Carmel, August 19, 2001

As a Ferrari or Lamborghini fan, an Alfa aficionado or a Maserati lover, visiting Concorso Italiano for the first time without having any tranquilizer in reach, would undoubtedly cause a serious problem. The Concorso Italiano is an unique event which you’ll will certainly not find in Europe. Here, you can get an almost complete overview over Italian Thoroughbreds. It’s exactly like the Concorso-speaker said: ”Remember, even Italians are travelling to us”.

Alfa Romeo

Beginning with Alfa Romeo, highlight and beauty of the show was a black 2600 SZ. This bizarre-looking Alfa with its low nose represented in 1965 the most exclusive way to drive a ”Big Alfa”. With only 105 examples produced by Zagato, it was simultaneously the rarest under the 2600, weighing over 140kg less than a standard bodied 2600. Two Giulia GTA’s, GTC’s and several Spider completed the grid.

Cizeta Moroder V16T

Have you ever heard a Cizeta Moroder V16 T revving to more than 7,000/min ? Most of us never have even seen such a car in reality. But at the Concorso they could have had the possibility  to watch a bright red example of only  6 supposed  to be built with an the owner who wasn’t afraid to turn the V16 on and to rev it ”a little bit”.

This spectacular car was designed by Marcello Gandini in order of Claudio Zampolli and well-known Giorgio Moroder. In the mid-80’s, Moroder wanted to have a truly unique, super-performance car with more than 12 Cylinder. The result was shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 1988 for the first time and attracted huge attention. Two V8 were combined to form a V16 mounted transversal behind the cabin like a Lamborghini Miura. It delivers 540 hp and if someone is brave enough it can run 204 mph……

”Production” started in 1991 but the time had changed since 1988. There was no market anymore for such supercars and so only approx. 6 cars were built, at least one for the Sultan of Brunei and two for Giorgio.

Ferrari display

50 years of Ferrari & Pininfarina
This year, the main theme was ”50 years of Ferrari and Pininfarina”  and therefore 7 Pininfarina masterpieces  and Prototypes were shipped from Italy to the States including the latest Pininfarina Rossa, based on a F550 Maranello.

In 1967 Pininfarina created the Dino Competizione, based on a Dino 206 S with s/n 034. The car has gullwing-doors and is fitted with two very prominent  adjustable wings – one over the nose at the front and a big rear-wing.

The reason for Pininfarina to built the Sigma Grand Prix in 1969, was to use a racing car as a mobile laboratory for research into new ideas for all-round car safety. The Prototype is equipped with complete F1 mechanicals and was shown to the International Sports Committee in Zandvoort to review regulations.

Two award-winning Ferrari Mythos were built in 1989, one went to Japan and the other stayed in the Pininfarina Museum. Up to this day this design layout has nothing lost from its sheer beauty and aggression since the Tokyo Motor Show in 1989, where the car appeared for the first time.

Besides all the Pininfarina-designed cars, in the Pininfarina tent the Concorso organizers had also gathered other Pininfarina-designed stuff like kitchen equipment, shower handles etc..

A white Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta ?

Right parked before the FCA tent a small white Ferrari Touring Barchetta attracted tremendous attraction. Looking in the engine compartment one could get confused: ”0049S” is clearly stamped on the cross member as well as on the engine….0049S ? – this should be a 166 Inter Ghia Coupe and not a Touring Barchetta !

The truth is, this car is owned by Charles Betz and Fred Peters who built it up with Touring Barchetta body-parts on a 166 Inter chassis in the 90’s.
Not a real one – but this was obviously no disadvantage because the majority elected it as ”Best of Show”.




Particular Ferrari 250 GT - list

A lot of different Ferrari 250 GT were displayed as well. Oldest car was a 1956 Boano Coupe s/n 0429GT, followed by another Boano – chassis 0625GT.

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Modern Ferrari – Where were the F50’s ?

Uncountable 308, 328 and 355, dozens of Testarossas and 4 F40 found their way to Carmel Valley but no single F50 could be seen.  Itself a Pininfarina masterpiece, this was the only missing model in the wonderful Pininfarina display. Instead of the missing F50, two 2001 F 550 Barchetta Pininfarina’s (s/n 123675 & 123694) were shown.

Lamborghini – ”Countach ! – Che bella macchina !”

In February 1971, when Nuccio Bertone stood in front of a nearly finished first Prototype of the new Lamborghini supercar, he was so fascinated that he exclaimed ”COUNTACH !” – What a car !

Now, 30 years later it’s still fascinating and Nuccio surely would still strongly proclaim ”Countach” today.  The Concorso Italiano 2001 celebrated its 30 year anniversary with various different Countach models from the early LP 400’s to late Quattrovalvoles’. With at least 7 Diablos next to the Countach one could clearly see that the revolutionary Countach design-idea was inherited to the Diablo.

Maserati

Only a small number of Maseratis were present this year with a Pininfarina bodied (what else ?) 5000 GT starring. This silver painted thoroughbred looks almost exactly like the Ferrari 400 Superamerica PF Coupe (s/n 1517SA), which was built especially for Sig. Agnelli and this one-off 5000 GT was ordered by Sig. Agnelli as well. Today, its owned by Alfredo Brener (who else ?) from Houston, Texas who has 5 5000 GT parked in his garage !

Resumée

To me, the Resumée is clear: This is a show, NOBODY can afford to miss !

Bjoern Schmidt