Modena, 10-11 May 2014
The second edition of the Motor Gallery exhibition was held at
Modena’s Fiere exhibition centre, close to the Modena Nord
autostrada junction, over the weekend of 10-11 May. The show
occupied 41000 square metres of indoor and outdoor space, filling
three pavilions with an eclectic array of Italian machinery, ranging
from bicycles to supercars. Some of the rarer classic vehicles on
display came from the well known local collections of Umberto
Panini, Mario Righini and Francesco Stanguellini, with others
coming from further afield and individual owners.
There was a vast array of bicycles, as they take up so little
display space compared to cars, and they included numerous
veteran and vintage examples, including one made for Napoleon III
and a 1933 Bianchi built for Benito Mussolini. There were also a
large number of motorcycles, notably those built by Maserati in
the company’s centenary year, but also other famous Italian
makes like Ducati, Laverda, Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta, not
forgetting the classic scooters from Lambretta and Vespa.
One of the main display features was “La Spider, Un Sogno a
Cielo Aperto” (The Spider, A Dream of the Open Sky), with a wide
variety of Italian Spiders, cabriolets and convertibles filling a large
central display area, including a number of very rare examples
rarely seen in public. They ranged in size from a 1970 Fiat 500
Gamine by Vignale and an Autobianchi Bianchina from 1963,
through to a Ferrari 365 GTS4 and a Maserati Ghibli Spider,
others along the way included a Cisitalia 202 Cabriolet, a Lancia
B24 Spider, a 1966 De Tomaso Mangusta Immatricolata
prototype and a Siata Amica Convertible from 1950.
The show also bore witness to the announcement of the new
Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum, with a stand featuring a trio of
models comprising of a 400 GT, an Espada and a Countach. The
new family (as opposed to factory) museum, is the brainchild of
company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini’s son Tonino, and is
located in Funo di Argelato to the north of Bologna, with visits
available by appointment. More details can be found at
www.museolamborghini.com . For fans of modern supercars
Pagani had a display featuring a Zonda and a Hauyara, whilst the
combined Museo Ferrari and Museo Enzo Ferrari, in Maranello
and Modena respectively, displayed a trio of the company’s “Tour”
cars, the 612 India Tour, the 612 China Tour and the 599 GTB
America Tour, in their colourful liveries.
There were also numerous car club and vendor stands with a wide
selection of cars and motorcycles on display, together with a
variety of trade stands specialising in restoration and products
associated therewith, and a number featured partially restored
vehicles to illustrate their expertise in their specialist field. One
hall was dedicated to a large sales area, where one could find
almost anything connected with the automobile and motorcycle,
ranging from spare parts, through books, brochures, models,
tools and a variety of accessories for the classic car and driver,
whilst there was also a large outdoor sales area with an
autojumble and a number of private car sales. If one tired of
looking at cars and motorcycles, there was a flight simulator in
the corner of the main hall, where the Museo dell’Aeronautica
Gianni Caproni di Trento, had a full scale replica of an Ansaldo
biplane in simulator form, where visitors could try their hand at
flying it via the simulator screen in front of them. Once again a
very interesting and enjoyable “Made in Italy” show, and certainly
worth noting as worthy of a visit for next year.
Keith Bluemel
05/2014
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