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Oddities at the Padua Fair

PHOTOS PADUA FAIR 2019: SERGIO CALLEJA

After the experience of the past 2018 we return to the Padua Fair determined to sign rarities. And believe us, there are many. At the end of the day we are talking about an encounter with more than 90.000 square meters and about 100.000 visitors. Neither more nor less than the most interesting Italian fair for fans. So… Imagine!

Wandering through its multiple spaces is like going through a kind of treasure chamber. And yes, we are talking about one of those in which there is wealth under huge spider webs. Not in vain In this edition of the Padua Fair 2019, the rusted. Proof of this is the media commotion raised by the Maserati 3500GT Touring by Juan Manuel Fangio.

A piece with a pedigree rescued from oblivion but which, it seems, has been left without a new owner. However, the truth is that beyond the figures of the large auctions, In Padua you have a really magnificent space for buying and selling between individuals. You can stroll for hours through miles of parking while still signing interesting cars.

And that's not to mention what you find in the spaces occupied by the delicious crowd of clubs. Anyway, it shows that we are in one of the key areas for the history of motorsport. So let's treat ourselves looking through the lens of Sergio Calleja some of the most striking rarities of this Padua Fair 2019. Let's start!

FIAT, FIAT AND MORE FIAT. SURPRISING DERIVATIVES

If last year In Padua we pay special attention to the Lancia, this 2019 those who have caught our attention the most are the FIAT. But beware, not the FIAT series. But one panoply of derivatives made by different body builders or preparers from models such as 1500 or 850. Without going any further, let's start by reviewing one that is a real beauty: the Ghia 1500 GT. Under this design of the Turin bodybuilder hides a FIAT 1500 Coupé.

padua padova fair 2019
Rarete. A FIAT Ghia 1500 GT

The bodywork of the FIAT own version is a Pininfarina design, with a certain aftertaste of miniature Lancia Flaminia. Perhaps that is why those of Ghia thought that these lines were somewhat outdated for 1961, so just a year later they presented their particular reinterpretation of the model at the Turin Motor Show. Less than a thousand units left the Ghia workshops, which today are highly contested rarities among bodybuilder followers.

However, if what you really want is a modification for connoisseurs ... Theirs is that you take a look at Francis Lombardi Grand Prix. A car with which it happens like with the Opel GT: a body with GT ambition that constricts its lines due to a very small chassis. But boy, is that after all it is a derivative of the FIAT 850.

padua padova fair 2019
FIAT 850 Francis Lombardi. A piece for specialists

Yes friends, how do you stay? There is a single 850 under there. Although… It has a trick. After all, the pilot and bodybuilder Francis Lombardi had been making preparations on FIAT models since 1947. Of all of them, this Grand Prix was the most famous, using the four-cylinder mechanics of the popular FIAT utility vehicle to reach 34CV. Of course, there are only 630 kilos to push.

A pity that Francis Lombardi died in 1974, since only three years before the development of the FL1. A most interesting concept that reminds us of AC 3000 ME Mk2. Chance? Theories aside, the truth is that the unit we are seeing is one of the last of the Grand Prix, since it was assembled in 1970.

Just a characteristic that our next protagonist also shares, although with the hint of having been built in the facilities of the FIAT itself. What was the cause of this mix of handwork and mass production within a large company? Well, the reason is very simple: everything is due to aerodynamics. And is that the FIAT 1100S "gobbone"MM from 1948 it is an essay to sculpt the wind that, incidentally, reminds us of one of the two BMW 328 bodied by Wendler.

padua padova fair 2019
FIAT 1100 S MM Carrozzerie Speciale from 1948. Aerodynamic rarity of the time

Anyway, in that of "Sculpt the wind" You don't have to be very strict either, since we're talking about the 40s. However, solutions such as the rear wheel fairing are very interesting. A development made by Giuseppe Cogno under the tutelage of Carrozzeria Speciale, department of the brand to innovate in how to dress their vehicles.

Based on the simple FIAT 1100S, the derivatives “gobbone”They stood out quite a lot in the competition, getting to reap the second, third and fourth place in the 1947 Mille Miglia with its only 51CV of power at 5200 rpm. Now, moving from the pole of sportsmanship to that of comfort… We have to jump to the FIAT 1100 German.

Produced in very few series at the beginning of the 50s, this re-embossing from the Turin manufacturer led to the dimension of "cool”The simple lines of the Millecento successors of the mythical Balilla. This particular unit is from 1953, being one of the last examples of this bodybuilder who, although he did not design much, he did manufacture enough for others. A shame the closure of the company in 1965.

IS THIS A TOPOLINO? FIAT 500A PINI GIANNINI

In the manner of Hitler with him KdF Wagen, Mussolini was also thinking of a small car for the masses when he was not overreacting in multiple ways or planning to expand Italy to Ethiopia. So things, in 1930 commissioned a young Giovanni Agnelli to design a car that, 6 years later, would end up becoming the famous FIAT 500 Topolino, which was collected by the Balilla witness.

Nobody can doubt the practical qualities of this utility vehicle, being an Italian emblem as for us the 600 is. However, what was not initially sought was the curious sporting career of the model. And it is that well, we already know ... It has little power but it is light and easy to manipulate. The paradise for pilots of the most accessible categories, which made a thousand and one adaptations of the Topolino for the competition.

padua padova fair 2019
A 500 FIAT 1936 A made Sport model in 1938 with the name of Pini Gianninni

However, it must be recognized that this one takes the cake. It is a modification made in 1949 on the basis of a FIAT 500 from 1938. A unique piece from the enthusiasm of the Pini brothers. Two motor enthusiasts who with the technique of trial and error managed to boost the engine to 45CV. And that's not to mention the tremendous visual reconversion, made this one with the help of the Autodromo de Modena company.

Honestly, there are enough pieces under there to That the FIAT Centro Storico qualifies this car as an authentic FIAT 500 derivative is fascinating to us. After this we will not be able to look the same as any 600 that we cross the street.

ALFA ROMEO, ABARTH AND ... SIMCA PLACED

What to say about Alfa Romeo in Padua? Well, you have them kicking. In fact, if you are interested in making an Alfetta GT / GTV from scratch, you have the opportunity thanks to a monocoque that was offered there. And well, if you have a similar idea and a long time ... There is a 1900C Super Sprint shell with which you can entertain yourself for not a few hours in the home workshop.

Anyway, we were struck by two that were already fully finished and restored. Of course, we believe that something more unattainable for the average pocket than the previous elements. As Ferraristas - the fault lies with a childhood overexposed to F1 racing on television - quite moved 6C 1750 that, in addition to being a jewel of the house of the biscione, belonged to Scuderia Ferrari.

As followers of the muscular and controversial lines signed by Zagato we were excited about the 6C 2300 Pescana Spider Zagato from 1934. Perfect to finish off the centenary of the bodybuilder this 2019. But… As writers of this article, the truth is that there is an Alfa Romeo that we will stand out above the rest. Its about 6C 2300 Spider Corsa from 1949. A model that drinks a lot from the path marked by him Aerodynamics Spider.

If we took that bizarre experiment thought in Croatia under the supervision of the aerodynamic myth Paul Jaray as a prototype… The 1949 Spider Corsa would be its street application. It is as beautiful as it is iconic when it comes to its relationship with the wind. Come on, and now let's get on with two more FIATs. We talk about the Abarth OT 1300 y 2000 Sport.

How many enemies have we made with the previous sentence? Well it was just a joke, a "licenseEditor ”. And is that these cars are much more than simple FIAT derivatives. In fact… The Abarth 2000 Sport is a true marvel. If you look at one of the two photos that we provide, one does not know if the father's face of fascination is greater than that of the son. Do they have a reason for it? Well of course.

padua padova fair 2019
Very sexy the engine in sight in the Abarth 2000 Sport

Because its FIAT source engine - it is a Type 236 four-cylinder - fits over a chassis that weighs only 47 kilos. Adding up everything else, the around 50 manufactured units of the Abarth 2000 Sport barely exceed 580 kilos. And that cwith powers up to 250CV on the finest units. What a bomb! One of Carlo Abarth's jewels that garnered good honors both at the Nürburgring and in ascension races.

El Abarth OT 1300 from 1965 it is more civilized, but it is still hypnotic for that. Although yes, this particular unit lacks the typical “periscope"That made her famous. An air intake for the engine in rear position that, in a series assembly line, would have been unthinkable. But anyway, in the house of the scorpion things were done wildly. By the way, if you are complaining about the many times we repeat the acronym FIAT ... We will tell you that this car was thought on the basis of a Simca 1000.

RARE AMONG RARE: ERMINI

Come on, let's keep talking about FIAT. But seriously, it is that modifying cars from the house of Agnelli was a fad for decades in Italy. So much so that it came to have a name of its own: that etceterini. A huge string of models from artisan manufacturers that is a paradise for all lovers of the most complex archeologies and automobile genealogies.

Among all this world, at the Padua Fair 2019 there were two most interesting units. Both belonging to the company Ermini. With a production set at 37 vehicles -although given the handcrafted nature of these cars it would not be unusual for a 38 to suddenly appear under some blankets-, Pascuale “pasquino" Ermini spent 12 years assembling FIAT and Alfa Romeo derivatives.

And among all of them, two could be seen in Padua: a 1100 Sport single post or with a 1100 Sport Internazionale dressed by Motto. The latter has a fifties Italian flavor on all four sides. But the first has also been recently restored and exhibited in an exhibition dedicated to Ermini at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. In short, although they are based on a humble 1100 they have the status of works of art. This is how motorsport is lived at the Padua Fair!

SIREX: AN ITALIAN AMERICAN AMONG PURE TRANSALPINOS

We have been left with many oddities in the inkwell, but the truth is that we already have to finish this article about the Padua Fair 2019. Thus, we have decided to retaliate a bit of so much Italianness with a car designed Franco Scaglione, yes, but equipped with a Ford engine built in Germany. We are talking about LMX Sirex.

padua padova fair 2019
LMX 2300 HCS. Designed by Scaglione

A curious model presented at the 1968 Turin Motor Show that only came into production for three years. The same as the company itself. And it is that LMX was the impetuous creation of two Italian entrepreneurs with as much passion as little calculation. In fact, what of "Next to the Turin Hall" it is because they did not have the money to pay for their own space within the fair. They had to present the Sirex on the same street!

Its design is, dare we say, the only example of "Muscle car" Italian style. A daring powered by the same 6-liter V2 used by the Ford Taunus. Who would say that the heart of this aggressive sports car is the same that equips the quiet saloon with which Ford wanted to establish itself on the European market! Very curious, and quite rare. You already know that this article is about rarities.

And in fact we are going to end one that, yes, guess what is a FIAT. Its about FIAT Visitors Bus from 1975. A curious Bertone creation based on an 850T designed to transport visitors to the company's factories. A delightful exercise in futuristic and industrial design where habitability is taken full advantage of. It would not be bad to have visited this Padua Fair 2019 in it. Who knows, maybe next year there will be more luck.

What do you think?

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Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

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