadillac, had been seen by his son’s girlfriend deep in Nicaragua, and that he wanted to know what the vehicle was worth.

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Etceterini Registries

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Story and illustrations by Frederic Levaux

“Hello, I’m Frederic Levaux, and I am a car enthusiast with a registry addiction.” This is probably how my introduction should go if I ever attend an AA meeting. Like many of you I have bought and restored a few cars, but my problem, when I buy a car, is that I can’t help but trying to learn as much as possible about the car, the model, the brand… and if I do not find what I am looking I tend to build it myself.

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Formula Junior at Sebring, 1960

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Sebring, leading up to Friday. March 25th. Jim Hall poses next to his DKW-powered Elva FJ. His body man Foy Barrett is on the left, and the fuel man is Chester “Chet” Hines. Chet was Hap Sharp’s aircraft mechanic, often drafted to serve as part-time race mechanic.

By Willem Oosthoek All photos taken by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection]

The 1960 edition of the Sebring 12 Hours was scheduled to start at 10 AM Saturday, March 26. But competition actually began a day earlier. For the first time in its history, the 12-hour event featured two opening races, one for Formula Juniors on Friday morning and a 4-hour event for Under-1-liter GT entries in the afternoon. [Read more…] about Formula Junior at Sebring, 1960

Unusual Sports Car Venues circa 1956

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Moretti

Photography by Glen Glendenning courtesy of Dave Rex

Sports Car Trials

While most professional photographer chose to spend their time and film on real racing events with the big cars and big names, Glen Glendenning also set his lens on the minor events around the extremely active Wisconsin sports car scene, from rallies to trials to ice racing and hillclimbs. It was club racing at the grassroots level. [Read more…] about Unusual Sports Car Venues circa 1956

Etceterini File: Hugues Vanhoolandt

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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

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

Techno Classica Essen 2015

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Reunited in the same image (and now in the same VW group), the car of the people and the car of the Kings, the VW Beetle and the Bugatti Royale.

Reunited in the same image (and now in the same VW group), the car of the people and the car of the Kings, the VW Beetle and the Bugatti Royale.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

More than 190,000 visitors attended the 27th edition of Techno Classica in Essen, Germany, making it once again the biggest indoor classic car show on earth, despite the competition from the more recent Stuttgart Retro Classics show.

More than 2,500 classic cars were on sale and 1,250 exhibitors were on stage as well as 220 clubs. Of course, as we are in Germany, the offers of local dealers mainly concentrated on Porsche 356s or 911s as well as Mercedes 300 SL or 190 SL. But the demand on Italian classics remains as strong as the prices.

As ever, the local German manufacturers took the opportunity to show their heritage and every German make had special displays celebrating model or racing victory anniversaries like 30 years of the Porsche 959 and the BMW 3 series or 60 years since the Mercedes-Benz victory in the Mille Miglia.

Mercedes-Benz also focused its exhibition on aerodynamic research through the ages. But enough speeches, let’s see a selection of what was not to miss in Essen.

Based on the popular Alfa Romeo 1900, this coupé was built in 1957 by the Swiss coachbuilder Ghia-Aigle on a design by Giovanni Michelotti. Only five examples were built.

Based on the popular Alfa Romeo 1900, this coupé was built in 1957 by the Swiss coachbuilder Ghia-Aigle on a design by Giovanni Michelotti. Only five examples were built.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary victory of Moss and Jenkinson onboard their Mercedes 300 SLR at the 1955 Mille Miglia. In perfect weather conditions, they established a record average of 97.90 mph that remained unbeaten.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary victory of Moss and Jenkinson onboard their Mercedes 300 SLR at the 1955 Mille Miglia. In perfect weather conditions, they established a record average of 97.90 mph that remained unbeaten.

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Gauld: Martinengo Memories and Gentlemen Drivers

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Regular readers may remember my May 2012 article about the Monaco Historics in which I mentioned meeting Cesare Martinengo, whose father Franco was a typical Italian “Gentleman Driver” throughout the 1940s and ’50s. This sounded interesting and I had to find out more. Cesare then brought his scrapbooks to me in the South of France and I spent a fascinating day going back in time when people raced for the fun of it and enjoyed racing with their friends.

Cesare Martinengo, however, did some racing himself, mainly with small Italian sports cars. It was no surprise that thanks to his father’s long-time friendship with Elio Zagato, Cesare raced a double bubble Fiat 750 Zagato. (In the lead photo, Elio, left, with Franco Martinengo stand next to their Fiat 1100 Zagatos.)

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Moretti 750 Gran Sport Times Three

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Above: Posing with the Harry Jones Moretti are (left-to-right) Viola Jones, Pat McAfee (then wife of Jack McAfee), and Vi’s husband Harry Jones. Santa Barbara paddock, September 1954. Photo: John Edgar, Edgar Motorsport Archive
______________________________________________________________

By Pete Vack

Thanks to Peter Vanlaw, William Edgar, Alex Vazeos, Rex McAfee, Cliff Reuter, John de Boer, Karl Ludvigsen and Cindy Meitle.

Road & Track, August 1954. The color photo is by photographer and journalist Bob Rolofson; the car, a Moretti Gran Sport—the archetypical “Baby Ferrari”. No doubt many more people saw this photo than would ever lay eyes on the actual car itself; few subjected to the cover photo or the reality would likely soon forget the sight. Even today, the car stirs the imagination.

There might be ten or twenty of these 748cc Michelotti-designed “Gran Sport” Morettis around. John de Boer lists ten known berlinettas (Gran Sport) but emphatically states that the list is far from complete and is constantly updated and there may well be only eight in existence today. Two are very well known and have clear provenances… chassis 1293s (ex-Ludvigsen) and 1294s (now owned by Alex Vazeos), and a third the Road & Track cover car, is featured here for the first time in competition.

While doing last minute research for this article and with the help of William Edgar and Peter Vanlaw, we found some new insights about the Moretti Gran Sports that went though the hands of West Coast importer Ernie McAfee. The competition record of the GS is quite good, but hard to research. Next week in Part II we’ll provide what we know and hopefully readers can add to the list of events.

Saving the Gran Sports

Moretti-GS-750-Ludvigsen

Karl Ludvigsen at the Mille Miglia in 1998 with Moretti GS#1293s. He found, restored and cared for the car for twenty years before selling it to Larry Auriana in 1998.

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Graham Gauld at RetroMobile

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There is no doubt that the legendary Retromobile historic car show in Paris kicks off the season with a lot of fun, a lot of surprises, and just about every known dealer in expensive automobiles is prowling the stands with anguished looks at cars they might have sold if offered.

The show was bigger than ever this year taking in two halls and there was something for everyone. If you want a throttle cable for a 1929 Salmson and amidst barrels of what one would otherwise call junk, you will find one. As for cars, well, Retromobile always brings surprises. For a start, stroll with me to Christophe Pund’s stand. Christian is a jolly smiling Frenchman who manages to dig up the oddest cars from the oddest places and this year was no exception. Restored, but thankfully not to Pebble Beach standard, was a fascinating little Moretti 750 dating from 1955 that was bought by a dealer called Lino Fayen who was kind of French/Venezuelan. Shortly after he bought it he exported it to Venezuela which was just as well because the French tax men wanted to chat with him about tax and customs duty. He fled.

Moretti 750

In Caracas the car went through various hands and thanks to Christophe you see here a picture of Edward Speluvela racing the Moretti in Venezuela. It was a twin cam producing 70 bhp and the odd bodywork was by Aperta. You will note it has a head rest and this is the only thing missing from it today. It is very original and no doubt will be snapped up and let’s hope we see it out racing again.

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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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