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The Goodwood
Fesitval of Speed Cartier 'Style et Luxe' concours
d'eleganza - now a firm favourite
of the event - was this year divided up into
eight categories, and presented an intriguing array of
Italian exotica.
The first category was the ‘By Exceptional
Appointment - The Edwardian Luxury Car, 1905-1915’ which
included a 1913 Fiat Tipo 56 50 hp (owner Nigel Souster).
Engineered in Italy, this particular car was built in
Poughkeepsie, New York. It has an immense wheelbase
measuring 3429 mm and an overall length of 5437 mm. Powering
this brass-era phaeton is 50 hp 8.3-liter inline six
cylinder engine, itself being a true work of art.
The second
category was the ‘Excesses of Streamlining – The Thirties
Grand Touring Car, 1930-1940’. Here, a magnificent entry
from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo came in the form of a 1938
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Touring Coupe. This particular car
represented one of many specifically flown in from the Arese-based
Alfa Romeo museum for the event.
Perhaps the most
intriguing selection of Italian cars within the Cartier
collection was that of the ‘Etceterini – The Coachbuilt
Bambino Sports Car, 1945-1955’. Here all cars were strictly
Italian, and each being as rare as they were small. In total
seven cars were present, being a 1947 Nardi-Danese 1100
(owner Julian Majzub), a 1950 Stanguellini 1100 Bialbero
(owner Francesco Stanguellini), a 1952 Taraschi Giaur 750
Sport (owner Paolo Gecchelin), a petite yet perfectly
proportioned 1954 Moretti 750 GS Coupe (owner Gregor Fisken),
a 1954 OSCA MT4 2AD (owner Henri Fyshe), a 1955 Moretti 750
(owner Mauro Borspani) and finally a 1958 Osca FS372 (owner
Christophe Pund).
Italian
craftsmanship was even present in following category, the
‘Spirit of America – 50 Years of the Small-Block Chevrolet,
1955-1975’. Here, a 1972 ISO Grifo Series II GL 300 from
Alexander Fysche, represented a svelte Italian GT with lazy
American V8 grunt.
Perhaps the most
appealing category to the general public was that of the
‘Beauty in the Beast – The Bespoke Road-Racing GT,
1960-1970’. This category included cars that initially raced
at the Goodwood motor racing circuit during the ‘60s, such
as a 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB (owner Mauro Borspani) and a
1961 Italian-bodied Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato (owner David
Sydorick). Other Italian entries were a 1964 Alfa Romeo
Giulia TZ1 from classic specialist Gregor Fisken, and a 1966
Bizzarini Strada GT.
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PART (II) |
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PART (I) |
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The next category, the ‘Practical Exotica – The Innovative
Lightweight Sports Car, 1960-1975’ included a 1962 De Tomaso
Vellelunga (owner Peter Rae) and a 1969 Bizzarini 1900
Europa from Belgian collector / specialist Paul Grant. The
Bizzarrini is a particularly interesting vehicle,
representing a scaled down version of the legendary Strada.
The aerodynamic shape includes doors that cut into the roof,
with curved plexiglass side screens fairing the roof and the
tumblehome together. This small car, powered by an 1897 cc
Opel engine, is in exceptional original condition and has
only 54.000km on the odometer.
Italian
flair was continued in the ‘Individual Beyond Price – The
Super-rare Four-door Luxury Saloon, 1970-1980’. Here, a
unique Maserati-engined Citroen SM Opera (owner Pierre
Verpeaux) was displayed alongside a similarly engined
Maserati Quattroporte II (owner Manfred Lang) and the unique
1980 Ferrari Pinin prototype owned by the Belgian Jacques
Swaters. Swaters, the famous Belgian racing driver who set
up the
Écurie
Nationale Belge, and later founded
Écurie
Francorchamps – the famous Ferrari dealership in Brussels
(only a stone’s throw away from Paul Grant’s establishment).
The latter car, representing one of the few 4-door Ferrari’s
to ever be constructed.
If there was
ever a ‘school boy’s bedroom poster category’, it was
translated to the ‘Fantasies Come True – The Ultimate
Supercar, 1980-2000’. Here there was a Ferrari 288 GTO
Evoluzione and a 1996 Bugatti EB110 Dauer SS. Despite the
fact that the latter was not an Italian built example, we
cannot afford to ignore the Italian engineering that went
into the original 60-valve V12, quad-turbo, EB110 that was
built at the Bugatti factory in Campogalliano, just north of
Modena. The factory was auctioned off on the 4th
April 1997, with almost everything being bought by Jochen
Dauer (of the famous German Porsche racing team). The sale
included 18 unused Aerospatiale carbon fibre tubs, scores of
other parts and a good stock of semi-completed EB110’s (at
least five of which being Super Sport’s). Dauer continued
construction of the EB110 (with engineering enhancements) at
their establishment in Germany.
by James Granger
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