Auto Italia, Brooklands, May 2nd 2015
Section Treasurer Barry Daborn writes;
Despite the weatherman threatening us with some rain, there was a great turnout for AutoItalia’s 29th Italian Car Day taking place at Brooklands on 2nd May.
I didn’t arrive until after 10.00 am by which time the allocated Alfa parking was full and we were ushered some way along the banking. With so many familiar faces and people to catch up with it took some time before I could actually start to look at the very many and varied cars present. However amongst the ranks of Italian machinery I did notice there seems to be a growing number of nice ‘Suds turning up on these occasions now.
In the event there was no rain and one or two Club members enjoyed some time driving their cars round the Mercedes World test track including our very own Mark Antell in his 4C. There was also the 1951 Ferrari 212 F1 while at the end of the session two monsters were let out – 1905 16½ litre Fiat and Il Drago Ruggente with its 27 litre Isotta Fraschini engine both thundered around the track, the latter protesting with several feet of flames leaping from its exhaust. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to ‘place’ the Fiat in a corner as the pilot and riding mechanic were perched right at the back, behind the rear wheels, like an afterthought.
Nick Wright was present with the Club van and was rewarded with the signing up of some new members while HWM brought cars from the current Alfa range including a 4C for enthusiasts to try their hand at entering and exiting and Alex Jupe came along with a superb quartet of cars – a much modified GTV6, Alfetta GTV and 75 along with a lovely Fiat Dino spider.
