Originally coach-built by the Turinese manufacturer Maggiora, until their demise in 2003, FIAT’s Barchetta is pretty, peppy and very Italian! Photo by Getty Images In the 1990s, the choice for a small, cheap, two-seat roadster was limited to the Mazda MX5 and this little left-field beauty from FIAT. Developed between 1990 and 1994, the ‘Barchetta’, […]
Where Enzo Ferrari first started – Alfa Romeo, the achingly beautiful connoisseurs’ choice… Alfa Romeo of Milan originally launched the Giulietta coupé in 1954. The gorgeous Spider was added to the Giulietta line-up during the following year. The Pininfarina-designed convertible remained fairly similar to Bertone’s coupé, but from the rakish windscreen rearwards the bodywork was […]
Say hello to this diminutive, mid-engined wedge from the 1970s with pop-up lights and targa roof… Photo by Nick Cornwell-Menzies In the 1970s, the choice for those wanting to dial into frugal two-seater sports car thrills was basically limited to mainstream MGs, some Triumphs, and just a small handful of other eclectic marques. FIAT then cleverly […]
Over-engineered, expensive and achingly pretty – Lancia always did things their way… Photo by Amanda Robinson The Lancia Fulvia Coupé Tipo 818 was a handsome, compact, two-door coupé introduced in 1965 and designed in-house by Lancia itself. Produced up until 1976, this small, beautifully engineered coupé was named after Via Fulvia, the Roman road leading […]
There is in Italy a new initiative to encourage people to share cars. Tom Alberto Bull wonders how long it will be before we see something along the same lines introduced in the UK? On a recent trip to Italy I was made aware of a mobile app taking parts of the country by storm. […]
On Sunday 14 August 2016 you could be heading to the Festival Italia at Brands Hatch… In celebration of Italian motoring, Brands Hatch will host the inaugural Festival Italia on the date of 14 August 2016. The event will run on the world famous 1.2 mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Race content will be all Italian, […]
Aside from the masterpieces of the past, Italy boasts a number of mechanical works of art. Italia! selects five of the best exponents of Italian ‘supercar’ engineering. 1. Ferrari It is safe to say that the Ferrari is considered the quintessential icon of Italian style and design. With its scarlet finish, impeccable engineering, and distinctive […]
One thousand miles of open-road racing launched some of the greatest car manufacturers in the world. Italia! explores the turbulent history of the legendary car race The legend of the Mille Miglia is remembered to this day, but what lead to the demise of the great thousand mile car race? In 1927, the race was […]