The gathering continued with its well tried and tested format of marque and club display areas, with runs on
the adjacent Mercedes-Benz test track at lunchtime, followed by runs up the test hill during the afternoon.
As one has come to expect from the event, there was a diverse array of both two and four wheel machinery
on display. However, what had previously been the focal display area in front of the clubhouse had been
covered with Astroturf since the last visit, in order to provide a children’s play area. This was much to the
chagrin of the organisers when they arrived, as the historic building had provided a nice backdrop to
proceedings.
Apart from a broad selection of classic mainstream vehicles ranging from Fiat 500s in a variety of guises,
including Abarth and Giannini variants, through to large displays of Ferraris and Lamborghinis,
predominantly modern models, although there were a trio of Dino 246 GTs and a pair of 330 GTCs on the
Ferrari front, with earlier Lamborghinis represented by a pair of Urracos and an Espada. There was also a
pair of rarely seen De Tomasos, a Deauville and a Mangusta, together with Abarth rarities in the form of a
very pretty powder blue Abarth Simca1300 and a 1000 GT Bialbero “Ducktail”. One quite often finds some
quirky offerings, and this was the case with a Fiat 500 based 1967 Ferves utilitarian off-road vehicle,
designed with use in vineyards and olive groves in mind, a Piaggio “Polizia Locale” trike and a Jurassic Park
Fiat Panda.
Apart from all the Italian cars and motorcycles on display, the complete museum complex forms part of the
general ticket price, so there is a wide variety of vehicles, aircraft and historic artefacts to provide further
entertainment. The latest addition being a display entitled “The McLaren Design Experience, in which one of
the features is an impressive McLaren 720S 1:1 model built out of 280,000 Lego bricks!
Keith Bluemel
10/2021
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