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Five unique
and historically significant Italian sports car concepts
from the 1960s and 1970s took centre stage in the
Cartier Paddock at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last
weekend. The Cartier 'Style et Luxe' Paddock has become
a focal point of the south coast of England automotive
extravaganza, with significant historic cars arrayed on
the manicured lawn each year, and the prestige of
winning the contest has continued to grow.
This year the
Cartier Paddock judging panel included such luminaries as
radio and TV presenter, and now car collector, Chris Evans;
actress and former bond girl Maryam D'Abo; Roger Taylor,
drummer with rock band Queen; former BMW, Mini, Ferrari,
Maserati, Fiat and Alfa Romeo designer Frank Stephenson; and
the leading architect Norman Foster.
Each year the
organisers choose a number of specific classes to showcase
significant trends in automotive history, and this year was
no different. The classes spread out on the lawn included
100 Years of the Model T with a quintet of these
historic pioneers of mass production motoring;
Supercharged Sensations paid tribute to the early
decades of big and brash Mercedes Benz cars; Rear Engined
Revolution featured Porsche, Adventurous Design
collected together five brash post-war cars in true American
style of the era while For Your Eyes Only brought
together Aston Martin, Lotus and Toyota cars which featured
in the famous film franchise. Shape of Things to Come
dubbed as "audacious supercar concepts 1980-2000" offered
Italian flavour in the shape of the 1984 Lotus Etna, but it
was in Dawn of the Supercar "designs that defined a
new genre" that Italian interest was strongest.
Five significant cars, four of which appeared this spring at
the villa d'Este Concorso D'Eleganza, gave visitors a
perfect snapshot of glorious Italian design ideas from the
1960s into the 1970s. And kicking off the representation,
parked bang in the centre of the sloping lawn, was the
glorious Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale from 1967, one of the
Milanese carmaker's finest concept works and a car that puts
all others in the shade. The purest interpretation of the
road-legal racing car theme it was brought by the Museo
Storico Alfa Romeo, the official museum was having a busy
weekend as it was running a string of it collection of
historic beauties up the famous 'Hill'.
The oldest member of the class was the ultra-rare ATS 2500
GT, entered by Thomas McGough. This car built by Carlo Chiti
before he became synonymous with Alfa Romeo through the
Autodelta division; it remains in original condition
complete with very well worn leather seats.
And, like the gleaming back ATS, the forgotten De Tomaso
Pantera Series II Prototype was shown at the Lake Como
concours this spring. It has just been restored with much
input by legendary Pantera designer Tom Tjaarda. This car,
first seen in 1974, was entered by Corrado Lopresto.
The immediately distinctive and pale coloured Bizzarri Manta
from 1968 has had a busy year. Designed by Giorgetto
Giugiaro it was shown at the 78th Geneva Motor Show earlier
this year as part of the designer's 40th anniversary
celebrations. It paraded along the red carpet at Villa
D'Este during the intervening period, and last weekend its
unique shape was on show at Goodwood. The Manta was entered
by Ron Spindler.
The last Italian concept in the class was the unmistakeable
lurid orange Lancia Stratos HF Prototipo from 1970, entered
by leading Stratos collector Chris Hrabalek. This car,
although it looks similar to the eventual production
version, it actually differs down to almost every detail,
and like most of the other concepts on show, it disappeared
from public sight for many years and boasts an interesting
history.
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