I drive my Fb to Toronto's largest Italian Car Meet!
08-27-11, 08:35 PM
#1
I drive my Fb to Toronto's largest Italian Car Meet!
Ok, this really is a weak excuse to start a thread. It has absolutely nothing to do with Fb's or SA's save that I drove one today. But I think you might appreciate the beautiful pictures I was able to take of some utterly spectacular cars. You can download the "contact sheet" here and follow the narrative if some of you (like me) were born waaaay after these car saw light.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4852049/Ital...ysmall2011.jpg
Despite Hurricane Irene, the summer car scene in Toronto continued unabated and was spurred on by the first inklings of an autumn morning chill and fog. I was grocery shopping and noticed an ad posted on the community announcement board for the 2011 Italian Car Day. The timing was sweet serendipity as I was thinking of attending a car meet this last summer weekend and had been resigned to going to the Meeting of the Mazdas which is traditionally a boring affair come Miata lovefest. We need an East Coast Sevenstock.
The weather was hot and sunny as I guiltily parked the Rx7 on a verdant field. Instantly, I had some misgivings. Three beautiful Citroen SMs had been dismissively relegated to the parking lot instead of down in the main paddock. I have never seen an SM and to have three at once was amazing and despite their Gaelic idiosyncrasies they are powered by a real Maserati V6. Later I would come across a row of de Tomaso Panteras, proudly arrayed beside the Ferrari area. De Tomaso was an Argentine whose cars were powered by Ford V8s and could be found hanging on the bedroom walls of prepubescent boys during the 1980s. The Citroen SM was a sophisticated ground breaking classic that was misunderstood because it was so ahead of its time.
(Row1) The top row also showcases the beautiful engine compartment of an Alfa Romeo GT2000, an ultra rare (probably only one in Canada) Alfa SZ and the interior of the GT2000. Could they really crack 140 mph? The Alfa SZ was not a great example and slightly soured me on it as I had always wanted one.
(Row 2) I forgave the Panteras when I realized a rare de Tomaso Mangusta was also present! In European spec, there are likely less than fifty like it left. At the other spectrum of appealing cars is the Fiat 500 Abarth , the original hot hatch with tweaked 500cc air cooled twin cylinder engine giving a racy 23 bhp.
(Row 3) Ferrari's have almost become bread & butter supercars which is why I ignored anything built after 1980. The (black) Fiat Dino has been called the most beautiful car design with proportions that appear perfect. The gargantuan Lamborghini Espada may appear ungainly but this was a beautiful example that hinted at the high speed touring comfort for the carrozzeria famiglia.
(Row 4) The October issue of Octane magazine voted the Lamborghini Miura (SV model shown here) as their favourite car of all time and looking at it, its clear why. Lamborghini was on a roll in the late 1960s besting anything by Ferrari and the Islero with its V12 engine was a GT with no peer.
(Row 5) The Fiat Dino is my kind of classic car. In a world where the Ferrari Dino fetches six figures, here is a beautifully shaped convertible powered by the same Ferrari engine that everyman can afford to own and drive. The Ferrari V12 Colombo engine belongs to the beautifully restored 250GT Series 2 in the next row which ordinarily would have been the star of the show except …
(Row 6) It sat right next to the 1956 Maserati 200SI race car which sold last year at Pebble Beach for $2.6 million along with 3 binders full of documented history.
(Row 7) I really liked the black Maserati Ghibli which started the Maserati trend of naming their cars after famous winds and it outsold its rival Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Miura in its day.
The final row showcases a meticulous, better than new condition restoration of another Fiat 500. These were cheap, post war micro cars meant only for domestic consumption so they never looked like this paragon of chromed perfection. Although I wouldn’t mind being gifted with a Ferrari 308GTB, I would never put this plate on it!
Jim
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4852049/Ital...ysmall2011.jpg
Despite Hurricane Irene, the summer car scene in Toronto continued unabated and was spurred on by the first inklings of an autumn morning chill and fog. I was grocery shopping and noticed an ad posted on the community announcement board for the 2011 Italian Car Day. The timing was sweet serendipity as I was thinking of attending a car meet this last summer weekend and had been resigned to going to the Meeting of the Mazdas which is traditionally a boring affair come Miata lovefest. We need an East Coast Sevenstock.
The weather was hot and sunny as I guiltily parked the Rx7 on a verdant field. Instantly, I had some misgivings. Three beautiful Citroen SMs had been dismissively relegated to the parking lot instead of down in the main paddock. I have never seen an SM and to have three at once was amazing and despite their Gaelic idiosyncrasies they are powered by a real Maserati V6. Later I would come across a row of de Tomaso Panteras, proudly arrayed beside the Ferrari area. De Tomaso was an Argentine whose cars were powered by Ford V8s and could be found hanging on the bedroom walls of prepubescent boys during the 1980s. The Citroen SM was a sophisticated ground breaking classic that was misunderstood because it was so ahead of its time.
(Row1) The top row also showcases the beautiful engine compartment of an Alfa Romeo GT2000, an ultra rare (probably only one in Canada) Alfa SZ and the interior of the GT2000. Could they really crack 140 mph? The Alfa SZ was not a great example and slightly soured me on it as I had always wanted one.
(Row 2) I forgave the Panteras when I realized a rare de Tomaso Mangusta was also present! In European spec, there are likely less than fifty like it left. At the other spectrum of appealing cars is the Fiat 500 Abarth , the original hot hatch with tweaked 500cc air cooled twin cylinder engine giving a racy 23 bhp.
(Row 3) Ferrari's have almost become bread & butter supercars which is why I ignored anything built after 1980. The (black) Fiat Dino has been called the most beautiful car design with proportions that appear perfect. The gargantuan Lamborghini Espada may appear ungainly but this was a beautiful example that hinted at the high speed touring comfort for the carrozzeria famiglia.
(Row 4) The October issue of Octane magazine voted the Lamborghini Miura (SV model shown here) as their favourite car of all time and looking at it, its clear why. Lamborghini was on a roll in the late 1960s besting anything by Ferrari and the Islero with its V12 engine was a GT with no peer.
(Row 5) The Fiat Dino is my kind of classic car. In a world where the Ferrari Dino fetches six figures, here is a beautifully shaped convertible powered by the same Ferrari engine that everyman can afford to own and drive. The Ferrari V12 Colombo engine belongs to the beautifully restored 250GT Series 2 in the next row which ordinarily would have been the star of the show except …
(Row 6) It sat right next to the 1956 Maserati 200SI race car which sold last year at Pebble Beach for $2.6 million along with 3 binders full of documented history.
(Row 7) I really liked the black Maserati Ghibli which started the Maserati trend of naming their cars after famous winds and it outsold its rival Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Miura in its day.
The final row showcases a meticulous, better than new condition restoration of another Fiat 500. These were cheap, post war micro cars meant only for domestic consumption so they never looked like this paragon of chromed perfection. Although I wouldn’t mind being gifted with a Ferrari 308GTB, I would never put this plate on it!
Jim
08-28-11, 11:21 AM
#2
Thank You for the pics.
That 250 GT California Spyder is absolutely stunning.
I wonder if they still make a "Kit Car" out of those. I'd rather
drive something like that than a "Kit" Shelby Cobra.
Since I am a kid of the 80's, Ferris Bueller's day off always
made me fall in love with that car.
Side Fact: A fiberglass-bodied replica of a 1961 250 GT Spyder California,
based on an MG, was featured in that movie.
That 250 GT California Spyder is absolutely stunning.
I wonder if they still make a "Kit Car" out of those. I'd rather
drive something like that than a "Kit" Shelby Cobra.
Since I am a kid of the 80's, Ferris Bueller's day off always
made me fall in love with that car.
Side Fact: A fiberglass-bodied replica of a 1961 250 GT Spyder California,
based on an MG, was featured in that movie.
Last edited by Directfreak; 08-28-11 at 11:24 AM.
08-28-11, 11:28 AM
#3
Doesn't suck
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Does the fact that my favorite car in the pictures was the Abarth make me gay? I freaking love those little shoe-boxes. Engine too big for the trunk? No problem, we'll just leave it open! Genius.
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